# Mark Isaacs

Mark Isaacs (born 22 June 1958, London) is an Australian classical and jazz composer and pianist.
Isaacs has also composed and conducted music for film and television.

## Discography

List of releases (all are albums, unless otherwise shown), with selected details :
| Title | Details |
| Originals | Released: 1980 Format: LP Label: Battyman Records (BAT 2071) |
| Preludes | Released: 1987 Format: LP, Cassette Label: Jarra Hill Records (JHR 2003) |
| Encounters (with Dave Holland & Roy Haynes) | Released: 1990/1991/1995/2013 Format: LP, Cassette, CD Label: ABC Jazz (846 220-2)/veraBra (vBr2076)/ABC Jazz (479 785-2)/Gracemusic (GR005) |
| For Sure | Released: 1993 Format: CD, Cassette Label: ABC (518 397-2) |
| Fire | Released: 1995 Format: CD Label: ABC (479823-2) |
| Air | Released: 1995 Format: CD Label: ABC (479824-2) |
| Water | Released: 1995 Format: CD Label: ABC (479825-2) |
| Earth | Released: 1995 Format: CD Label: ABC (479826-2) |
| The Elements | Released: 1996 Format: 4-CD boxed set Label: ABC (479827-2) |
| Elders Suite (with Kenny Wheeler) | Released: 1997 Format: CD Label: Grace Recordings (GR001) |
| On Reflection | Released: 1998 Format: CD Label: Grace Recordings (GR002) |
| Closer | Released: 2000 Format: CD Label: Naxos Jazz (86065-2) |
| Keeping the Standards (with Jay Anderson & Adam Nussbaum) | Released: 2004 Format: CD Label: Vorticity (VM011309-1) |
| Visions | Released: 2005 Format: CD Label: Vorticity (VM021309-2) |
| Resurgence (with Vinnie Colaiuta, Bob Sheppard, Jay Anderson, Steve Tavaglione & James Muller) | Released: 2007 Format: CD Label: ABC Jazz (476 6160) |
| Tell It Like It Is (as Mark Isaacs Resurgence Band) | Released: 2009 Format: CD Label: ABC Jazz (270 3869) |
| Aurora (as Mark Isaacs Resurgence Band) | Released: 2010 Format: CD+DVD Label: Gracemusic (GR003) |
| The Wind in the Willows Hush Collection Volume 12 (with members of Goldner String Quartet, Australia Ensemble & Sydney Symphony; narration by Andrew Ford) | Released: 2012 Format: CD Label: Hush |
| Children's Songs | Released: 2013 Format: CD Label: Soundbrush Records SR1029 |
| Duende (as Resurgence) | Released: 2013 Format: CD Label: Gracemusic (GR004) |
| Ulpirra Sonatines (with Melissa Doecke) | Released: 2016 Format: CD Label: Melissa Doecke (MD002) |
| The Present (EP, with Loretta Palmeiro) | Released: 2020 Format: Digital Label: Bandcamp |
| Robin Hood: The Film Music of Mark Isaacs Vol. 1 | Released: 2020 Format: 2×CD Label: 1M1 Records (1M1CD1039) |
| Forgotten Fields | Released: 2020 Format: Digital Label: Gracemusic |
| All Who Travel With Us (with Loretta Palmeiro) | Released: 2020 Format: Digital Label: Some of Two Parts |
| Intimacies | Released: 2020 Format: CD Label: Gracemusic (GR006) |
| Ravel: Ondine (single) | Released: 2022 Format: Digital Label: Gracemusic |
| SONATA: Solo Piano Works Composed and Performed by Mark Isaacs | Released: 2023 Format: Digital/CD Label: ABC Classic/Gracemusic (GR007) |
| Grace City (feat. Deborah Dicembre) (E.P.) | Released: 2024 Format: Digital Label: Gracemusic |

## Filmography

* A Tale of Two Cities (1984)
* The Adventures of Robin Hood (1985)
* Kidnapped (1986)
* Ivanhoe (1986)
* Rob Roy (1987)
* Don Quixote of La Mancha (1987)
* Black Beauty (1987)
* The Wind in the Willows (1988)
* The Black Arrow (1988)
* Alice in Wonderland (1988)
* The Corsican Brothers (1989)
* G.P. (1989-1990) (34 episodes)
* Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1991)
* The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1992)
* The New Adventures of William Tell (1992)
* The New Adventures of Robin Hood (1992)
* Mark Isaacs Symphony No.1: Queensland Symphony Orchestra (2014)

## Awards and nominations
### AIR Independent Music Awards

The AIR Awards (or Jägermeister Independent Music Awards) give awards for independent albums in various categories.
| Year | Nominee / Work | Award | Result | Ref. |
| 2011 | Aurora (as Mark Isaacs Resurgence Band) | Best Independent Jazz Album | Nominated | |

### Albert H. Maggs Composition Award

The Albert H. Maggs Composition Award is a commission-based Australian classical composition award. It is administered by the University of Melbourne and is awarded annually in August.
| Year | Result | Ref. |
| 2007 | Won | |

### ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
| 2007 | Resurgence | Best Jazz Album | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Tell It Like It Is (as Mark Isaacs Resurgence Band) | Best Jazz Album | Nominated | |

### Art Music Awards

The Art Music Awards are presented each year by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA AMCOS) and the Australian Music Centre (AMC).
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
| 2016 | Award for Excellence in Jazz | For his sustained contribution over four decades and 2015 Queensland Regional Tour | Nominated (Finalist) |
| 2021 | Performance of the Year – Jazz/Improvised Music | All Who Travel With Us (with Loretta Palmeiro) | Nominated (Finalist) |
| 2021 | Work of the Year: Jazz | All Who Travel With Us (with Loretta Palmeiro) | Nominated (Finalist) |

### Australia Council Fellowship

Australia Council Fellowships of $80,000 support outstanding, established artists' and arts workers' activity and professional development for a period of up to two years.
| Year | Result | Ref. |
| 1996 | Won | |

### Classical Music Awards

The 2008 Classical Music Awards (now Art Music Awards) were presented by APRA and the Australian Music Centre, at The Playhouse, Sydney Opera House.
| Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
| 2008 | Instrumental Work of the Year | Walk a Golden Mile | Won | |
| 2008 | Instrumental Work of the Year | Waltz for Melanie | Nominated | |

### Don Banks Memorial Fellowship

The Don Banks Memorial Fellowship was awarded by the Australia Council annually from 1981 to 1996.
| Year | Result | Ref. |
| 1984 | Won | |

### Jean Bogan Prize for Piano Composition

The University of Newcastle presents the Jean Bogan Prize for Piano Composition, which recognises "original and outstanding" solo piano compositions by an Australian composer.
| Year | Work | Result | Ref. |
| 2010 | Miniatures & Variations | Nominated (Highly Commended) | |
| 2012 | Children's Songs | Won (Joint) | |

### Paul Lowin Orchestral Prize

The Paul Lowin Orchestral Prize, which is "known as one of Australia's richest prizes for music composition", is awarded to a work scored for modern chamber or symphony orchestra.
| Year | Work | Result | Ref. |
| 2013 | Invocations for cello & orchestra | Nominated (Highly Commended) | |

## Other activities
### Lifeline Australia

Isaacs is a volunteer telephone counsellor at Lifeline Australia, the nationwide crisis support and suicide prevention service.