A composer, arranger, conductor and bandleader, Vanessa Perica is a force in the Australian jazz scene. Next for her is a new frontier – and what might be one of her most challenging works yet – as she prepares to unveil a new commission for a vastly different kind of band.

The Australian String Quartet (ASQ) asked Perica to compose her first string quartet for its Rapture tour, which tours Australia from 7–22 May.

Titled No Feeling is Final, Perica’s work is paired with Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 11, Golijov’s Tenebrae and Janáček’s Intimate Letters. 

“Of all the works I have written, this one undoubtedly stretched me the most as a composer,” Perica tells Limelight.

“Writing for four voices, instead of 17 or 72, I find to be far more challenging – there’s nowhere to hide. Every line, every bar, every beat takes on extra gravity.”

Vanessa Perica. Photo © Pia Johnson.

Vanessa Perica. Photo © Pia Johnson.

Perica is an accomplished composer, arranger, conductor and bandleader who, late last year, was announced as the recipient of the 2025 ISJAC Fundamental Freedoms Commission, which will see a brand new work of hers performed in...