Omega Ensemble has announced the four composers chosen for its 2024 CoLAB: Composer Accelerator program.

Katia Geha (22), Felix Wallis (26), Zinia Chan (31) and Klearhos Murphy (26) will undertake an eight-month mentorship with principal members of the ensemble and visiting composers, who have in the past included Nico Muhly, Christopher Cerrone, Missy Mazzoli, Elena-Kats Chernin, Carl Vine and Holly Harrison.

Katia Geha, Zinia Chan, Klearhos Murphy and Felix Wallis. Photos supplied

The CoLAB composers will develop a new work, which will be premiered at Omega’s New New concert in November at the Sydney Opera House and newly, the Melbourne Recital Centre.

The CoLAB program was established in 2021; this year marks the first time program goes on tour, with performances in Sydney and Melbourne.

A recent Honours graduate from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Katia Geha writes across the fields of choral, orchestral, solo, chamber and screen music. Since 2021, she has served as librarian for the Australian World Orchestra. She was a winner of Artology’s 2022 Open Fanfare Competition, and has been a finalist for the SCM’s Orchestral Reading Competition.

Felix Wallis is also an Honors graduate of the SCM, having studied under Carl Vine. Working from Camperdown’s Church St Studios, Wallis is a screen composer and music producer specialising in electroacoustic music. His arrangements have featured on tracks by The Kid LAROI and Cap Carter and on the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup broadcasts; his compositions have been featured on TV shows The Summit, Blow Up and We Interrupt This Broadcast.

Zinia Chan is a Melbourne-based composer who works across film, theatre and contemporary music. With credits working with MSO, The Song Company, Gondwana Chorale and Ensemble Françaix amongst others. She was a finalist for the 2023 Art Music Awards and has won the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Composition Award, a 2020 MOMENTUM commission from Australian Music Centre, and the Sonic State Queensland Microfestival Commission.

Greek-Australian composer Klearhos Murphy has had his work performed by the Melbourne, West Australian, Perth and Willoughby Symphony Orchestras, among others. His accolades include the Willoughby Symphony’s  2023 Young Composer Award, the WAAPA Symphony Orchestra and St. Mary’s composition competition and the ROSL Award for Best Composition.

Both Geha and Murphy were selected for this year’s MSO Cybec 21st Century Composers’ Program, and are among a group of four composers in the running to become the orchestra’s 2025 Cybec Young Composer in Residence.

The 2023 CoLAB participants were Naomi Dodd, Ben Robinson, Andrew Howes and Natalie Nicolas. Other past participants include Angus Davison and Alex Turley.

More about Omega Ensemble’s CoLAB Program can be found here.