Griffith music graduate wins Grant McLennan Fellowship

KITESTRINGTANGLE

Queensland Conservatorium alumnus Danny Harley (The Kite String Tangle), has won the prestigious $25,000 Grant McLennan Fellowship.

The grant, founded in honour of legendary Brisbane musician Grant McLennan of The Go-Betweens, will allow Danny to spend six months in Berlin honing his craft.

It caps off a remarkable year for the multi-talented producer, singer and songwriter, who released a new album, performed a series of sold-out shows with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and won a Queensland Music Award.

Danny said the fellowship was “a huge honour”.

According to the industry panel, Danny wowed the judges with the quality of his songwriting, his commitment to his craft and the way he had established himself in Queensland’s creative community.

“We felt that Danny most embodied the spirit of the Fellowship and we are excited to see him further develop as a songwriter and artist.”

After graduating from the Queensland Conservatorium, the electronic artist and producer embarked on his first solo venture, The Kite String Tangle – scoring an ARIA nomination for his debut EP and a spot in Triple J’s Hottest 100.

Danny credits his time at the Queensland Conservatorium with “introducing me to a bunch of technology that unlocked a whole different realm of musical possibilities.”

“That’s what I really love about making music with a computer; there are seemingly no limits.”

His success comes as no surprise for his former lecturer, Associate Professor Donna Weston.

“At graduation Danny already had the makings of becoming the next big thing,” she said.

“He deserves every bit of this success — he worked really hard throughout his degree and he hasn’t let up since.”

Queensland Conservatorium Director Professor Scott Harrison said Danny was one of many talented alumni making their mark on the national and international stage.

“We remain the dream destination for aspiring young musicians from around the world — this has been confirmed by our position among the top 50 performing arts programs in the world, and our recent ranking as the country’s leading creative arts school,” he said.