Guide to the Papers of James Murdoch, 1930-2008

Summary

Collection number:

MS 8372

Creator:

James Murdoch

Language:

English and English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of James Murdoch, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

MS 8372 comprises correspondence, diaries, personal documents, financial papers, manuscripts, notes, reference files, newspaper cuttings, photographs, posters, programs, scores, publications and tape recordings documenting James Murdoch's activities in the period 1960-1990. Among the organisations with which Murdoch was associated were James Murdoch Management Pty Ltd, Lusillo and his Spanish Dance Theatre, World Record Club, Music Rostrum, Australian Music Centre, International Society for Contemporary Music, the Australia Council, Sydney Opera House Trust, Musica Viva and Chiron College. The correspondents include Margaret Sutherland, Roger Woodward, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Donald Peart, Frank Callaway, Ian Farr, Nadine Amadio, Miriam Hyde, Peter Sculthorpe, Helen Gifford and Graeme Koehne (114 boxes, 1 fol. box).

Biographical / Historical:

James Murdoch was born in Sydney on 25 January 1930. He was educated at Canterbury Boys High School and the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music, where he studied piano, composition and conducting. His first major appointment was in 1958 when he went to Madrid as Music Director and Company Pianist of Luisillo and his Spanish Dance Theatre. He returned to Australia in 1962 as Assistant Musical Director and Company Pianist of the Australian Ballet Company. In the following year he founded the Universal Record Club and in 1964 he was appointed Special Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief of the World Record Club Australia. In that capacity he produced a monthly magazine and wrote over 200 record cover notes.

In 1968 Murdoch went to London as Director of James Murdoch Management Pty Ltd. Among his clients were the composers Peter Maxwell Davies, Hans Werner Henze and Harrison Birtwistle, the pianists Roger Woodward and Paul Crossley, and such groups as the Fires of London, the Pierrot Players, and the Budapest Chamber Orchestra. He returned to Australia in 1972 as Music Consultant to the Music Board of the Australia Council. In the same year his book Australia's contemporary composers was published, discussing the work of 33 composers.

In 1975 Murdoch was appointed first National Director of the Australian Music Centre, based in Sydney. The Centre, which received a grant from the Australia Council, established a library and information centre, produced a series of publications, films and exhibitions, and organised a large number of concerts. Murdoch attended meetings of the International Association of Music Libraries, Sound Archives and Documentation Centres and in 1980 was elected World President of the Music Information Centres Professional Branch.

After he left the Australian Music Centre in 1981 Murdoch continued to live in Sydney. He was again a consultant to the Music Board and in 1983 he published A Handbook of Australian music. In 1984 he formed the company James Murdoch & Associates which undertook research projects, provided consultancy services for the Australia Council, Sydney Opera House Trust and other bodies, and managed the Australian tours of visiting musicians and dancers. In 1988 he was Artistic Director of New Directions, a festival sponsored by the Australian Bicentennial Authority and Musica Viva.

Since 1990 Murdoch has lived in Bali.

Musician, arts administrator, author and consultant. James Murdoch was born in Sydney in 1930 and educated at Canterbury Boys High School and the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music. He was a pianist and musical director before moving to London in 1968 as director of James Murdoch Management Pty Ltd, managing musicians, composers, singers, dancers and choreographers. Murdoch returned to Australia in 1972 and was music consultant to the Music Board of the Australia Council. In 1975 he became founding director of the Australian Music Centre, based in Sydney.After he left the Australian Music Centre in 1981 he formed the company James Murdoch Associates in 1984, undertaking research projects and providing consultancy services for the Australia Council, Sydney Opera House Trust and other bodies. In 1988 he was artistic director of New Directions, a festival sponsored by the Australian Bicentennial Authority and Musica Viva. Murdoch was the author of Australia's contemporary composers (1972), A handbook of Australian music (1983), and Peggy Glanville-Hicks: a transposed life (2002). He also recorded interviews with leading composers, writers and artists. In 1990 Murdoch settled in Bali where he died in 2010.

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

The Murdoch papers were purchased from James Murdoch in 1991. Further papers were received in 2010.

Arrangement:

Most of the papers were in files and these files have been retained. An exception is the personal letters in Series 1, which were scattered and which have been arranged by date. The overall arrangement of the collection into series, and the order of files within series, have been imposed by the Library.

Indexed terms

Names:

James Murdoch

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn956305).

Conditions Governing Use:

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of James Murdoch, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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