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DOCTOR OF MUSIC FROM UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE:

Zavod was awarded the degree of Doctor of Music by the University of Melbourne in 2009, in recognition of his international composing career specialising in classical/jazz fusion. He is one of only 4 recipients in the 150 year history of the University of Melbourne to receive the Degree of Doctor of Music as an earned doctorate for his symphonic composition.

Below is an extract from the examiners report (University of Texas, USA):

"Mr. Zavod successfully fuses the sensibility and vernacular of jazz and with a fluency in symphonic structure and technique. Among his salient qualities as a composer are: a persuasive mastery of the orchestral palette, a strong sense of dramatic pacing, rhythmic vigor, and an overall attention to the notational detail, all of which he uses very effectively for his personal, artistic purposes. A striking characteristic of his portfolio is clarity in his storytelling. The relative simplicity or complexity of his harmonic, melodic and rhythmic materials, appear consistently to be chosen with the goal of audience communication as prime consideration. I believe Mr. Zavod's work offers both ample substance for professional orchestras as well as a musical medium and message that promises to please the broader public, whom so many symphony orchestras in these times struggle to reach.

Mr. Zavod has a mature, crystallized musical voice that may be identified throughout this portfolio. He works with elements of both a symphonic and jazz vocabulary, and with his stated programmatic goals, the resulting aesthetic might be described as "cinematic" in nature. He paints an unambiguous picture in his programmatic pieces. Accordingly his language is grounded in a tonal, textural and rhythmic clarity that represent stability, from which the music begins and to which it emotionally returns."

ABC RADIO INTERVIEW

Zavod was interviewed by ABC 774 host Lindy Burns on the 3rd September 2009 regarding his doctorate:

"I also met the very clever and delightful Allan Zavod who last week was awarded a Doctor of Music by the University of Melbourne. He is one of only 4 recipients in the 150 year history of the University of Melbourne to receive the Degree of Doctor of Music as an earned doctorate for his symphonic composition. Allan is famous for many things: a former keyboardist for Frank Zappa, discovered and mentored by Duke Ellington, writing scores for films like Death of a Soldier, playing acid jazz with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and musician with George Benson and Robbie Williams. We talked today about his wild and varied career."

You can download the audio from the interview here.

AGE ARTICLE

Article by Lawrence Money, The Age, August 20, 2009 (scroll to middle of page)

Doctor of Note
ALLAN Zavod is the piano man who left for a three-week trip to the US back in 2004 and, as Mr Diary told you at the time, disappeared down a pothole full of red tape. A former keyboardist for Frank Zappa, Zavod was still there nine months later after his Green Card expired and he became mired in the renewal maze, leaving his wife back home in Melbourne as a Green Card widow. However, time marches on and Zavod, happily repatriated, has just earned his stripes at Melbourne University as a Doctor of Music. ''I'm only the fourth to receive an earned Doctor of Music in the university's history,'' said Zavod. A sort of medico of melodies. No stethoscope required.

GRADUATION PHOTOS

Dr. Barry Jones, Dr. Allan Zavod,
Dr. Alan Finkel

Prof. Paul Zimmet, Alona Kamasarov, Vivian Zimmet, Prof. Ron Taft

Prof. Chris Goddard, Dr. Allan Zavod,
Chris Goddard

Dr. David Kram, Dr. Elizabeth Finkel

Dr. Allan Zavod, Christine Zavod,
Dr. Barry Jones

PhDs and Doctors

Dr. Allan Zavod receiving his diploma from Chancellor Hon Alex Chernov AO QC (now Governor of Victoria)

Dr Zavod with friend Dr Alan Finkel, Chancellor of Monash University

Dr Zavod with Dr Alan Finkel and family