Paul Grabowsky at the opening of the 2007 Queensland Music Festival in Winton

Paul Grabowsky, the 2007 Queensland Music Festival Artistic Director, has been awarded the Melbourne Prize for outstanding services to music and cultural life.

The Melbourne Prize awards excellence in different fields each year. Last year it recognised literature and next year it will focus on urban sculpture.

The judges said Grabowsky, a pianist, composer and conductor, had made a strong impact on society through his performances, recordings, compositions and radio and television work. A public display of the five finalists' work will be held at the Atrium in Federation Square.

He will receive a $30,000 international travel scholarship and an Italian language and cultural course.

Grabowsky has been instrumental in raising awareness of Queensland's musical talent since his appointment as Artistic Director of the Queensland Music Festival in 2005.

The 2007 Queensland Music Festival held in July, saw more than 100,000 people from Brisbane and regional Queensland communities participate in Festival events with several thousand Australian and international musicians coming to present a diverse program of jazz, pop, rock, opera, musical theatre and world music.

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