In May 2004, he won first place at the Toru Takemitsu Composition Award for his work Fantasia on a Theme by Vaughan Williams,[2] and in 2010 was featured composer for Musica Viva,[3] resulting in the following report from artistic director Carl Vine:Paul Stanhope’s contribution as Featured Composer for the 2010 Season set a new benchmark, with every one of his works standing proudly alongside the finest chamber music presented by our touring artists.
His music left a powerful and enduring impression upon the year’s concerts, drawing liberal praise from an unprecedented number of our patrons.
[4] A commissioned music-drama for large choir and orchestra premiered in 2014 titled Jandamarra: Sing for the Country, based on the life of a North resistance hero of the Bunuba nation of Western Australia.
[4] Stanhope has held the post of musical director with the Sydney Chamber Choir,[5] and guest conductor of Gondwana Voices/Sydney Children's Choir,[6] and since 2014 has been the artistic chair of the Australia Ensemble at UNSW.
[1] Since 2003 APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society) combined with AMC (Australian Music Centre) to present the Classical Music Awards at an annual ceremony.