Ensemble Offspring turns 30!
9 September, 2025
Today we celebrate 30 years of trailblazing new music! Since our very first performance as part of the Sydney Spring Festival, Ensemble Offspring has championed the most adventurous sounds of our time, and 2025 has been no exception!
This year has already been a memorable one:
An early photo of The Spring Ensemble, now known as Ensemble Offspring.
We premiered five cutting-edge works and explored the intersection of sound and technology at Lumen Machine with our old pianist Zubin Kanga,
We travelled to New York to perform at Bang on a Can’s Long Play Festival (and Claire & Lamorna got stuck in Dallas on the way home),
We embraced the darker side of contemporary classical music in Divine Darkness,
We took home a gong at the 2025 Art Music Awards for Gilgamesh and
Claire turned 50 today—the same day that EO turned 30!
In celebration of our 30th birthday, we’re reflecting on some of our favourite concerts from the past three decades. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram, or take a nostalgic journey through our curated from the archives playlist:
But the party isn’t over yet! Here's what’s coming up as we wrap up this milestone year:
Moonstruck
We’re ending our birthday celebrations with a bang! Moonstruck is a thrilling collaboration between two 2025 Art Music Award winners: Ensemble Offspring and Sydney Chamber Opera. We’ll be joined by two acclaimed Australian vocalists, Jane Sheldon and Jessica Aszodi.
26 September – The Street, Canberra
28 September – Eugene Goossens Hall, Sydney
Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers Showcase
Our annual Ngarra-Burria concert is back, shining a light on powerful new works from the 2025 First Peoples Composers cohort. Hear new instrumental works from the 2025 cohort alongside music by Mark ‘Munk’ Ross and join the celebration of stories reflecting culture, country and connection to the here and now.
15 October – Eugene Goossens Hall, Sydney
Future Classics
We round out the year with Future Classics, our showcase of the 2025 Hatched Academy Composers: Georgina Bowden, Callum O’Reilly, Beth Roche, and Louis Wishart.
Following a week-long intensive with mentors from around the world, these emerging talents will debut brand-new works written especially for Ensemble Offspring. Featuring guest pianist Ronan Apcar—our 2025 Hatched Emerging Performer—this is your chance to hear the future of Australian art music.
22 November – Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House
Thank you for being part of our journey over the past 30 years. We can't wait to see you at one of our upcoming concerts and to keep sharing bold new music with you for many more years to come!
– Ensemble Offspring
