Layton Emerging Composer Fellowship

The Australia Ensemble UNSW aims to foster greater engagement in and recognition of composition and chamber music activities at UNSW. Support from Emeritus Professor Roger Layton AM (pictured below) and Merrilyn Layton has facilitated a UNSW composition fellowship to again be offered valued at $10,000 for one year, for an Emerging Composer to write chamber music works as part of the Australia Ensemble’s artistic development program.

Professor Roger Layron AM and Geoffrey Collins

About the Fellowship

The Fellowship will engage an emerging composer to write two works across a 12-month period, including one piece for small ensemble and one for large ensemble, selected through a competitive process determined by UNSW. The $10,000 Fellowship will be paid as a stipend to the winning applicant.

The Emerging Composer will be eligible for mentoring sessions with members of the Australia Ensemble and Artistic Chair and external composition mentors. The Emerging Composer’s works will feature in at least one workshop that may be made available to current UNSW students, UNSW staff and members of the public.


2024 Layton Fellow

Alex Turley is the 2024 Layton Emerging Composer Fellow.

Composer and collaborative artist Alex Turley is one of Australia’s busiest young stars. Lauded as “bold and virtuosic, taking compositional corners with ease” (Limelight) and “brilliantly accessible” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), his music treads along the fine line between the experimental and the familiar, weaving old and new styles together in a way that is satisfying for performers and listeners alike. Alex was the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's 2022 Young Composer-in-Residence and in 2023 he was awarded a highly competitive Creative and Performance Leadership Fellowship from the Forrest Research Foundation.

Known for projects that cross genre boundaries, Alex recently co-composed Barra-roddjiba with members of all-woman rock band Ripple Effect and Kunibídji elders (lauded by Limelight as an "innovative cross-cultural performance") as well as Agam, a 50-minute orchestral suite with Carnatic music collective Sangam which premiered with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. He is a frequent and prolific arranger for the major Australian orchestras and has recently worked in this capacity with a diverse group of artists including Ali McGregor, Ben Folds, Electric Fields, Emma Donovan, Eskimo Joe, Genesis Owusu, the Hoodoo Gurus, Ngaiire, Paul Grabowsky and Rüfüs Du Sol. 

Alex holds a Master of Music from the Sydney Conservatorium, where he received the Henderson Postgraduate Award. He has also recently been shortlisted for the APRA AMCOS Professional Development Awards, and in 2021 won the Arcadia Winds Composition Prize.


 

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9
Jun
2022

Through a partnership with the International Alliance of Women in Music, UNSW presented an online concert for its 2022 conference, hosted in Oregon USA.

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27
Apr
2022

The winner of the 2022-23 Layton Emerging Composer Fellowship is Sydney-based composer Angus Davison. 

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21
Apr
2022

Multi award winning composer Elizabeth Younan is the 2021- 2022 Layton Emerging Composer Fellow.

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29
Mar
2022

For many in our community the Choral program is more than a cerebral experience. It is a place of expression, creativity, a space of social engagement and belonging.

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3
Mar
2022

The Layton Emerging Composer Fellowship is now in its fourth year, established in 2018 with support from the late Emeritus Professor Roger Layton AM and Merrilyn Layton.

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9
Jul
2021

We are sorry to share with you the sad news that long time supporter of the Australia Ensemble UNSW, Emeritus Professor Roger Layton, died peacefully on Saturday 5 June, surrounded by his family.

Elizabeth Younan Headshot
17
May
2021

The winner of the 2021-22 Layton Emerging Composer Fellowship is Sydney-based composer Elizabeth Younan.

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1
May
2020

Following a highly competitive application process, the Australia Ensemble UNSW is thrilled to announce the winner of the Layton Emerging Composer Fellowship for 2020-21 is ...

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24
Feb
2020

The Australia Ensemble has a demonstrated commitment to the development of new Australian music and this International Women’s’ Day, Artistic Chair of the Australia Ensemble...

Murphy Exchange premiere
5
Jun
2019

A very loyal audience braved the inclement Sydney weather on Tuesday 4 June to join the Australia Ensemble for a free lunchtime concert in the Tyree Room of UNSW's John Niland Scientia Building.

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15
Apr
2019

The final adjudication for the 2019 Layton Emerging Composer Fellowship took place on Friday, 12 April 2019.

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17
Dec
2018

Monday December 3 was a day full of new music at UNSW, with members of the Australia Ensemble and guest artists working on two brand new pieces by emerging composers for our first ever Composer Workshop celebration.

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20
Aug
2018

Our congratulations to composer Nicole Murphy, who was awarded the Australia Ensemble Emerging Composer Fellowship for 2018!

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30
Apr
2018

We are excited to announce Nicole Murphy as the first recipient of the Australia Ensemble Emerging Composer Fellowship!