Support living music
“Ensemble Offspring doesn’t wait for the future to happen, we create it! EO commission more new music than any other ensemble in the country, and our Hatched Academy and First Nations Composer Program fill vital roles in Australia’s musical ecosystem. Your donation today will help us keep creating living music, and bring you closer to the work through exclusive supporter updates and special donor events. Let’s create more living new music together.”
Claire Edwardes OAM
CEO, Artistic Director and Percussionist
Support Your Passion
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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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Join the EO Commission Fund
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 donate to the EO Commission Fund you become part of the creation of cutting-edge music and gain unique opportunities to attend workshops of new commissions.
Contributions start at $500. Simply tell us to send your support to the Commission Fund in the donation form or by emailing us directly.
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Become a First Nations Patron
Ensemble Offspring’s multi-faceted First Nations Composer Program includes an annual First Nations Composer in Residence and the ground-breaking Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers 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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Leave a Bequest
Leave a gift in your will to support the future of Australian music through Ensemble Offspring. The process is straightforward, and a bequest can make a big difference to the capacity of a small organisation like ours to support living new music. Our team would be happy to start an obligation-free conversation about the impact your bequest could have on the future of Australian music.
Crank up the volume on new music
All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
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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![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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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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![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.”
Supporters
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The Berg Family Foundation
Julianne Maxwell
Kim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey
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John Barrer
Darin Cooper Foundation
Charles Davidson
Helen Eager & Christopher Hodges
The Keir Foundation
James Kirby & Claire Wivell Plater
James N. Kirby Foundation
Phlyssa Koshland
Penny Le Couteur & Greg Dickson
Simon & Naomi Miller
Modest Expectations Foundation
Helen & Peter Murdoch
Simpson-Michel Foundation
Geoff Stearn
Stoneglen Foundation
Kay Vernon & Toni Robertson
Mark Wakely
John Wynter & Raffi Qasabian -
Christine Bishop, Claire Edwardes, Robert & Dora Edwardes, Sonia de Freitas & Dayne Marais, John & Irene Garran, Dr Shane Geha, Kathie & Reg Grinberg, Peter Howard, Stewart Jackson & Judy Greenwood, Michael Katz & Frederique Katz-Hochuli, Leta Keens, Hugh Liney, Anthony & Sarah Lowe, Graham & Pamela MacDonald, Don MacLeod, Hannah Mason, Ken & Liz Nielsen, Marni Oaten, Ron Ogden, Philip O'Keefe & Kelly Hargreaves, Geoff Preece, Trish Richardson in memory of Andy Lloyd James, Jane Ryan & Nick Kharsas, Lynne Saunder, Victoria Taylor, Alenka Tindale, Wales Family Foundation, Peter Wise, Anonymous (5)
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Michael Appleby, Marissa Banu-Lawrence, James Beattie, Sandy Belford, Gwen Bennett, Amanda Brown, Louise Buckingham, Neil Burns, Mary Jo Capps AM & Lloyd Capps, George Clark, Deirdre Ferguson, Terry & Dianne Finnegan, Janusz & Malgorzata Florek, Ciaran Frame, Anne Frankenberg, Kris Gale, Barbara Jane Gilby, Cathy Gray, Harry & Sarah Grunstein, Michael Hannan, Alan Hauserman & Janet Nash, Anni Heino, Gabrielle Henry, Sonya Holowell, Elizabeth Hristoforidis, Ronald Joffe, Glynis Johns, Jane Kift, Kate Lidbetter, Rosie & Alex Linden, Trish Ludgate, Elisabeth Luke, Jeffrey & Anna Mellefont, Karen & Neil Midalia, Lamorna Nightingale, Merry & Robert Pearson, Michael Sanders, David & Audrey Solomons, 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, Adrienne Carlson, Stuart Carr & Joy Chou, Marie Chellos, Ian Cleworth, Steve Davidson, Martin Denny, Jennifer Dietz, Craig Donarski, Grant Donohue, Robert Dunne, Yvonne Frindle, Tim Gray, Susan Gregory, Clive Guthrie, Ardyce Harris, Jacquelyn Hole, Peter Jenkin, Hermine Jessurun, Faye & Charles Lake, Liza Lim, Georgina MacDougall, Jennifer Mackenja, Sue McCreadie, Megan McMurchy, Meeghan Oliver, Lindsey Paget-Cooke, Anna Panis, Matthew Perry, Shefali Rovik, Terri Shackley, Thalia Skopellos, Petr Spelina, Patricia Spinks, Michelle St Anne, Deborah Szapiro, Margaret Tung, Margaret Turner, Tanya Volkofsky, Rob White, Felicity Wilcox, Anonymous (5)
Program Patrons
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Kim Williams AM percussion Co-Chair Sponsor (Claire Edwardes)
Julianne Maxwell percussion Co-Chair Sponsor (Claire Edwardes)
Simpson-Michel Foundation clarinet Chair Sponsor (Jason Noble)
Helen & Peter Murdoch cello Chair Sponsor (Blair Harris)
Russell Staley violin Chair Sponsor (Véronique Serret)
Simon Miller flute Co-Chair Sponsor (Lamorna Nightingale)
Anonymous (1) flute Co-Chair Sponsor (Lamorna Nightingale)
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Hugh Liney
Modest Expectations Foundation
Geoff Preece
Anonymous (1) -
John Barrer
Christine Bishop
Darin Cooper Foundation
Helen Eager & Christopher Hodges
Deirdre Ferguson
John & Irene Garran
Dr Shane Geha
Stewart Jackson & Judy Greenwood
Phlyssa Koshland
Kate Lidbetter
Modest Expectations Foundation
Ken & Liz Nielsen
Marni Oaten
Ron Ogden
Jane Ryan & Nick Kharsas
Simpson-Michel Foundation
Victoria Taylor
Alenka Tindale
Mark Wakely
Peter Wise
John Wynter & Raffi Qasabian
Government Supporters
Other Industry Supporters
SPECIAL THANK YOU
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.