Hatched Academy

Ensemble Offspring’s Hatched Academy supports outstanding young performers and composers to become the future leaders of innovative new music in Australia. This national program, now in its 12th year, encompasses three annual streams:

the Hatched Composer Intensive selecting four Australian composers to develop a new work for Ensemble Offspring with guest composition mentors each year, plus the opportunity for a biennial follow up commission;
the Hatched Emerging Artist position offers year long career opportunities and mentorship to one instrumentalist;
and the Hatched Mentorship Program provides guidance to regional and metropolitan participants through virtual sessions with core members of Ensemble Offspring.

Internationally recognised composer Brett Dean is the Hatched Academy Ambassador, while EO clarinettist Jason Noble is Hatched Academy Director.

"Hatched Academy alumni are the who’s who list of successful young Australian artists, many of whom have already made a name for themselves on the international stage. Navigating your way as a young musician specialising in contemporary music is not easy, but Ensemble Offspring’s Hatched program, with its hands-on and focused approach, plays a central role in creating a formidable Australian new music scene.” – Brett Dean, Hatched Academy Ambassador

Jason Noble
Hatched Academy Director

Brett Dean
Hatched Academy Ambassador

The Hatched Composer Intensive is a unique year-long opportunity for four emerging Australian composers. Selected composers create a new chamber work for Ensemble Offspring, supported by international composer mentors, a lead mentor, Jason Noble and Claire Edwardes through performer presentations, industry sessions and online lessons.

The highlight of the program in November 2025, is an intensive week of workshops with the ensemble and lead mentor Holly Harrison, culminating in Future Classics, a high profile premiere concert at the Sydney Opera House. A new addition to the program, biennially, one Hatched Composer Intensive participant will be selected to compose a $4,000 ‘Hatched Alumni Commission’ supported by the Amici Syndicate, to be featured in a future Ensemble Offspring season.

The Hatched Composer Intensive has been the launch pad for many successful young Australian composers, watch the 2024 showreel and see our testimonials below.

Download this in depth info booklet to learn more.

This program is valued in kind at $3,500 per participant.
Applications are now open, closing Monday March 31 (for May-November 2025).

Hatched Composer Intensive

Apply now

Each year, one elite Australian instrumentalist who demonstrates a passion for new chamber music is selected to join Ensemble Offspring as our Hatched Emerging Performer (formerly called Associate Artist). This flexible year long mentorship allows the selected artist to devise the best use of Ensemble Offspring’s expertise and resources in association with our Artistic Director and Hatched Academy Director. This includes creative and business mentorship as well as core series performance opportunities with EO, kick starting a successful performance career specialising in living new music.

Throughout the year the selected artist is also assisted to commission, develop, premiere and professionally document a new work by an Australian composer chosen in collaboration with Ensemble Offspring. The soloist is guided throughout the process, drawing from EO's extensive experience and connections as the most prolific commissioners of new music in Australia. From 2026, there will be a rotating selection of instruments to be considered for the position.

This program is valued at $10,000
EOIs are now open, closing Monday March 31 (for our 2026 season) and will be open to instrumentalists who play percussion, violin, viola, cello or trumpet.

Hatched Emerging Performer

apply now

The Hatched Mentorship Program is a chance for emerging musicians of all practices to learn from Ensemble Offspring’s core musicians. As shorter and more casual mentorship compared to our other positions, the Mentorship Program provides several one-on-one sessions (in person or online) with the participant’s chosen mentor over several months to develop concepts and relationships.

Participants can use these sessions in any way they deem beneficial to their artistic practice; this may include instrumental, composition or music business skills sessions, or advice on career pathways and budgeting and project funding.

The Hatched Mentorship Program occurs from July each year and is open to participants from the age of 16. We encourage those considering the Composer Intensive for the first time to also apply for this program as it supports a wide range of experience levels.

The sessions can be held online. We encourage applications from regional artists and artists with a disability.

This program is valued in kind at $750 per participant
Applications are now open, closing Monday March 31 (for July-September 2025).

Hatched Mentorship Program

apply now

Hatched Academy Showreel

To get a feel for this one of a kind career-boosting program check out our most recent Hatched Academy showreel by Hospital Hill, featuring our 2024 cohort, composers Klearhos Murphy, Katia Geha, Courtney Cousins, Alex Maltas and saxophonist Alice Morgan.

Testimonials

Alice Morgan

Associate Artist 2024
“An aspect of working with Ensemble Offspring that I really loved was feeling like I was part of the ensemble. Rather than being treated as an emerging artist, I was considered part of the fabric of the ensemble. I would highly recommend applying for this program with Ensemble Offspring, it's been some of the most rewarding chamber music playing of my career so far"
Katia Geha

Composer Intensive 2024
"My favourite thing about hatched is definitely the element of collaboration, I think it's such a blessing and a joy to be able to work with musicians who are so excellent at their craft but are also so willing to work with you and create something together"
Ella Beard

Mentorship Program 2024
"My sessions with my mentors gave me a new sense of confidence that there’s a place for me in music. I’m left feeling inspired, excited, and focused"
Abbey Felton

Associate Artist 2023
“Working with Ensemble Offspring has been an invaluable learning experience. I feel so blessed to have been given the resources to bring this project to life, making music alongside inspiring musicians and a wonderful composer. I suspect that I'll look back upon this time as a pivotal part of my artistic development.”
Tristan Coelho

Composer Intensive Mentor 2021-2022
“In order for music to stay fresh and relevant, we need to embrace and support the music of young composers. Hatched Academy offers an amazing opportunity… it’s a safe space for composers to explore, take risks, experiment, but also to refine a personal voice.”
Sophia Mackson

Mentorship Program 2021
“I loved chatting to Véronique about contemporary music in Australia and my own compositions. She has such a wealth of knowledge and passion. She was supportive of all my ideas and gave the best feedback. Such an amazing musician, belonging to such a cool ensemble!”
Matthew Kneale

Mentorship Program 2021
“The Hatched Mentorship Program is a great resource. It is a safe space to share experiences and learn how to be a better musician. What better way than to pick the brains of people who have been in the industry for decades.”
Ben Perche

Mentorship Program 2021
“It was fantastic talking to Jason about his experiences in new music ensembles, and to hear his advice about starting new groups to perform modern music. I was able to think big picture about my future career in music, and Jason gave me a lot of new ideas for future projects.”
Will Hansen

Associate Artist 2020-2021
“My time as Ensemble Offspring’s Hatched Academy Associate Artist has been an invaluable next step in my musical career. I’ve gained insights into the inner machinations of a high-class new music group.”
Christine Pan

Composer Intensive 2020
“The overall Hatched experience was really amazing. Fun, but also challenging at times! That’s the point, to feel challenged and question the way you compose and create and think about music.”
Kate Neal

Composer Intensive Mentor 2019
“The Hatched Composer Intensive is fantastic and vital for the community of composers Australia-wide. It's about forming a community between composers – Sydney composers, Melbourne composers, regional composers – and also relationships with players.”
Henry Justo

Hatched Associate Artist 2019
“Getting to work alongside players who have done this for 20 years or so is really incredible. Thinking back it's been a massive year, but something that really sticks with me is having a solo curated concert as well as an ensemble concert playing staple works by Sarriaho and Romitelli.”
Samantha Wolf

Composer Intensive 2018
“The Hatched Composer Intensive has challenged me in ways that I probably wouldn't be able to challenge myself. It has broadened my horizons and introduced me to new musicians and composers whom I never would have had contact with otherwise, so for that I feel very very grateful.”

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Alumni & Works

Hatched Associate Artist
Alice Morgan, saxophone (NSW)
Commissioned work: Holly Harrison – Swivel & Swerve (2024)
Hatched Composer Intensive
Klearhos Murphy (VIC) – EKKLESIA
Courtney Cousins (NSW) – so let me save you
Katia Geha (NSW) – 600 × 1000
Alexander Maltas (NSW) – She loved being loved
Mentor: Jack Symonds
Hatched Academy Showreel
Hatched Associate Artist
Abbey Felton, guitar (WA)
Commissioned work: Christine Pan – Infused with Silent Voices (2023)
Hatched Composer Intensive
Isabella Rahme (NSW) – Return
Noemi Liba Friedman (VIC) – Tangled Waves
Matthew Laing (VIC) – Timepiece
Isabella Gerometta (QLD) – Meteor Mash
Jessica Lindsay Smith (VIC) – Supernovæ
Mentor: Damien Ricketson
Hatched Composer Showcase Showreel
Hatched Associate Artist
Eliza Shephard, flute (VIC)
Hatched Composer Intensive
Lewis Mosley (NSW) – the Donkey and especially the Toad
Ceridwen McCooey (VIC) – Arrhythmia
Andrea Guterres (NSW) – Aion
Sean Quinn (VIC) – a hollow heart’s temptation
Alexander Voltz (QLD) – Operetta
Mentor: Tristan Coelho
Hatched Mentorship Program
Brent Keogh (NSW), Katia Geha (NSW), Robert McIntyre (VIC), Paul Nicolaou (NSW), Julia Vlahogiannis (NSW), Rob Hao (NSW), Claire Litwinowicz (QLD), Courtney Cousins (NSW), Michelle St Anne (NSW), Tilly Jones (NSW), Ronan Apcar (ACT), Mitch Brown (NSW), Jaidyn Chong (QLD), Naomi Dodd (NSW), Isabella Rahme (NSW), Samantha Raftery (SA)
Hatched Associate Artist
Will Hansen, double bass (NSW)*
*Will Hansen held the Associate Artist position for two years due to COVID lockdowns in this period.
Hatched Composer Intensive
Ben Robinson (NSW) – Eat Your Damn Vegetables
Gabrielle Cadenhead (NSW) – We Demand Our Equal Rights
Julia Potter (NSW) – My Heart Skips a Beat
Azariah Felton (WA) – palpitate
Cayn Borthwick (VIC) – Deep Water, Breaking Wave
William Gardiner (NSW) – Ruby C
Mentor: Tristan Coelho
Hatched Mentorship Program
Ceridwen McCooey (VIC), Matthew Kneale (VIC), Michael Grebla (WA/USA), Sean Quinn (VIC), Sophia Mackson (QLD), Wesley Stormer (NSW), Bianca Gannon (QLD), Alexei Caulfield (NSW), Bryn Wood (NSW), Chloe Chung (NSW), Kayla Ludlow (NSW), Mikaela Thomsen (QLD)
Hatched Associate Artist
Will Hansen, double bass (NSW)*
*Will Hansen held the Associate Artist position for two years due to COVID lockdowns in this period.
Hatched Composer Intensive
Christine Pan (NSW) – The May Queen
Rhys Little (NSW) – Five Kinds of Seeing
Connor D’Netto (QLD) – Largely Motivated
Andrew Chen (VIC) – Lip
James Hazel (NSW) – Entangled Labours
Monica Lim (VIC) – Disensemble
Mentor: Kate Neal
Hatched Mentorship Program
Eduardo Ruiz (VIC), Liam Wooding (VIC), Nick Ashwood (NSW), Phoebe Bognàr (NSW), Katherine Howarth (NSW), Nadia Burgess (NSW), Gabrielle Cadenhead (NSW), Lily Bryant (ACT), Christopher Healey (VIC), Anna Rabinowicz (VIC), Liam Mulligan (NSW), Marlene Radice (ACT), Robert McIntyre (VIC), Ellie Harrison (QLD), Abigail Sutherland (SA), Tim Newhouse (WA)
Hatched Associate Artist
Henry Justo, viola (VIC)
Hatched Composer Intensive
Lisa Cheney (VIC) - The Secrets of Shadows
Thomas Misson (VIC/TAS) - Adieu
Sarah Elise Thompson (NSW) - Striking Out
Lewis Ingham (VIC) - Jovian Glimpses
Angus Davison (NSW/TAS) - Warhol in The Tenderloin
Dr Steve Barry (NSW) - Microsonata
Mentor: Ken Thompson (USA), Kate Neal (AUS)
Hatched Associate Artist
Georgina Oakes, clarinet (NSW)
Hatched Composer Intensive
Solomon Frank (NSW)
Kirsten Milenko (NSW/NL)
Joseph O’Connor (NSW)
Jakob Bragg (VIC)
Josten Myburgh (WA)
Samantha Wolf (VIC)
Mentors: Matthew Shlomowitz, Cathy Milliken & Amanda Cole
Hatched Associate Artist
Kieran Welch, viola (QLD)
Luke Carbon, clarinet (VIC)
Hatched Composer Intensive
Ciaran Frame (NSW)
Jasmin Leung (QLD)
Mentors: Cathy Milliken & Jessica Aszodi
Hatched Associate Artist
Mary Rapp, cello (NSW)
Julia Reidy, guitar (NSW)
David Moran, cello (SA)
Hatched Composer Intensive
Julia Reidy (NSW)
James Bradbury (WA)
Hatched Associate Artist
Jodie Rottle, flute (QLD)
Jacob Abela, piano (VIC)
Hatched Composer Intensive
Dan Thorpe (SA)
Samuel Smith (VIC)
Hatched Associate Artist
Callum G’Froerer, trumpet (NSW)
Jeremy Rose, saxophone (NSW)
Hatched Composer Intensive
Jeremy Rose (NSW)