Composition Project
COMMUNITY EVENT
Tuesday 16 June 2026, 6pm
Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA
West Australian Symphony Orchestra respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and Elders of Country throughout Western Australia, and the Whadjuk Noongar people on whose lands we work and share music.
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Welcome
Composition Project
Madeleine HAMMOND Heimal Flight
Reece WEBBER Hideous Heart
Marcel HOWELL Bread and Circuses
Gabriel YACOPETTI Damp stone walls surround… The light is so beautiful
Amy SKELLERN Honey Badger
James Ledger artistic director/conductor
This concert does not contain an interval.
About Composition Project
WASO’s Composition Project offers young and emerging Western Australian composers the opportunity to develop their skills in a professional environment. Through a series of individual lessons, workshops and rehearsals, participants have composed a new work for a 14-piece chamber ensemble, performed by WASO musicians in front of a live audience at Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA. Participants are mentored by James Ledger and WASO musicians.
A panel will select the most outstanding composition, awarding the composer the Bendat Family Foundation (WASO) Scholarship and a commission to write a new work to be premiered by WASO.
WASO On Stage
About the Conductor
James Ledger
Artistic Director/Conductor
James Ledger works have been performed by orchestras, ensembles and soloists throughout Australia and internationally.
His first orchestral work, Indian Pacific (1996), inspired by the iconic train journey across Australia is regularly performed nationwide. He has held residencies with major symphony orchestras as well as the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, and the Australian National Academy of Music.
Ledger’s collaborations with singer-songwriter Paul Kelly – Conversations with Ghosts (2012) and Thirteen Ways to Look at Birds (2019) – weave classical forces with poetry, song and folk traditions. Both albums won ARIA Awards. He has been recognised with APRA Art Music Awards for the orchestral works Viola Concerto (2019), Golden Years (2011), and Chronicles (2009). In 2025 Ledger was the recipient of the Paul Lowin Orchestral Prize for The Last Thing – a song-cycle for soprano and orchestra. Later in 2026 sees the premiere of Clarinet Concerto for Ashley Smith and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
He is Chair of Composition at the University of Western Australia and has been Artistic Director of the WASO Composition Project since 2009.
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About the Composers
Madeleine Hammond
Madeleine Hammond is a Perth-based composer and music educator with an Honours degree in Composition from the University of Western Australia Conservatorium of Music, and a Master of Teaching (Secondary Education) degree in Music and English from the University of Notre Dame Australia. She has composed for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp tutor ensemble, the Australian Women’s Wind Band Composition Award, the Queensland Wind Orchestra, the UWA Conservatorium of Music Wind Orchestra, and the Choral Collective's Voyces and Vanguard Consort.
Madeleine’s compositional voice has been described as ‘fresh, visceral and exuberant’ (Monica Curro, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) as well as ‘sensitive, pensive and rich with colour’ (Eliza Shephard, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra).
In addition to composing, Madeleine is a keen trumpeter, having played with the West Australian Wind Symphony, West Coast Philharmonic Orchestra, and WA Brass. Madeleine is a representative voice of Australia’s emerging music makers having served as the 2025 Co-Chair of the Australian Youth Orchestra’s Youth Council. Madeleine remains a member of the AYOYC, as an inaugural member and a vocal advocate for the AYO’s vision and empowerment of emerging artists.
About the Music
Hiemal Flight
Hiemal Flight (2026) is inspired by the migration of the arctic tern, the creature with the longest migratory journey on Earth, spanning up to 90,000km with the intention of maximising feeding and sunlight. Initially, the alto flute will emerge over a glassy string texture produced by the strings’ circular bowing and bowed vibraphone. You will hear the shimmer of woodwinds and strings as the terns emerge from hibernation, depicting the playfulness and dynamism of the colony. This is followed by an arctic tundra scene, where brass chords sweep over the pulsing woodwind and string texture, depicting the expansiveness of the winter scene and foreshadowing the immense journey. The ‘dread’, a phenomenon that sees a sudden behaviour in arctic tern colonies where thousands of birds fall silent before taking off into flight, sees a sudden halt in the colony prior to their ascension. Here, features of Nordic folksong are utilised, characterised by rhythmic ostinato, glacial tone colours, and a resonant lower register, transporting the listener on the terns’ expansive flight path through Northern Europe. With only polar sky in sight, a variation on the initial theme passes between the viola, clarinet, and trumpet, creating a moment of quiet contemplation. The piece ends with soaring brass lines, signifying the terns’ final event in their pole-to-pole adventure, reaching the Antarctic in time to bask in sunlight.
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Reece Webber
Reece has spent his free time and studies on music from a young age, where he began instrumental lessons for the keyboard, trombone, and clarinet. He proceeded to do clarinet throughout his high school learning at John Curtin College of the Arts, of which he did ATAR performance in his final two years. At this point, he decided to switch pathways and instead specialise in composition, applying for UWA’s BMus as a sort of stab in the dark given his lack of prior hands-on experience.
Since being accepted, he has worked closely with his lecturer James Ledger to develop a compositional style that marries a wide range of musical genres, prioritising an engaging sound world over theoretical complexity. Notably in these studies, he was selected as a finalist in the 2025 Ransom prize, collaborating with performers Niamh Dell and Paul Tanner, having an original piece premiered as part of the competition at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery on UWA campus. Being in his final year of study under the degree, he is building a portfolio of original works to go towards his end of year recital, of which he is most excited to premiere his work for the period instrument Theorbo in collaboration with Felix Longworth-Baker.
About the Music
Hideous Heart
This work serves as my maiden voyage into the world of ‘full’ orchestral writing, seeing as I have never written for an ensemble of this size in my time as a composer. As a result, I’m really interested in playing with the wide range of timbres and colours that the ensemble is capable of and am incredibly fortunate to have such a work brought to life by the wonderful instrumentalists of WASO. My primary idea I explore in the piece is this idea of having a bass drum work both with and against the orchestra, utilising the instrument in a manner akin to traditional Japanese taiko drumming. The piece programmatically has no story, simply progressing through gestures and sounds in an organic matter to present different moods and colours to the listener. This incessant bass drum part made me think back to Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” particularly this phantom heartbeat from underneath the narrator’s floorboards as a manifestation of his murderous guilt, hence the piece’s namesake quotes the closing line of the short story.
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Marcell Howell
Marcel Howell is a multifaceted musician based in Perth who is known as an up-and-coming oboist and composer. Their artistic voice can be described as innovative, post-modernist, authentic, and bold, influenced by artists spanning across genres and eras.
Under the batons of several well-known conductors, such as Jessica Gethin, Peter Moore, and Tze Law Chan, Marcel has regularly performed on oboe and cor anglais. They have held multiple principal positions in youth, community, and professional ensembles within Perth.
Marcel has won the prestigious Warana Royal Over Seas League Composition Competition in 2025, with their winning work being premiered by the WAAPA Symphony Orchestra. Furthermore, they have had the opportunity to arrange and compose for the West Coast Philharmonic Orchestra, A2 Organisation, and Adelaide Youth Orchestra.
Marcel began their Bachelor of Music on oboe at WAAPA in 2024 and in 2025 commenced their current course – Composition and the Sonic Arts. As a composer, Marcel draws from a variety of musical contexts and practices, to write music that explores the human experience in the modern aesthetic. In the future Marcel hopes to continue building their skills as a musician and further establish themselves in the Australian music scene.
About the Music
Bread and Circuses
This piece is a product of my collaboration with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in their 2026 Composition Program. Myself, along with 4 other passionate individuals, have had the amazing opportunity to work with and write for world class musicians, which I am extremely grateful for.
The title, Bread and Circuses, is used as an idiom dating back to ancient Rome, focusing on the relationship between the masses and those who govern them. It refers to a method where food (bread) and entertainment (circuses) are distributed by government in order to distract the public from important or pressing issues.
When I started conceptualising this piece, I drew inspiration from this interpretation. However, I realised later on that this is not only something we unknowingly do to each other, but also to ourselves as individuals. I can’t speak for other people, but there are many things in life that I find difficult and uncomfortable, whether it’s to do with my personal life, professional life, or the lives of others less fortunate than myself. If these things are truly important, then maybe we shouldn't avoid confronting them.
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Gabriel Yacopetti
Gabriel Yacopetti is in his third year of a Bachelor of Music at UWA, studying composition. His interest with music began young, after hearing music in film and TV, he was inspired to take up music. Starting with piano at age five, he also took lessons for guitar, drums and viola.
He began composing and arranging in high school for the ensembles at school, having several works performed. In his final year he completed an orchestral suite for his ATAR project. After high school, he began his degree at UWA receiving the De Lano scholarship in his first year.
Since then, Gabriel has had his works played in the 2024 and 2025 Ransom prizes as well as other performances at UWA. In 2025, his Ransom prize submission, MASK AND THE OTHER, for oboe and percussion won the people’s choice award.
Gabriel’s music focuses on expression, and incorporating modern orchestration techniques and harmony. He takes inspiration from jazz music, late romanticism, film and video game scores, and modern avant-garde music.
About the Music
Damp stone walls surround… The light is so beautiful
This piece focuses on a recurring motif which appears throughout, each time obscured, until the end of the piece where it is heard clearly. While writing, I had in mind the idea of someone stranded at the bottom of a well, looking up at the light coming from above. Do they find hope in the light, envy those who are outside, or find peace in their place? This is the question behind the music.
The recurring motif, representing ‘the light,’ is first heard ambiguously in the strings at the opening, with a dream-like bell accompaniment played by the vibraphone. Followed by a dark brass chorale, growing more and more brutal until a fast, fleeing section moves us forward. This tapers out, leaving the motif, again in the strings, obscured and played tremolo.
Here there’s a brief pause, then our motif is heard plainly in a string chorale. As more instruments join the chorale it gets coloured darker and darker, growing to a full crescendo. In the aftermath, the motif is meditated on and the piece ends.
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Amy Skellern
Amy Skellern is a 21-year-old composer, currently enrolled in her Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the University of Western Australia. Since the age of 8, Amy has had a passion for composing whenever given the chance. Her musical education at Churchlands Senior High School exposed her to various styles such as Classical, Jazz, and Modern, which have all influenced Amy’s compositional style. Since then, she’s composed many works, including for solo instruments, duets, quintets, to larger chamber groups and orchestras. Collaborating with musicians is Amy’s favourite aspect of composition. Her works are often programmatic, with an emphasis on character and storytelling. She uses orchestration to convey dark imagery in her works, often building a tense or unsettling atmosphere. Amy is inspired by early 20th century and modern composers, particularly Stravinsky, Charles Ives, Unsuk Chin and John Adams.
About the Music
Honey Badger
Honey Badgers... aren’t they so cute? Occurring throughout most of Africa, they munch on the world’s most poisonous snakes, scorpions and insects, perhaps with a side of honey. Although cute, these little rascals shouldn’t be underestimated! Known for causing stand-offs against lions or even elephants, honey badgers are often labelled as the most fearless animal in the world. Their intelligent and curious nature is armoured with thick skin, and they simply won’t back down from a fight (one that they usually started!). The character of the unapologetic Honey Badger is what inspired my piece. Like the cartoon music of Looney Tunes, this piece is spontaneous, energetic and playful, balancing the ‘cute’ with the ‘ferocious’ honey badger traits. Listen out for the colourful savannah life; maybe you’ll hear a hissing snake, or the stomps of an elephant, reacting to the motif of the badger as it does exactly whatever it pleases! It may be a cute little animal, but it definitely has a big personality!
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Prepare for a thrilling program of contemporary innovation where music meets art. Experience the shimmering textures of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Fog, written for the 90th birthday of celebrated architect Frank Gehry, followed by the vibrant energy of a brand new work by Australian composer Vanessa Perica. Sound and image achieve a euphoric synchronicity in Steve Reich’s Reich/Richter, a hypnotic multimedia synthesis of Reich’s music with German artist Gerhard Richter’s kaleidoscopic visual art.
Fri 6 & Sat 7 November 2026
Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of WA
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About WASO
Engage | Excite | Experience | Educate
From the centre of Perth to the furthest corners of the state, we have provided the soundtrack to life in WA since 1928.
As the State Orchestra, Perth’s first and finest, WASO is the largest employer of performing artists in Western Australia and reaches two million people with musical experiences each year on stage, in our community, and online.
From concert stages to classrooms, hospitals to aged care, we bring joy, inspire learning, and nurture participation in our community, because everybody deserves the opportunity to experience live music. Every year, through community and leading industry partnerships, we engage a new generation of young and emerging artists to help secure a bright future for music in Australia.
We celebrate our rich classical music heritage with great artists from all over the world and commission and perform new repertoire to renew and expand it. The Orchestra collaborates widely with major arts companies and independent artists, performing opera to ballet, movies to musicals, jazz to rock.
Asher Fisch is Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser of our Orchestra. We champion the diversity of music in all its forms, with a team of talented and passionate people who create unforgettable experiences for all West Australians to enjoy.
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