The SOE is committed to the performance of contemporary Australian works and is excited to be working with Margery Smith as composer-in-residence.

SOE has commissioned works by the following composers, with the assistance of Ars Musica Australis, for performance since 2006:

Anne Boyd St Elmo's Fire - performed 10 September 06
Margery Smith Inferno - performed 15 October 06
David Pereira Nimbus - performed 4 & 8 March 07
Paul Witney Out into Silence - performed 17 June 07
George Palmer Not Going Quietly - performed 16 & 18 September 07
Matthew Hindson Light Music - performed 31 October 07
Elena Kats-Chernin Slow Down Lady - performed 24 November 07
Christopher Gordon Freefall - performed 9 & 11 December 07
Daniel McCallum Seamless Transitions - performed 16 March 08
Daniel Rojas Hard-Boiled Overture - performed 2 July 08
Stuart Greenbaum Chamber Concerto for Flute, Percussion and Large Ensemble - performed 7 September 08
George Palmer Concerto for 2 Clarinets and Chamber Orchestra - performed 1 November 08
Julian Yu Mozartiana - performed 22 February and 27 September 09
Matthew Hindson Funeral Windows - performed 22 November 09

2010 COMPOSERS

George Palmer

George Palmer (b. 1947) has spent his professional life as a lawyer, first as a solicitor, then a barrister, and finally as a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. As a youth, he studied piano with Frank Warbrick and Neta Maughan and has been composing music since he was a teenager. It was only in 2003 that he made any endeavour to have his music performed. By chance, his music came to the attention of the ABC, resulting in an episode of Australian Story on ABC TV, a live broadcast of a concert of his orchestral music and the release by ABC Classics of a CD of his music for string orchestra, "Attraction of Opposites". Since then, he has received a number of commissions. A Mass, "A Child is Born", for choir, soloists and orchestra, was commissioned by Ars Musica Australis in 2005 and has been recorded by ABC Classics with Cantillation and Sinfonia Australis, conducted by Dr Paul Stanhope. The CD, which contains George's other choral work, will be released in October 2007. In 2006 a commissioned work for large orchestra, Seascape III, was performed by the Sydney Sinfonia conducted by Richard Gill as part of the Discovery Series at the City Recital Hall. He is currently working on a clarinet sonata, a suite for 2 pianos, a wind quintet and another Mass. In addition to his judicial duties and composition, George is Chairman of Pacific Opera, a not-for-profit company committed to give Australia's best young emerging singers professional development and exposure. He is also President of The Arts Law Centre of Australia, which provides free legal and business advice to artists in all media throughout Australia. In addition, he is a director of Ars Musica Australis and of the Sydney Omega Ensemble.

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