Support the future new music
“Ensemble Offspring doesn’t wait for the future to happen, we create it! With the help of our generous supporters, we commission more new music than any other ensemble in this country, and our Hatched Academy and First Nations Composer Program fill vital roles in Australia’s musical ecosystem. Your donation this EOFY will help us to create more living new music - you will be invited on a journey where you have a unique proximity to the creation process - from early scribbles to the final performance. Get in touch if you're interested and let’s create a future full of living new music, together!”
Claire Edwardes OAM
CEO, Artistic Director and Percussionist
Support Your Passion
Become a Hatched Academy Patron
Our emerging artist program Hatched Academy has nurtured over 90 talented composers and performers since 2013. When you become a Hatched Academy Patron you join our community of friendly supporters, receive updates on the program, and gain exclusive behind the scenes invites to workshops and rehearsals.
Contributions start at $500. Simply tell us to send your support to Hatched Academy in the donation form or by emailing us directly.
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John Barrer
Christine Bishop
The Darin Cooper Foundation
Helen Eager & Christopher Hodges
Deirdre Ferguson
John & Irene Garran
Shane Geha
Stewart Jackson & Judy Greenwood
Glynis Johns
Phlyssa Koshland
Kate Lidbetter
Liz & Ken Nielsen
Marni Oaten
The Ogden Family
Jane Ryan & Nick Kharsas
The Simpson-Michel Foundation
Victoria Taylor
The Tindale Foundation
Mark Wakely
Peter Wise
John Wynter & Raffi Qasabian
Anonymous (1)
Support a Commission
Commissioning new music is at the heart of Ensemble Offspring’s mission. We have commissioned over 350 works, more than any other group in Australia. When you support an EO Commission you become part of the creation of cutting-edge music and gain unique opportunities to attend workshops of new compositions before a world premiere.
To express interest in supporting a commission, email us directly and we can find the best fit for you.
Become a First Nations Patron
Ensemble Offspring’s multi-faceted First Nations Composer Program includes an annual First Nations Composer in Residence and Burranbala, our exciting new music residency program. When you become a First Nations Patron, you lift the voices of First Nations composers and will be invited to witness their collaboration with the Ensemble.
Contributions start at $500. Simply tell us to send your support to the First Nations Program in the donation form or by emailing us directly.
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Cathy Gray
James Kirby & Claire Wivell Plater
John Barrer
John & Irene Garran
Jane Kift
Hugh Liney
Simon & Naomi Miller
Trish Richardson in memory of Andy Lloyd James
Victoria Taylor
The Tindale Foundation
Kay Verrnon & Toni Robertson
Mark Wakely
Anonymous (2)
Become a Performer Chair Sponsor
Led by internationally acclaimed percussionist Claire Edwardes OAM, Ensemble Offspring unites the country’s most fearless and virtuosic instrumentalists with a core "pierrot plus one" line up of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion. By becoming a Performer Chair Sponsor, you become a special part of the EO community and gain unique insight into the performers’ creative practices, building meaningful relationships with Australia’s most exciting performers of new music.
To express interest in becoming a Performer Chair Sponsor, email us directly and we can find the best fit for you.
Let’s create a future full of new music this EOFY, together!
All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Performer Chair Sponsors
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Claire Edwardes
Kim Williams AM percussion Co-Chair Sponsor
Julianne Maxwell percussion Co-Chair Sponsor -
Jason Noble
Simpson-Michel Foundation clarinet Chair Sponsor
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Blair Harris
Contact us to become Blair’s Chair Sponsor
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Lamorna Nightingale
Simon Miller flute Co-Chair Sponsor
Anonymous (1) flute Co-Chair Sponsor -
Véronique Serret
Kay Vernon & Toni Robertson violin Chair Sponsor
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Ronan Apcar
James Kirby & Claire Wivell Plater piano Chair Sponsor
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Niki Johnson
Contact us to become Niki’s Chair Sponsor
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Benjamin Ward
Contact us to become Benjamin’s Chair Sponsor
Testimonials
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![Shane Simpson AM]()
Shane Simpson AM (Ensemble Offspring Patron)
“This is an ensemble for which the ‘old and safe’ is Berio, Adams and perhaps Ligeti but its true focus is really the music of today, the unfamiliar, the exploratory, the untried, and in particular, the Australian. The Ensemble has an extraordinary record of commissioning Australian composers, often early in their career, and giving audiences the opportunity to hear the music of today performed by players of unquestionable musicianship.”
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![Leta Keens]()
Leta Keens
“Silo Collective [which I coordinate] has commissioned four pieces with Ensemble Offspring, and it’s always been a really amazing experience – being involved in the process of creating a new piece, including being invited to open rehearsals, has been thrilling, surprising and a whole lot of fun. [The ensemble’s concerts] definitely add enormously to my life. Thanks, Ensemble Offspring for everything you do!”
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Kay Vernon
“Ensemble Offspring presents music that is new, fresh, sometimes challenging and always engaging. Their performances always energise me and invite me to re-frame and enlarge my understanding of music in an exciting and compelling way. Ensemble Offspring’s support for established and emerging Australian composers is another reason I am so pleased I am able to support them.”
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![Don Macleod]()
Don Macleod
“At 81 years of age, I'm old enough to remember the fore-runner of Ensemble Offspring, The Spring Ensemble at Roger Woodward's Sydney Spring Festivals - I attended every concert. At the festival, we got to hear music by young EO founders Damien Ricketson and Matthew Shlomowitz, so it was natural for me to attend EO concerts when they started. All praise must go to EO for continuing to perform new music. Long may you continue!!“
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![Penny Le Couteur & Greg Dickson]()
Penny Le Couteur & Greg Dickson
“Ensemble Offspring demonstrates absolute excellence in all that it does. We got to know the ensemble when we commissioned Holly Harrison to compose them a piece. Since that time we have attended numerous performances and commissioned a number of pieces for them. The players have absolute mastery of their instruments, frequently using difficult extended techniques to create novel and beautiful sound worlds.”
Thank you to our generous supporters
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The Berg Family Foundation
Julianne Maxwell
Kay Vernon & Toni Robertson
Kim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey
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John Barrer
Darin Cooper Foundation
Charles Davidson
Helen Eager & Christopher Hodges
John & Irene Garran
Peter Howard
The Keir Foundation
James Kirby & Claire Wivell Plater
Phlyssa Koshland
Penny Le Couteur & Greg Dickson
Simon & Naomi Miller
Helen & Peter Murdoch
Liz & Ken Nielsen
The Ogden Family
The Simpson-Michel Foundation
Geoff Stearn
The Stoneglen Foundation
Victoria Taylor
The Tindale Foundation
Mark Wakely
Peter Wise
John Wynter & Raffi Qasabian
Anonymous (1) -
Christine Bishop, George Clark & Diana Hosking, Claire Edwardes, Robert & Dora Edwardes, Sonia de Freitas & Dayne Marais, Shane Geha, Kathie & Reg Grinberg, Stewart Jackson & Judy Greenwood, Peter & Margaret Janssens, Michael Katz & Frederique Katz-Hochuli, Hugh Liney, Don MacLeod, Hannah Mason, Janet Nash & Alan Hauserman, Philip O'Keefe & Kelly Hargreaves, Trish Richardson in memory of Andy Lloyd James, Jane Ryan & Nick Kharsas, Lynne Saunder, Anonymous (5)
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Michael Appleby, Marissa Banu-Lawrence, Amanda Brown & Simon Marnie, Louise Buckingham, Neil Burns, Lloyd & Mary Jo Capps AM, Miguel Carrasco & Renee Martin, Deirdre Ferguson, Terry & Dianne Finnegan, Michael Fitzgerald & Sean Morris, Janusz & Malgorzata Florek, Ciaran Frame, Kris Gale, Barbara Jane Gilby, Cathy Gray, Michael Hannan, Anni Heino, Gabrielle Henry, Sonya Holowell, Elizabeth Hristoforidis, Glynis Johns, Leta Keens, Jane Kift, Kate Lidbetter, Anthony & Sarah Lowe, Elisabeth Luke, Graham & Pamela MacDonald, Jeffrey & Anna Mellefont, Lamorna Nightingale, Marni Oaten, Merry & Robert Pearson, Mark Tucker, Alan Watt, Christopher Whitehead & Peter Wilson, Phillip Yetton & Joan Spiller, Anonymous (6)
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Terese Abbey, Catherine Armitage, Amanda Armstrong, Dr Nena Beretin & John Claudianos, Stacey Caponas, Stuart & Dorothy Carr, Marie Chellos, Meg Collis, Jennifer Dietz, Craig Donarski, Grant Donohue, Alison Dunn, Mary Faragher, Anne Frankenberg, Yvonne Frindle, Tim Gray, Ardyce Harris, Keryn Hassall, Peter Jenkin, Hermine Jessurun, Zoe Johnson, Faye & Charles Lake, Liza Lim, Jennifer Mackenja, Alexander Maltas, Megan McMurchy, Meeghan Oliver, Matthew Perry, Shefali Rovik, Terri Shackley, Thalia Skopellos, Patricia Spinks, Elizabeth Starr, Jenny Stewart, Deborah Szapiro, Nhi Tran, Tanya Volkofsky, Felicity Wilcox, Anonymous (6)
Government Supporters
Other Industry Supporters
SPECIAL THANK YOUS
Ensemble Offspring extends heartfelt thanks to Kirsty McCahon and Kees Boersma for so generously loaning their cello to us for the following concerts in 2025 (Lumen Machine, Avant Gardens: Double Symmetry, Divine Darkness & Moonstruck) and in 2026 (The Oracle).
Thank you to Canberra Symphony Orchestra for lending us their percussion for our Canberra concerts.