ELLA MACENS
Composer | Arranger | Singer-Songwriter | Music Educator
News & Current Projects
OMEGA ENSEMBLE TO PREMIERE ‘THROUGH THE MIST’ IN SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE (2025)
This year I have been writing a new work for Australia’s eminent Omega Ensemble. The piece, titled ‘Through The Mist’, will premiere in Sydney on Saturday 29 November at The Neilson ACO on the Pier, followed by a subsequent performance in Melbourne at the Melbourne Recital Center on 2 December.
The program also features Nigel Westlake’s ‘Rare Sugar’ and Béla Bartók’s ‘Contrasts’, making for a dynamic and diverse concert experience.
Click here for info and tickets.
IN RESIDENCE WITH THE AUSTRALIAN HAYDN ENSEMBLE: THE PREMIERE OF ‘FOREVER OURS’ (2025)
This year I have had the privilege of filling the role of Composer In Residence with the Australian Haydn Ensemble. On October 30, we premiered my new work titled ‘Forever Ours’ at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, followed by performances at City Recital Hall, Sydney, and across regional centres. Programmed alongside Beethoven’s ‘Symphony No. 8 in F major’, ‘Forever Ours’ draws conceptual inspiration from the enigma of Beethoven’s “Immortal Beloved” letters. You can read my reflections on creating this work in this feature article in Limelight Magazine. Limelight Magazine praised the work as “a remarkable new commission in four movements… a special, emotive work that deserves regular performance.”
Click here to read the full review.
MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO PREMIERE NEW WORK CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF ABC CLASSIC (2026)
I’m honored to be composing a new work commissioned by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ABC Classic. The premiere performance will take place on Saturday 14 February 2026 at the iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne.
Click here for info (entry is free).
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY TO PERFORM ‘THE SPACE BETWEEN STARS’ IN 2026 SEASON
The San Francisco Symphony will present my work ‘The Space Between Stars’ in April 2026. The performance will be conducted by internationally acclaimed maestro Simone Young AM, marking a highlight of the orchestra’s spring season. Simone and I first collaborated in 2022, when she conducted the premiere performances of my Sydney Symphony Orchestra 50 Fanfares commission ‘Release’. Our creative partnership now continues on the international stage with ‘The Space Between Stars’. The programme also features Wagner’s ‘Ring Cycle’ (featuring Simone’s own selection of orchestral excerpts) and Saint-Saens’s ‘Cello Concerto No. 1’ with acclaimed French cellist Gautier Capuçon.
Click here for info and tickets.
‘THE SPACE BETWEEN STARS’ NAMED IN LIMELIGHT’S 25 IN 25
I’m delighted to share that my work ‘The Space Between Stars’ has been selected as one of the Top 25 Australian art music works in Limelight Magazine’s 25 in 25 initiative. With voters choosing from nearly 500 Australian composers, I feel deeply honoured that my piece was recognised among such inspiring company. Australian art music is thriving, and I feel so grateful to be part of this vibrant community.
Click here to explore the 25 in 25 playlist.
mELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PERFORMS ‘THE LAKE’ (2026)
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will perform my work ‘The Lake’ as part of a program dedicated to the rich sound world of the string orchestra. This concert takes place at the Melbourne Recital Centre on 16 May, with Natalie Chee leading as both director and violin soloist. The program also features Tchaikovsky’s ‘Serenade for Strings’, Mozart’s ‘Divertimento’, and Grieg’s ‘Holberg Suite’.
Click here for info and tickets.