BY ELLA MACENS AS TOLD TO CUTCOMMON
Being invited to participate in the 2018-19 TSO Australian Composers’ School was a total dream come true, especially following two prior years of working with the ensemble as part of my Masters degree through the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2016-17.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that from the ages of 25-28, I would be working with one of Australia’s top orchestras in the creation of my first seven orchestral works with such extraordinary guidance and support!
In 2018, our brief included the creation of two major works: the first, a short 5-minute piece (a ‘calling-card’) to demonstrate our own unique individual musical voices; and the second, a larger, more substantial work of up to 12 minutes to demonstrate a greater exploration of musical ideas. For me, the result was Melting Glaciers and Lamentation, respectively, both of which I am incredibly proud of and satisfied with.
We also had the opportunity to workshop some musical experiments with the orchestra — things that we had always wanted to try, but weren’t sure if they would be effective. For me, this was a great opportunity to try some aleatoric material with the orchestra, which turned out to awesome and made its way into my concertino this year!
In 2019, we were asked to work in two quite different realms. Our first project was to compose a concertino (a mini concerto), for which I was paired up with the incredible Dinah Woods. Together, we created my first ever concertino Glass Ocean for Cor Anglais and symphony orchestra.
Our second project was to arrange two singer/songwriter pieces by students from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the University of Tasmania for the orchestra. For this, I was paired up with Jordan Kenny and his song Rainbows In My Clothes, and Cotter Kypriotis with his song Come to Sleep.
Both Jordan and Cotter were fantastic to work with, made even easier by the incredible music they submitted for this collaboration! It was really rewarding to work on two such different projects in this second year of the program, and a really great experience to work with the orchestra in more of a commercial setting, too.
The week-long workshop process in both years was challenging, rewarding, and also quite emotional. Following full days of rehearsals, all composers, mentors and our conductor Elena Schwarz joined together for a daily debrief where we went through each work with a fine-toothed comb to iron out all changes and confirm edits for the next rehearsal.
Some nights, we composers stayed up incredibly late (sometimes until 4am!) making changes to our scores to ensure we had implemented all the great feedback from our mentors ahead of the next rehearsal. There’s nothing quite like scurrying about the orchestra setting, making all necessary changes to individual parts on the music stands as the performers arrive for the next session! Stress city, but so worth it!
As the works solidified and less changes were needed, we composers and mentors enjoyed meeting in the hotel restaurant/bar to enjoy a very well-deserved Tasmanian gin to wrap up another big day!
Having the works performed at the end of each chapter was also hugely rewarding, as I never really know exactly how I feel about my work until I experience how it sits with an audience in a live setting.
The TSO Australian Composers’ School teaches you so much more than orchestral writing. Being up there in front of the orchestra by the conductor’s side can be incredibly daunting, and you learn pretty quickly that there is a particular etiquette by which to address the orchestra in answering their questions and requesting changes! There’s not a minute to spare during the rehearsal process, and all changes or comments need to happen at lightning speed if you want to keep the players engaged and onside!
I definitely found this quite challenging to start, but with time and the incredible support from conductor Elena Schwarz and our mentors, these crucial skills were cemented in my being and are ready to spring into action in future collaborations.
A real highlight for me has been fostering connections with the players. These insanely incredible musicians have so much to offer, and are forthcoming with their constructive criticism and accolades in the most productive ways. It has been a real joy to share my music with them over a four-year period and to work together on my developing orchestral writing.
It has been equally rewarding working so closely with some of Australia’s most esteemed composers and gaining their insights into my work. I am really grateful for all of their feedback which has strengthened my writing immensely. You truly couldn’t ask for a more supportive and encouraging program to foster the confidence and output of emerging composers in Australia!
When a composer creates an orchestra work, their attention is placed on so many musical elements at one given time — from melody to harmony, structure to timbre, texture, duration and balance; not to mention the individual capabilities of each instrument in the orchestra! The possibilities are infinite, and sometimes all it takes is a few little twists and tweaks to turn something quite bland into something captivating and exciting.
Without opportunities for emerging composers to work with orchestras, it is difficult to learn about these twists and tweaks, and truly learn why some things work and others just don’t. The biggest journey for every composer is finding their own unique musical sound world, and this needs to be explored across all settings — from solo works to chamber music and symphonic works.
Having just wrapped up four years of intense work with the TSO, it is mind-blowing and really rewarding to look back and reflect on how much my music has strengthened as a result of this opportunity.
I can’t say where I would be if it weren’t for the TSO Australian Composers’ School, but what I can say with complete certainty is that this experience has raised the bar in terms of how I reflect on my own work, how I engage with the works of my students, and the goals I now have for my work into the future.
Read next: Mark Holdsworth shares his TSO Australian Composers’ School experience.
All images by Brad Harris unless otherwise credited.
