Katia Beaugeais is a French-Australian composer and saxophonist based in Sydney. Katia has performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and has done a number of solo recitals featuring her own compositions on ABC Classic FM, 2MBS-FM and at International new music festivals. Katia won the Fellowship of Australian Composer’s Encouragement Award in 2006 for her first orchestral work. Two of her chamber pieces: Atlantis (2006) and The Last Flight of Saint-Ex (2008) have been premiered by the Sydney Symphony Fellowship players.
In 2010, Katia won the ISCM/IAMIC Young Composer Award for her work, Sound Box which she performed herself on soprano saxophone in a live broadcast on ABC Classic FM during the ISCM World New Music Days festival.
Voted best piece out of 43 entries from artists around the world aged under 35 years, the international judging panel commented that “Sound Box demonstrates an imaginative and idiomatic use of the soprano saxophone. The musical landscape of the piece transcends the limitations of the instrument, and her technical expertise bodes well for future works”.
Katia was invited as guest composer on ABC Classic FM’s New Music radio program in Sydney where she was interviewed during the broadcast of her saxophone recital featuring her own compositions.
Her composition, Drifting Memories, which she especially arranged for 13 saxophones was performed by the Sydney Conservatorium Saxophone Orchestra. This year, Katia Beaugeais will be representing Australia as Guest Composer at the 2011 ISCM World New Music Days in Zagreb, Croatia, in April. Her new work, Manifesto pour la Paix (Manifesto for Peace) for wind quintet, string quintet, piano and alto saxophone, will be premiered by Ensemble Zeitfluss from Graz, Austria. She has also been invited to perform a saxophone recital including one of her compositions at a special reception for the Australian Ambassador and International Key Guests in Zagreb.
Later this year, Katia will be recording a recital featuring her own pieces for soprano and alto saxophone as well as international works for ABC Classic FM. She has also received a commission to compose a new work for the University of Sydney and Professor Kim Walker, under the Vice-Regal patronage of the Governor of New South Wales, Professor Marie Bashir, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Sydney Conservatorium.
Katia has recently gained a Master of Music degree in Composition with High Distinction at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She teaches composition and chamber music ensembles at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and saxophone at MLC School, Burwood.
