The esteemed Slovenian composer who made his home in Australia has passed away aged 80.

Božidar Kos, composer and former Head of Composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, has died aged 80 years-old. The highly respected musician and teacher lived, studied and worked in Australia for 43 years, before returning to his native Solvenia in 2008.

Born in 1934, the composer’s early musical life, learning cello and piano at the State Music School in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, mainly focused on jazz. Kos was extremely active performing with various jazz ensembles throughout Europe before moving to Australia when he was 21 years-old, to study composition and music at the University of Adelaide. During his formative years as a student he had the opportunity to learn with some of the most important figures of 20th Century music including György Ligeti, Mauricio Kagel and Brian Ferneyhough.

Kos went on to join the staff of the Faculty of Music at the University of Adelaide before holding the position of Fellow in Composition at the institution between 1978 and 1983. However, it was in 1984 that Kos would move to the Sydney Conservatoirum of Music, the institution he is most commonly associated with, appointed...