Bold, brave and fearless, Ensemble Offspring is poised to navigate uncharted musical territories in 2023. Our daring season features over twenty world premieres which traverse themes of the human psyche, nature and the cosmos. With a fierce commitment to emerging, female-identifying and First Nations voices, our trusted brand of musical trailblazing burns bright in 2023.

Season highlights include:
• The return of our beloved Avant Gardens series, taking music out of the concert hall and into the fresh air with house concerts in Ashfield and Alexandria, Glebe and Woollahra

• Incredible Floridas at Carriageworks, reviving a brooding and complex masterpiece by the great Australian modernist Richard Meale, with new contemporary tributes from young Australian composers

• Still Life with Avalanche at the Sydney Opera House, featuring a world premiere by in-demand Australian clarinettist and composer Paul Dean

• A regional tour of The Surge, delivering poignant social revelations and shameless ’90s nostalgia

• The Hatched Composer Showcase, celebrating the next generation of musical thinkers in our debut performance at The Neilson, Pier 2/3

• Lone Hemispheres, where our world-renowned instrumentalists step into the spotlight as soloists

Artistic Director Claire Edwardes on curating the action-packed 2023 season:

“Ensemble Offspring stands at the intersection of open-mindedness, inclusivity and excellence, and our purpose is to champion new Australian music from this exciting perspective. Our 2023 season represents this more than ever:

“We’ve commissioned original works from composers at every stage of a thriving career, including emerging composers Josephine Macken and Courtney Cousins, rising stars Lachlan Skipworth and Holly Harrison, and established Australians Paul Dean and Ensemble Offspring’s founding Artistic Director, Damien Ricketson.

“We welcome our 2023 resident artists through our various development programs: Hatched Associate Artist Abbey Felton (Perth guitarist), First Nations Composer in Residence James Henry (Melbourne), and Noisy Women Commission recipient May Lyon (Melbourne). We’re incredibly excited to collaborate with them and bring their unique creative visions to life.

“Finally, we’re introducing new audience initiatives to help ensure that Australian art music is accessible for everyone, including $35 tickets for audiences under 35, and discounted season subscriptions.

“It’s an action-packed year focussed on big ideas and untrodden paths. We can’t wait to share it with you.”

Explore the complete 2023 season from the homepage event slider:

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Ensemble Offspring is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and by the NSW Government through Create NSW.