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Drama of the music brings best out of Jordan

Peter SweeneyGeraldton Guardian
Jordan Moore is the 2020 Young Composer in Residence with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Camera IconJordan Moore is the 2020 Young Composer in Residence with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Curiosity lured a Geraldton boy to tinker with pianos.

He got into guitar, then jazz, and now he’s in the national music scene — as a composer.

Jordan Moore, 24, has just been crowned the 2020 Young Composer in Residence with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

A music student at the University of WA, Moore beat a big field to win the position, of which the MSO awards only one a year.

The year-long residency program gives artists and musicians the chance to innovate and create contemporary classical works.

“It’s a big break into the Australian art music industry,” the unassuming Moore said.

“Music has always been a part of my life, I cannot remember it any other way.”

Family friend Ann Boyle whetted the appetite of the six-year-old Moore with piano lessons.

“Friends were playing fun and dramatic pieces on the piano. I was amazed at how music could be so expressive and moving,” he said.

Nagle Catholic College head of arts and music Simone Bailey-Hough took over the baton from Mrs Boyle.

“I appeared at the Geraldton Performing Arts Festival each year and did some gigs, playing the piano and guitar,” Moore said

“I got into productions at Nagle, doing Annie and, I think, Dracula Spectacular. I did jazz with the band at school and we attended a generations and jazz concert at Mount Gambier. A film composer spoke to us about careers in music and it interested me. I became most interested in composing and dissecting music.”

Moore started a specialist degree in music composition at UWA in 2013.

In 2018, he started his honours with the UWA Conservatorium of Music and will soon graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Specialist Music Composition.

As for Geraldton, Moore gets home as “often as I can.”

“I love coming back for holidays — and to watch the footy,” he said.

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