Nicholas Vines (born Sydney, 1976) is an Australian composer currently based in Sydney. He is particularly active at home and in the United States.
Career Interpreters of Vines’ work range from specialist new music ensembles to high school students. He has received prizes from the US, UK and Poland, as well as Australian honours such as APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards. His compositions are published by Faber Music,Titcomb 2009 Wirripang and the Australian Music Centre. Three albums of his music are available commercially: Torrid Nature ScenesLimelight 2013 (Stephen Drury & the Callithumpian Consort), Loose, Wet, PerforatedVittes 2018 (Guerilla Opera) and Hipster Zombies From MarsSounds Like Sydney 2022Harry 2018 (Ryan MacEvoy McCullough).
While at the University of Sydney, Vines's main teachers were Anne Boyd, Peter Sculthorpe and Ross Edwards. He later completed a PhD at Harvard University, studying with Harrison Birtwistle, Bernard Rands, Magnus Lindberg, Julian Anderson, Lee Hyla, Mario Davidovsky, Judith Weir and Michael Finnissy.
Vines actively identifies with transmodernism.Vines 2018 His compositional approach is rooted in the technical resources of the Western classical canon, while embracing sounds and ideas from an array of popular, experimental, Australian and non-Western traditions.Vines 2018 This combination of rigour and pluralism gives rise to music at once vectored and kaleidoscopic. Vines has worked in both traditional and bespoke forms, producing some ninety-five compositions. His output includes three operas,Keebaugh 2016Guerrieri 2011Schwartz 2011Reid 2006The Age 2004 a symphony, three sinfoniettas,Sounds Like Sydney 2024 three concerti, two string quartets,Nolan 2016 a piano quartet,Guerrieri 2015 two song cycles, numerous other chamber works,da Fonseca-Wollheim 2018Lorenzon 2014Patterson 2011Catlett 2009 and twelve preludes,Sounds Like Sydney 2022 twenty-one miniatures and a variations & themeKerry 2015 for piano, as well as many examples of choral musicMah 2025 and Gebrauchsmusik.
Vines is also a keen mentor of young composers. From 2007 to 2022, he ran the New Works Program for New England Conservatory’s Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice.SICPP 2022 His role with the Artology Fanfare Project (2014–21) was significant, and he has been intrinsic to numerous school-based Australian music seminars. Vines currently teaches at Sydney Grammar School as the Senior Master in Academic Extension (Music). One of his initiatives is Composition Club, where he has taught his students about every composer under the sun, from Peter Sculthorpe to Theo Walsh
Selected works A Mega Masquerade (2023): ten dead species for sinfonietta Mingling Sunburst Minds (2023) for flute/piccolo & virtual ensemble Ghost Rails (2021) for saxophone quartet sync_for_me (1): Gothick Yarns, Motley Ridotto & Sweet, Sweet Syllabub (2018) for faux court orchestra AntipodEntoMenagerie (2018): twenty-one miniatures for piano with rolling preparation I. Grease On The Handlebars from Indie Ditties (2017): twelve scapes for piano In Defence Of Toads (2016) for boy soprano & mixed ensemble The Law Of The Tongue (2016) for string quartet An Essayist's Prayer (2015) for double chorus & orchestra Dysart's Changelings(2014) for piano quartet Loose, Wet, Perforated: A Morality Play in Four Ordeals (2011) for soprano, countertenor, contralto, baritone, Bb/bass clarinet, soprano/alto saxophone, tenor trombone, percussion and electronics Economy Of Wax (2009) for soprano, flute/piccolo, viola & harp The Butcher Of Brisbane (2005): carnival for solo saxophone(s) and chamber ensemble The Hive (2004): A Chamber Opera In Seven Tableaux for soprano, mezzo soprano, tenor, baritone, bass, two keyboardists & electronics
Notes
External links Nicholas Vines: website Australian Music Centre Biography Nicholas Vines: Spotify Nicholas Vines: SoundCloud
References Mah, Eleasha (2025), Nicholas Vines' A Bhandari Pilgrimage Wins the 2025 Willgoss Choral Composition Prize, accessed 15/06/25, https://www.music.unsw.edu.au/news/nicholas-vines-bhandari-pilgrimage-wins-2025-willgoss-choral-composition-prize Sounds Like Sydney (2024), Paranoia x Demon Ducks x Frankenstein x DC Universe: A Bonanzaic Palooza, accessed 15/06/25, https://www.soundslikesydney.com.au/concert-review-paranoia-x-demon-ducks-x-frankenstein-x-dc-universe-a-bonanzaic-palooza/ Sounds Like Sydney (2022), Nicholas Vines And Rob Hao On Vines’ Indie Ditties, accessed 10/04/24, https://www.soundslikesydney.com.au/nicholas-vines-and-rob-hao-on-vines-indie-ditties Harry, Hollis (2018), New music: Reviews of this week's CD releases, accessed 10/04/24, https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/music/2018/07/05/new-music-333 PARMA Recordings (2018), THE INSIDE STORY: Nick Vines and HIPSTER ZOMBIES FROM MARS, accessed 10/04/24, https://www.parmarecordings.com/the-inside-story-nick-vines-and-hipster-zombies-from-mars Vines, Nicholas (2018), Insight-Hipster Zombies from Mars, Australian Music Centre, accessed 23/12/21, https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/article/insight-hipster-zombies-from-mars Vittes, Laurence (2018), VINES Loose, Wet, Perforated, Gramophone, accessed 10/04/24, https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/vines-loose-wet-perforated Keebaugh, Aaron (2016), Guerilla Opera revives Vines’ dark, thoughtful morality play, Boston Classical Review, accessed 12/04/24, https://bostonclassicalreview.com/2016/09/guerilla-opera-revives-vines-dark-thoughtful-morality-play/ Nolan, Paul (2016), ACACIA QUARTET PRESENTS ‘THE HARP AND THE HARPOON’ @THE UTZON ROOM, Sydney Arts Guide, accessed 12/04/24, https://sydneyartsguide.com.au/acacia-quartet-presents-the-harp-and-the-harpoon-the-utzon-room/ Guerrieri, Matthew (2015), At SICPP, modernism in moderation on Monday, The Boston Globe, accessed 10/04/24, https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2015/06/16/sicpp-modernism-moderation-monday/skWQwNPsBLsGAc98URJMyI/story.html Kerry, Gordon (2015), Piano Inside Out, The Music Trust, accessed 12/4/24, https://musictrust.com.au/piano-inside-out-works-by-gyger-vines-rojas-young-whale-page-and-moles/ Lorenzon, Matthew (2014), Metropolis: Syzygy Ensemble, Logic, Partial Durations, accessed 12/4/24, https://partialdurations.com/tag/nicholas-vines/ Limelight (2013), Review: Nicholas Vines: Torrid Nature Scenes (Callithumpian Consort), accessed 10/04/24, https://limelight-arts.com.au/tag/callithumpian da Fonseca-Wollheim, Corinna (2013), Wiggling Worms and Fluttering Birds, The New York Times, accessed 11/4/24, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/arts/music/counter-induction-at-the-tenri-cultural-institute.html Guerrieri, Matthew (2011), New England Prospect: Looking Backward, NewMusicBox, accessed 12/4/24, https://newmusicusa.org/nmbx/new-englands-prospect-looking-backward/ Patterson, David (2011), Radius's Audial Splashes and Sixth Sense, The Boston Musical Intelligencer, accessed 12/4/24, https://www.classical-scene.com/2011/10/02/radius-2/ Schwartz, Lloyd (2011), Guerilla Opera's Loose, Wet, Perforated, The Boston Phoenix, accessed 12/4/24, https://thephoenix.com/Boston/music/127063-guerilla-operas-loose-wet-perforated/ Catlett, Jason (2009), The Origin Cycle, TimeOut Sydney, accessed 12/4/24, https://petergodfreysmith.com/Origin_Cycle_TimeOut_Sydney_09.pdf Titcomb, Caldwell (2009), It's 'Sick Puppy' Time, the arts fuse, accessed 12/4/24, https://artsfuse.org/1101/classical-music-review-it%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98sick-puppy%e2%80%99-time/ Reid, Chris (2006), Singing the unheroic hero, accessed 12/04/24, https://w.realtimearts.net/article.php?id=8324 The Age (2004), The Hive, accessed 12/04/24, https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/the-hive-20040723-gdyb5i.html SICPP (2022), http://sicpp.org/speaker-lineup/nicholas-vines, accessed 12/04/24 https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/artist/vines-nicholas, accessed 23/12/21 https://www.australiancomposers.com.au/pages/nicholas-vines, accessed 10/04/24 https://www.navonarecords.com/artists/nicholas-vines, accessed 10/04/24 https://www.move.com.au/artist/nicholas-vines, accessed 10/04/24 https://menziesfoundation.org.au/nicks-dual-career-the-way-of-the-future, accessed 11/04/24 https://limelight-arts.com.au/features/music-matters, accessed 10/04/24)