2025 COMPOSER IN RESIDENCE

The Australian Haydn Ensemble (AHE) is thrilled to announce the launch of its Composer in Residence program for 2025, an initiative designed to support and celebrate the creativity of contemporary Australian composers. This exciting program will work hand in hand with AHE’s Emerging Composers Workshops, fostering a dynamic environment where established and emerging talents can collaborate, learn, and inspire one another.

Ella Macens is the featured Composer in Residence in the inaugural year of the program. She is a distinguished and innovative voice in Australian composition, known for her ability to craft evocative, deeply moving works. 

Ella seamlessly bridges the worlds of contemporary music and the Classical traditions that AHE holds dear. Her music draws on a wide spectrum of influences, reflecting a unique Australian perspective while engaging with universal themes of nature, connection, and human emotion.

This new piece, inspired by Beethoven’s letters to Josephine Brunsvik-Deym-Stackelberg, the woman most thought to be Beethoven’s ‘immortal beloved’, reflects AHE’s mission,  exploring the intersection between historical performance practices and modern composition, bringing to light new angles or previously unknown aspects of the composers to create a dialogue between past and present.

Ella will also serve as a mentor and guide for participants in AHE’s Illuminated NOW! Emerging Composers program, working in close collaboration with Artistic Director Skye McIntosh and other key members of the Ensemble. This program provides invaluable opportunities for early-career composers to develop their skills and showcase their talents with the guidance of an established composer and the support of AHE’s superbly accomplished musicians. 

Together, Ella, Skye, and the Ensemble will foster an environment of creative exchange, offering participants a unique chance to learn from some of Australia’s leading musical voices. Ella’s expertise, combined with the Ensemble’s deep knowledge of historical performance practices, will help shape the next generation of Australian composers and inspire bold new works.

The Composer in Residence program and the Illuminated NOW! EmergingComposers Program underscore AHE’s commitment to championing Australian music and fostering creativity and collaboration. 

Artistic Director Skye McIntosh shares “We are excited to work with Ella Macens in 2025 and look forward to sharing her incredible artistry with audiences across the country.” Read more about Ella Macens.

Stay tuned for updates on Ella Macens, the AHE and the Illuminated Now! Emerging Composers Program. Applications are now open! (closing18 March 2025). See all the details and apply here.