Renamed Future Classics, Ensemble Offspring’s annual Hatched Academy concert premiered four Hatched compositions alongside new commissions from Klearhos Murphy and Thomas Meadowcroft. 

Now in its eleventh year, the Hatched Academy presents the ultimate test of collaboration through the exploration of contemporary music. Embedded in pushing artistic boundaries, each cohort creates unique instrumental techniques and notations true to their compositional voice.

This year’s program was more bold, ambitious and experimental in its celebration of new music. Artistic Director Claire Edwardes reminded audiences to “keep an open mind, and open ears.” 

Ensemble Offspring: Future Classics. Photo © Oliver Miller

The program opened with Callum O’Reilly’s Mechanical Buddha with Fluctuations, a characterful and playful piece built around rhythmic ostinati resembling the circular stutter of a malfunctioning CD. Through interlocking rhythms and jazz-influenced harmonies, O’Reilly’s rich storytelling was captivating.

Georgina Bowden approaches the ensemble as a percussive playground in Magnetic Fields, incorporating col legno on the double bass, slap-tongue on the clarinet, and even knitting needles. It was the boldest work of the program, with Bowden unafraid to finesse sound in its most naturalistic form. With pitch largely absent, this earthy composition becomes an ominous reflection of the flittering glimpses of the southern lights.

Meadowcroft’s Old Rags, written for pianist Ronan Apcar, celebrates all things “rag.” Its exploration of memory unfolds as a structural oscillation between immersion and distance, drawing the audience into and out of ragtime. Structured in musical vignettes, the piece opens with a veiled tape of ragtime as Apcar reflectively harmonises. As the piece progresses, we are suddenly pulled into the memory while Apcar dives into an intricately written ragtime. A testament to this collaboration, Apcar’s virtuosic skills shine in this vibrant work.

Following this was Murphy’s Thy Mystical Names, exploring the mysticism of Eastern Orthodoxy through the inspiration of Byzantine chant. The most melodic work of the afternoon, Murphy utilises the ensemble’s unique instrumentation – particularly highlighting the double bass’s registral diversity – to symbolise ideas of lightness and darkness.

Ensemble Offspring: Future Classics. Photo © Oliver Miller

Louis Wishart’s Children of Aurora is a spectral meditation inspired by Thoreau’s reflection on the “Colossi of Memnon.” What we see at first glance can become much more; likewise, what we first hear, if heard again, reveals further detail. Wishart’s composition of overtones within the ensemble highlights the subtleties of sound that emerge over time, perfectly capturing the inspiration behind this audacious work.

Closing the program, Beth Roche’s Neverlandish Proverbs brings an air of vibrancy and driving force. Using four proverbs to structure the work, Roche cleverly employs instrumental pairings to create ethereal clarity – or rather, raspy “grunge” – to suit each proverb. Through this spirited work and Roche’s dynamic writing, the audience was thoroughly engaged.

Future Classics reaffirms the importance of supporting new sounds and voices in Sydney’s often reserved musical scene. A program defined by diversity, each work independently offered insights into the possibilities of sound in live performance.