Melbourne composer Christine McCombe is the winner of this year’s Pythia Prize. The composition prize is now in its second year and open to female and non-binary identifying Australian composers of any age. It is run by the Melbourne-based Rubiks Collective, who will collaborate with the winner on a new composition. McCombe will receive a $4,000 honorarium as well as a recording of Rubiks performing the new piece.

McCombe, who told Limelight she is “honoured and excited” to win the prize, has lots of ideas for the new work. “But I’m going to wait and see what emerges once our collaboration begins,” she says. “For me this is one of the most exciting aspects of starting a new project.  Although I’ve worked with several of the Rubiks members before, I’m really looking forward to working with them as a group, to get to know how they work together and to see where this will take us. We’re keen to incorporate some electroacoustic elements into the work, so that is something we can explore.”

Winner of the 2018 Pythia Prize, Christine McCombe. Photo: supplied

“Working with musicians as skilled, curious...