Composer in Residence Program

**EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST CLOSE SUNDAY 17 MAY**
In partnership with **TarraWarra Museum of Art**, the Composer in Residence Program is an opportunity for a selected composer to create a new 20-minute ensemble work for an Australian Art Orchestra string quartet incorporating elements of improvisation, and inspired by the exhibited and archived works on site at TarraWarra Museum Art. The work will be premiered in a concert at TarraWarra Museum’s Eva and Marc Besen Centre.
The residency emphasises process, reflection, and deep engagement with place, offering both the time and space for creative development within TarraWarra’s unique natural and cultural setting. The composer has access to works at the Museum created by some of Australia's most celebrated modern and contemporary visual artists, and the opportunity to stay at on-site accommodation on the property on Wurundjeri Country for up to two weeks. This is a $5,000 commission that also involves the opportunity for creative development mentoring with AAO Artistic Director Aaron Choulai and creative development sessions with the Australian Art Orchestra ensemble.

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To Kill A Magic

We Got Used To -

Premiere

Full-length premiere video now on YouTube

To Kill A Magic We Got Used To, a daring and culturally-coded new work by Artistic Director Aaron Choulai and Roman MC, premiered on 28th November 2025 at Athaneum Theatre II, Melbourne.

The work across three movements is a reimagining of Stravinsky’s L'Histoire du soldat for a digital age, and follows a modern artist trading authenticity for social media fame. Multiple musical worlds and cultural references are kneaded into new shapes in a genre-defying work, building the story live through Choulai’s unique Sono-Kinetic Conducting system. Stravinsky’s music is abstracted into a blend of composition and improvisation around Roman MC’s narrative-led spoken word and freestyle, demonstrating new languages in jazz and hip-hop through the sonic world of a Spike Lee movie score. This gripping work confronts the cost of visibility and the fragile balance between creative ambition and artistic integrity.

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