Resonate Magazine | Australian Music Centre

Image: Eric Avery  

ABC Classic and ABC Jazz have announced the recipients of the inaugural $90,000 Composer Commissioning Fund to support new Australian music from emerging and diverse voices.

The 15 successful projects were chosen from 150 applications. Each project involves the creation of new music for broadcast and digital commercial release.

Themes explored in these new works range from Indigenous cultures to motherhood, the Australian bush, and LGBTQI+ experiences. Included are cross-cultural collaborations featuring familiar classical and jazz instruments alongside the Arabic Oud, Japanese Shō, Chinese pipa, banjo and harmonium, among others. The successful applicants each receive up to $6,000 to support the writing and recording of their work, plus a studio session at the ABC and airplay for the completed recording on ABC Classic or ABC Jazz, as well as the commercial digital release of their work via ABC Music.

ABC Classic commissions include a new quartet for two violins, cello and marimba by Eric Avery, for performance by Ensemble Offspring's artists; a project involving the Titjikala Womens' Choir, singer/songwriter Nancy Bates and pianist Gabriella Smart; a new work by Thomas Green in collaboration with violinist Camille Barry on themes of parenthood and partnerships; a new work by Christine Pan for harpist Kate Moloney; a commission for baroque quartet by Elizabeth Younan, a new work by Meta Cohen for Divisi Chamber Singers and pianist Coady Green; as well as new music by composers Heather Percy, Brent Keogh, Emily Sheppard with singer-songwriter Claire Anne Taylor; and Henry Liang.

ABC Jazz commissions include Rafael Karlen's project with Hannah James and Steve Barry exploring their shared love of the Australian bush; Omid Shayan's new work at the intersection of jazz and Iranian music together with a jazz sextet; Ilaria Crociani's project inspired by significant Australian women from history and involving pianist Tony Gould, guitarist Geoff Hughes and drummer Niko Schauble; Mark Ferguson's album inspired by the Northern Flinders Ranges on Adnymathanha country in South Australia, with Kyrie Anderson, Bonnie Aué and Ciara Ferguson, and composer-band leader Minnie Hill's five-part suite with a sextet of Melbourne musicians.

> More information about successful projects on the ABC website.