Ella Macens CV

Photo: Darwin Gomez
Cover photo: Tenis Dimants

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Ella Macens is rapidly becoming one of Australia’s most distinctive and celebrated musical voices. Frequently commissioned by major orchestras and ensembles across Australia and abroad, her music fuses the lyricism of her Latvian heritage with the vibrancy of contemporary classical and popular styles. Her deeply evocative sound world has earned her growing recognition for its warmth, clarity and emotional immediacy.

Macens’ works have been performed by the Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmanian 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 heard with the Ulster Orchestra, State Choir Latvija, Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and Riga Cathedral Girls’ Choir.

Current commissions include a new work for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in celebration of the 50th anniversary of ABC Classic, and a new work for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Internationally, Macens is preparing to travel to Latvia for the European premiere of her wind symphony ‘Cloud Magic’, and to San Francisco for the performance of her orchestral work ‘The Space Between Stars’ with the San Francisco Symphony, to be conducted by Simone Young AM.

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) and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Australian Composers’ School. 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).

Drawing inspiration from Baltic choral traditions and Australian soundscapes, Macens’ music celebrates the intersection of cultures and the shared emotional power of song. Her achievements have been recognised by the World Federation of Free Latvians, the Latvian Federation of Australia & New Zealand, and Fine Music FM’s Young Composer Award, affirming her position as one of Australia’s most promising creative voices.

Education & Employment

Bachelor of Music (Composition), First Class Honours - Sydney Conservatorium of Music (2011-15).

Master of Music (Composition) - Sydney Conservatorium of Music (2016-22).

Lecturer, Tutor, Unit of Study Coordinator - Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney (2017-2023).

Associate Lecturer in Composition - Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney (2023-present).

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.

Awards

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.

Other awards include inclusion in ENCORE (2009), the Frank Hutchens Scholarship for Composition (2012) and the Fine Music FM Young Composer Award (2017) for her first orchestral piece titled ‘FLIGHT’. In 2023 Macens 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’. In 2025 her orchestral work ‘THE SPACE BETWEEN STARS’ was voted one of the top 25 Australian art music works in Limelight Magazine’s 25 in 25 initiative.

Residencies

Macens has held composition residencies with the Australian Haydn Ensemble, Sydney Youth Orchestra, Sydney Children’s Choir, Trinity Grammar School (Sydney), International Grammar School (Sydney) and Presbyterian Ladies’ College (Sydney). In 2016 she was one of four composers selected to participate in the Sydney Conservatorium of Music 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 Emerging Composer in Residence. In 2022 her work ‘The Space Between Stars’ was nominated for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra People's Choice Concert, as selected by Chief Conductor Simone Young AM. In 2025 she was the resident composer for the Australian Haydn Ensemble.