Growing up on the edge of Greenmount National Park has inspired many of the compositions of young Darlington musician Nathaniel (Nate) Wood, 2018 winner of the Robert Juniper Award for the Arts.

“Walking and riding through the bush gave me a love of nature and the Perth hills’ wildlife and flora,” says Nate. “A lot of the music I write is inspired by the places in which I grew up, the sounds I heard, and the things I found there.”

Winning the prestigious $9,000 award means that this year Nate can begin writing, recording and producing an album of his own music; it also gives him an opportunity to travel to Germany next year to attend the renowned Darmstadt Summer Music Course, a contemporary music program of lectures, workshops and a host of concerts.

2019 is already proving a busy year for Nate. As well as completing his BA in specialist music studies at UWA, he is one of four students selected to attend WASO’s 2019 Composition Course. During the next four months, the students will work together composing a new work to be performed by a chamber ensemble before a live audience. The students will be mentored by Artistic Director James Ledger and WASO musicians.

Music runs in Nate’s family. He considers himself fortunate to have been tutored by his grandfather Graham Wood, the celebrated violinist. “My grandfather performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the WASO on many occasions,” says Nate. “He taught me violin from age nine until I went to UWA. And my dad played the trumpet with a number of bands.”

He considers himself ‘doubly lucky’ to have attended Helena College, where he received a broad musical education.

Alongside his studying and composing, Nate gives violin lessons: “Violin is the instrument I have most experience in.” While he enjoys playing and performing, he is especially attracted to composing contemporary and experimental music. “I have been writing music for a long time – I think if I abandoned it, I would never feel satisfied. Composition is definitely a creative outlet for me.”

The Robert Juniper Award for the Arts is presented annually by the Mundaring Bicentennial Scholarship Trust to assist talented young artists in the Shire of Mundaring to develop their talents and careers in any branch of the arts. Money for the award comes from a generous contribution from the Shire of Mundaring, supplemented by fund-raising events and subscriptions from Friends of the Trust. For more information, contact Trust Secretary Chris Durrant on 9299 6093 or visit the website mundaringarts.org