Wally Gunn Wally Gunn grew up in Ballarat making dodgy Casiotone keyboard "albums" on cassette with his best friend. After high school, he joyfully misspent the nineties in rock bands, writing and co-writing music, recording and releasing albums, and touring nationally and internationally. In 2002, Wally commenced a degree in Composition at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, and completed with Honours in 2006. During this time, he won the VCA's Quip Quip Competition for best composition, received the John Gaitskell Memorial Mensa Award for academic excellence from the VCA, and was the recipient of the Alan C. Rose Memorial Project Grant, which afforded him the opportunity of travelling to the United States for two months to research American composer collectives and contemporary music ensembles. Wally is a co-director of contemporary music presentation collective Dead Horse Productions, alongside fellow composers Biddy Connor and founder Kate Neal. The company presents and promotes the concert music of these and other contemporary Australian and international composers, encourages the creation of new work, and facilitates collaboration with artists from other disciplines. Wally's work has been commissioned by saxophonist Michael Lichnovsky, violist Phoebe Green and percussionist Eugene Ughetti for Speak Percussion. As well as working with visual artists, dancers, and filmmakers, Wally has worked extensively in the theatre. The most recent productions to feature his original composition and sound design have included: The Eleventh Hour's 2006 production of William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale directed by Anne Thompson (nominated for Green Room Awards); Melbourne Workers Theatre's development of the Shrimp companiy's 2007 production of Dominic Golding's Shrimp directed by Peta Hanrahan (awarded Drama Victoria's Best Performance For Young People 2007); and The Eleventh Hour's 2007 adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello, I Am Not What I Am - Othello Retold directed by Anne Thompson. In 2008, Wally will commence a Master of Music in Classical Composition at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. Privacy Policy