Biography

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Ella Macens is rapidly claiming her place as one of Australia’s most distinctive and celebrated contemporary classical composers. Drawing upon the lyricism of her Latvian heritage, her affinity with singer-songwriter practice, and a command of contemporary classical composition, she has developed a unique artistic practice grounded in intimacy and authenticity. Frequently commissioned by leading orchestras and ensembles, her work is praised for its warmth, clarity and emotional immediacy, earning her growing recognition both nationally and internationally.

Macens’ works have been performed by the Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmanian, Queensland and Canberra Symphony Orchestras, the Flinders and Goldner Quartets, the Australian Haydn Ensemble, Omega Ensemble, Ensemble Apex, The Song Company and the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, among many others. Internationally, her music has been programmed by the San Francisco Symphony, Ulster Orchestra, Orchestra Riga and State Choir Latvija, to name a few.

In 2026, Macens was commissioned by ABC Classic and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to compose My Heart On Yours, the flagship commission celebrating ABC Classic's 50th anniversary. Her wind symphony Cloud Magic received its European premiere with Orchestra Riga, and Simone Young AM conducted three performances of The Space Between Stars with the San Francisco Symphony. In recent months, Macens has been composing a new chamber work titled Before Me, There Was You, commissioned by Simone Young AM and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

A graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where she now teaches composition, music theory and aural skills, Macens has been selected for numerous national development programs, including Composing Women (Sydney Conservatorium of Music, 2016-17) and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Australian Composers’ School (2017-18). Her achievements have been recognised by the World Federation of Free Latvians and the Latvian Federation of Australia & New Zealand, and in 2017 she was awarded the Willoughby Symphony Young Composer Award for her first orchestral piece FLIGHT. Her orchestral works have received wide acclaim, with her Sydney Symphony Orchestra commission Release named a finalist in the 2023 APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards (Work of the Year: Large Ensemble), affirming her place as one of Australia’s most distinguished creative voices.

Extended

Macens completed a Bachelor of Music (Composition) with first class honours at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, The University of Sydney in 2015, before completing a Master of Music (Composition) under the guidance of Professor Matthew Hindson AM in 2022. In 2023 she was appointed Associate Lecturer in Composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Macens has held composition residencies with the Australian Haydn Ensemble, Sydney Youth Orchestra, Sydney Children’s Choir, Trinity Grammar School, International Grammar School and Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Sydney. In 2016 she was one of four composers selected to participate in the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s inaugural Composing Women program, through which she fostered strong connections with leading Australian ensembles, soloists and arts organisations. In 2018-19 she was one of four composers selected to participate in the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Australian Composers' School. In 2019 she was a featured composer at the Bowral Autumn Music Festival, and in 2020 was selected as the Flinders Quartet's emerging composer in residence. In 2022 her work ‘The Space Between Stars’ was nominated for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's first ever People's Choice Concert, as selected by Chief Conductor Simone Young AM.

Macens’ musical voice is heavily influenced by her Latvian heritage. Growing up in a rich and vibrant Latvian community has led her to be continuously surrounded by instrumental folk music and baltic choral music. These elements have unsurprisingly woven their way into her compositional style. In 2017 she received a prestigious award from the World Federation of Free Latvians (PBLA) to honour her dedication to her cultural heritage, specifically through the incorporation of Latvian elements in her professional line of work. In 2020 she received an award of similar sentiment from the Latvian Federation of Australia & New Zealand (LAAJ), and in 2021 was awarded the Andra Ritmana Creative Future Memorial Fund award.

Her compositions have won awards, including inclusion in ENCORE (2009), the Frank Hutchens Scholarship for Composition in 2012 and the Fine Music FM Young Composer Award (2017) for her first orchestral piece titled FLIGHT. In 2023 she was a finalist in the APRA AMCOS Australian Music Centre Art Music Awards in the category Work of the Year: Large Ensemble for her Sydney Symphony Orchestra 50 Fanfares commission titled Release.

October 2026