Resonate Magazine | Australian Music Centre

Image: Ella Macens  
© Darwin Gomez

The Melbourne-based Flinders Quartet's Composer Development Program is bearing fruit, with two former participants featured in concert programs in 2020. One of these, emerging Sydney composer Ella Macens has been announced as the Emerging Composer in Residence for the Quartet in 2020. Another program participant, Derek Brookes, will see his String Quartet included in the first program of 2020 - Flinders Quartet premiered this work as part of the program last year.

A participant of the same program in 2017, Ella Macens will now be mentored by the Yorta Yorta singer and composer Deborah Cheetham AO - Cheetham's own new work is included in the Flinders' program in June 2020. Macens's residency will involve a new composition workshopped and premiered in the 2020 Composer Development Program concert (date TBA), as a result of a commission by the Quartet's long-time supporters Peter and Leila Doyle. The Doyles were taken by Ella Macens's 2017 work Resting with Angels and wanted to commission a new work to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

According to cellist Zoe Knighton, a co-founder of the quartet, (likewise a founding member of Flinders) says about the Composer Development Program,

'Given that I don't compose myself, it's the closest I'll come to that creative process. I love that composers challenge my concepts of what my instrument and I are capable of. A constant kick in the pants to keep my playing evolving! A number of past composers in our emerging composer program have become good friends and this certainly is proof that music really does bring people together. I'm proud of so many things that Flinders Quartet has produced but the Composer Development Program is one I look forward to most every year.'

AMC resources

Ella Macens - AMC profile

Deborah Cheetham - AMC profile

Further links

The Flinders Quartet in 2020 (www.flindersquartet.com)

Derek Brookes - homepage

Ella Macens - homepage