WASO Celebrates New Australian Works with National Awards

WASO is delighted to be recognised in the nominations for the 2023 World Premiere performances of Lachlan Skipworth and Jay Emmanuel’s The Tides of Longing (alongside the WASO Chorus, Aquinas College Schola Cantorum, Voyces, actor Abimanjou Mathivannan and conductor Eduardo Strausser) and Andrew Schultz’s Bassoon Concerto (alongside WASO Principal Bassoon Jane Kircher- Lindner and Principal Conductor Asher Fisch).

The premiere of The Tides of Longing was almost a decade in the making; originally conceived as a play by writer Jay Emmanuel and presented by Encounter Theatre, this new work was created through a collaboration between composer Lachlan Skipworth and librettist Emmanuel, and featured young Perth actor Abimanjou Mathivannan. Commissioned by WASO, the work was written for orchestra, adult chorus, boys chorus and actor. Spanning 35 minutes, The Tides of Longing tells the story of a refugee boy who flees his war-torn homeland to seek a new life in Australia, and is a journey through the themes of hope, loss, and resilience in the face of adversity. The large-scale forces employed demonstrated how music can enhance such a powerful story and underscores the depth of vibrant artistic talent within Western Australia. 

Schultz’s Bassoon Concerto, also commissioned by WASO, was written especially for and in close collaboration with WASO Principal Bassoon, Jane Kircher-Lindner. Over its three movements, the concerto explores the instrument’s unique and expressive personality and hints at the composer’s artistic inspirations, including the famous Thelonius Monk song, Misterioso, and the folksongs of Eastern Canada. 

WASO's commitment to supporting Australian artists and championing new music continues this August with the World Premiere performances of works by two of Australia’s most celebrated young composers – Olivia Davies and Holly Harrison. 
The music of both Davies and Harrison has received national recognition in previous Art Music Awards, winning Work of the Year – Large Ensemble (2022) and Performance of the Year (2018) categories respectively. 

Olivia Bettina Davies is a West Australian composer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music that spans multiple genres including classical minimalism, experimental and ambient. Davies is the current Composer-in-Residence with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Her newest work, Hyphae, makes its world premiere alongside Dvořák’s Symphony No.8 on August 1-3. 

Known for exploring ideas of space, stasis and flow, Davies describes the inspiration for Hyphae as “a world that I found rich and poetic, both beautiful and dark, hidden in plain sight.” 

Holly Harrison is an Australian composer from Western Sydney. Her works are driven by the nonsense literature of Lewis Carroll, embracing stylistic juxtapositions, the visceral energy of rock, and whimsical humour. Harrison’s latest work Superhighway, a saxophone concerto written especially for Perth saxophonist Matthew Styles, will enjoy its world premiere alongside Symphonie Fantastique on August 9-10. 

“[The saxophone] can be wild and unhinged one moment, and tender and honeyed the next. It can cut like a knife or be as smooth as velvet. It can be swift, slinky, savage, and sultry,” says Harrison. 

“What I’m really interested in is music that just goes. I wanted to write a work from ‘go to whoa’, where the saxophone takes charge and harnesses a keep-on-truckin’ type of attitude.” 
These two exciting composers continue to go from strength to strength, each accumulating an impressive list of awards and commissions. Their upcoming World Premieres with WASO show how Davies and Harrison are making their mark and expanding the landscape of Australian orchestral music. 

The Tides of Longing commissioned for WASO by Geoff Stearn & private Song Book supporter. Libretto adapted from Jay Emmanuel’s play Children of the Sea, originally presented by Encounter Theatre. Andrew Schultz’s Bassoon Concerto commissioned for WASO by Geoff Stearn. Asher Fisch appears courtesy of Wesfarmers Arts. Jane's chair is supported by Meg O'Neil, Chase Hayes & Vicky Hayes through the Duet program. Olivia Davies’ Hyphae commissioned for WASO by Prue Ashurst. Holly Harrison's Superhighway commissioned for WASO by Geoff Stearn.