ANAM Set 2025 Composer: Work Title and Instrumentation to be announced.
This ANAM Set commission was generously supported by the Anthony and Sharon Lee Foundation
About the composer:
Ella Macens is rapidly becoming one of Australia's most celebrated young composers. Her contemporary classical works are grounded in a deeply evocative and sensitive musical aesthetic, with a musical language inspired by her love of popular and classical music styles. Growing up in a rich and colourful Latvian community has led her to be continuously surrounded by instrumental folk music, baltic choral music and traditional dance. These elements have unsurprisingly also woven their way into Ella's compositional style.
Her works have been commissioned and/or performed by the Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmanian, and Canberra Symphony Orchestras; the Flinders and Goldner string quartets; Inventi Ensemble, Muses Trio, Ensemble Apex, The Song Company, Sydney Chamber Choir, Sydney Children's Choir, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Claire Edwardes, the Australian Ballet, Sydney Festival, and the Canberra International Music Festival, among others. Internationally, Macens' works have been performed by the Ulster Orchestra, Brunel Sinfonia, Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Delta Youth Orchestra, State Choir Latvija, the Riga Cathedral Girls' Choir, and the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music Chamber Choir, to name a few.
In 2023 Macens was a finalist in the Australian Art Music Awards in the category of Work of the Year - Large Ensemble for her orchestral work ‘Release’. The composer has held numerous composition residency positions - Sydney Youth Orchestra and Trinity Grammar School (2015), Sydney Children's Choir (2018-19), the Flinders Quartet (2020), International Grammar School (2021) and Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney from 2020-24. In 2018-19 she was one of four composers selected to participate in the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Australian Composers' School. Ella is currently an Associate Lecturer in Composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.