Composing Women line up for 2020-2021 announced

Sydney Conservatorium of Music has announced the newest cohort of the Composing Women Program. Postgraduate research students Brenda Gifford, Jane Sheldon, May Lyon and Fiona Hill will be mentored by Professor Liza Lim, as well as members of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s outstanding composition unit. The students will have opportunities to work closely with the Sydney Dance Company, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, as well as develop their own projects. Participants' compositions will be workshopped and performed across the two-year period.

Professional development also forms part of the program, with mentoring in business skills provided by industry partners including APRA AMCOS, the Australian Music Centre, Musica Viva and ABC Classic.

Professor Liza Lim says, “Music composition has traditionally lagged behind the other arts in terms of gender representation. I am proud of Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s deep commitment to creating new pathways for a more inclusive world in music where the incredible diversity of women composing can be celebrated. With diversity comes increased quality and we have seen brilliant results with the achievements of previous cohorts of the program.”

This two-year development program for women in composition was established by the Conservatorium's Deputy Dean, Professor Matthew Hindson AM, and launched in 2016. Participants in the first two programs worked with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Goldner String Quartet, percussionist Claire Edwardes, Sydney Chamber Opera (in collaboration with the National Institute of Dramatic Art), Sydney Symphony Orchestra and flautist Claire Chase.

This program is made possible with the generous assistance of our partners and through the patrons of the Composing Women Program.