The University of Melbourne soprano and composer Deborah Cheetham has been awarded the Sir Bernard Heinz Memorial Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Australian music.
Ms Cheetham is particularly acclaimed for her works Baptist Abba Fan and Pecan Summer, Australia’s first Indigenous opera. She is Artistic Director of Short Black Opera Company, a national not-for-profit arts company devoted to the discovery and development of Indigenous musicians. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2014.