Louisa Trewartha (alum 2013, trumpet) boasts a vibrant three-part portfolio career where she’s equally a musician, composer, and educator.
Raised in Bendigo in regional Victoria, Louisa relocated to Melbourne to undertake her Bachelor of Music at the University of Melbourne, which she completed in 2010. She subsequently remained a firm fixture of Melbourne’s eventful music scene, regularly appearing in the trumpet section of Orchestra Victoria, and later, with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, in the pit for commercial musicals, and for countless chamber music gigs on trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flugelhorn, and Baroque trumpet.
She was accepted into the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in 2013, in the second year of ANAM’s brass performance program, studying with Tristram Williams (former Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) and David Elton (Principal Trumpet, Sydney Symphony Orchestra). Her tenacity and ‘can do’ attitude gave her the chance to experiment with new styles of music and trumpet playing techniques, and the opportunity to dive head-first into ANAM’s melting pot of performance experiences, masterclasses and chamber music. It was a whirlwind year of training at ANAM for Louisa, and she was excited by the opportunities that had opened before her and how she had grown as a musician. “It can be quite daunting leaving the safety of study at an institution, and to forge one’s own path. But I found it quite exciting really – I’m a ‘yes’ type of person and willing to give things a go. I always feel like I’m learning new things." reflects Louisa. "When I left ANAM my playing had never been better, but performance anxiety had reared its ugly head."
"By diversifying my career, I was able to shift my perspective which has done wonders for my trumpet playing.”
Complementing her vigorous performance work, Louisa taught trumpet and instrumental brass lessons at a variety of schools across Melbourne, including at schools with prestigious music departments such as Melbourne Girls’ Grammar School, Scotch College, and Blackburn High School. She became a regular brass tutor with Orchestra Victoria’s mOVe program, Melbourne Youth Orchestra’s annual Summer School, Young Mannheim Symphonists, and Australian Youth Orchestra’s Young Symphonists program.
In her formative years, she was interested in songwriting, and wrote many compositions for herself on guitar and piano. “I was largely self-taught as a composer, though I do owe thanks to my VCE (Year 12) music teacher Sue Lyons for providing me with the foundations of music theory that I've since needed,” says Louisa. After establishing herself as a performer and pedagogue in Melbourne, Louisa felt it was time to add composition to her portfolio. And after a bit of research, she applied and was accepted into a Master of Arts in Scoring for Film and Visual Media, at Pulse College in Dublin, Ireland.
What followed was a one-year course in composition across a variety of styles – from contemporary classical to avant-garde electronic, for TV, online streaming, film and video game soundtracks. “It was absolutely full-on, how much ground we covered in that year,” muses Louisa.
“Writing music in such a variety of styles really suited my interests; learning by doing absolutely resonated with me.”
At the conclusion of her compositional study-year in 2016, Louisa returned to Melbourne with a new set of skills, and was keen to see where these would lead. “Although I was only away for a year, returning from overseas study really opened up opportunities for me here in Australia.”
Her first chamber commissions were from fellow musicians and colleagues. “I’m very grateful to my colleagues who trusted my ability, and liked what I was doing,” says Louisa. She credits horn-player and former ANAM staffer Tim McIntosh-Hannah and his partner Alison for commissioning trio Memories for a Stranger (2016) for soprano, horn and piano; Allison Wright (alum 2014, trumpet) for commissioning septet Thin Boundaries (2016) for winds, strings and piano; Artistic Director of the award-winning Homophonic! collective Miranda Hill (alum 2001, double bass) for commissioning Stethoscope (2019) for string quintet and vocal ensemble; and Natasha Conrau’s Solstice Trio for commissioning Things We Carry (2019) for piano trio, which gave Louisa the opportunity to share her works with audiences at this early stage of her compositional output.
In 2017, she participated in the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra’s Australian Composers School, which provides mentorship from esteemed Australian composers, and workshops and recording sessions with the TSO. This significantly boosted Louisa’s profile, with subsequent chamber and orchestral commissions coming from the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. More recently, Louisa was commissioned by ABC Classic to write Suite Water for brass quintet, which she performed alongside Sydney Braunfeld (horn), Fletcher Cox (alum 2018, trumpet), Amanda Tillett (alum 2016, trombone), and Karina Filipi (ANAM Tuba Faculty). Three of the five movements feature on the ABC album 'Women of Note, Volume 7' released in March earlier this year.
Her many years of brass teaching across Melbourne have led to several of her compositions featuring on the VCE (Year 12) and AMEB syllabus for trumpet, including her popular Flugelhorn Concerto (2015), which was premiered by Louisa and Amir Farid (alum 2005, piano) at the 2014 Brass Composition Concert curated by Josh Rogan (alum 2013, trumpet).
“I enjoy the challenge of problem-solving, as a composer,” says Louisa. She can see parallels between composition and architecture, having recently helped design her house in Castlemaine in regional Victoria, where she is now happily based. “I thrive on finding solutions to problems, shaping, honing and perfecting, whilst constantly thinking in practical terms. My experience as a musician first and foremost informs my compositional work.”
Louisa’s works are largely self-published, and she’s pleased to see them performed not only in Australia, but by professional and community ensembles all around the world. “I’ll see a work purchased by someone overseas, and then a few months later I’ll Google and find it being performed, it’s quite humbling.” Louisa even discovered in 2022 that one of her works had been performed by a brass quintet from The President’s Own United States Marine Band!
Back in Melbourne, Louisa has also had a long association with Footscray-Yarraville City Band; over more than a decade she has both conducted and performed in the ensemble. “I was delighted that we won the A-Grade section of the National Band Championships this year,” which marked the first win for the band in 51 years.
Alongside regular performance and teaching work in Melbourne, Louisa has increasingly contributed her expertise back to her local regional area, recently conducting the Bendigo Youth Orchestra and Goldfields Youth Brass Band, and adjudicating at Bendigo competitions. Combining her passion for education alongside her performance experience has been intensely rewarding, and she looks forward to more opportunities in the future to mentor regional musicians.
Louisa is one of the 2025 ANAM Set composers, and she has written a work for ANAM third-year pianist Po Goh entitled Fork in the Road. The work was inspired by the uncertainty of the future Louisa felt once leaving ANAM. “A virtual ‘coin-toss’ is activated at certain points in the piece to determine the fate of the performer, which the audience see projected on a screen,” describes Louisa. There are 64 possible combinations of this piece from the 12 movements, or ‘life moments’ as Louisa labels them, that might come up. These are not necessarily biographical, but universally relatable events with varying titles such as ‘Travel with a Friend’, ‘Buy a Bike’, ‘Break an Arm’ or ‘Have a Child’. Louisa’s intention is to acknowledge the feelings of apprehension and uncertainty, that many young people feel after leaving the structure of institutionalised study. “Although there are sombre moments, the vibe of the work overall is light-hearted and game-like,” writes Louisa in her program notes. “Each road leads to opportunities for us to learn more about ourselves.”
Reflecting back on her career so far and since her ANAM training, Louisa thoughtfully says, “It’s important to take advice from people you trust. You need to develop a bit of a thick skin to get accustomed to rejection – you’ll write many grant applications for great ideas, and knockbacks can feel personal. It’s hard to shake off that feeling, but you do get used to picking yourself up and moving forward.”
"People expected my success in composition and education to lead me away from my performance career, but having a variety of work has sustained my passion, and I hope to never stop playing trumpet! Don’t judge yourself against what you perceive others are doing, or what you think others think you should be doing."
"Chances are if you follow your strengths and pursue what interests you, this will naturally open up opportunities for you, and a healthy, sustainable career path.”
Louisa is a Yamaha Artist, and for more information on her compositions and events visit louisatrewartha.com.au
Louisa’s work ‘Fork in the Road’ premieres at ANAM Recital: Po Goh on Thursday 12 June, commissioned as part of the ANAM Set 2025, generously supported by the Anthony and Sharon Lee Foundation.
Louisa’s work ‘Suite Water’ for brass quintet will be performed by ANAM musicians at ANAM with Pride at the Victorian Pride Centre, also on Thursday 12 June.
Words by Laura Panther, ANAM Alumni Manager (May 2025)
Image credits: Tangerine Creative