News

50 Australian composers commissioned by Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Composers from almost every state and territory, half of them women, have been commissioned to create works across a broad range of styles and lengths.

26 Feb 2020 12:00

Richard Watts

Performing Arts

SSO CEO Emma Dunch, Director of Artistic Planning Raff Wilson, Concertmaster Andrew Haveron, Principal Double Bass Kees Boersma, and Tutti Viola Rosemary Curtin are joined by 21 of the 50 composers commissioned as part of 50 Fanfares. Photo: Jay Patel.

Funded entirely through philanthropic support, a major commissioning project designed to support the future of Australian music has been announced by Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO).

50 Fanfares will see a range of works by 50 Australian composers – including 25 women, who have traditionally been under-represented in the orchestral sector – premiered over the next three years.

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Richard Watts

Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts