Natalie Nicolas Wins Layton Emerging Composer Fellowship
Dr Natalie Nicolas is the winner of the Layton Emerging Composer Fellowship for 2025, as announced by Music Performance UNSW.
The Fellowship will engage an emerging composer to write one work across a 12-month period, selected through a competitive process determined by UNSW. The successful candidate will be eligible for mentoring sessions with members of the Australia Ensemble and Artistic Chair and external composition mentors. Their works will feature in at least one workshop that may be made available to current UNSW students, UNSW staff and members of the public.
Applicants were required to submit a portfolio of scores of at least three pieces of music, showcasing two of which must be purely instrumental, one of which must be for chamber ensemble of up to 6 players and one of which must be from the last three years, with audio material supporting the portfolio of submitted music scores. Applications were assessed in terms of their musical creativity, originality, and personality, and the demonstration of a high level of craft, technical competence, care, and professionalism in the presentation of Scores in the portfolio.
The Fellowship is part of The Australia Ensemble UNSW’s aim of fostering greater engagement with and recognition of composition and chamber music activities at UNSW. Support from Emeritus Professor Roger Layton AM and Merrilyn Layton has facilitated a UNSW composition fellowship to again be offered valued at $10,000 for one year, for an Emerging Composer to write one chamber music work as part of the Australia Ensemble’s artistic development program.
Dr. Natalie Nicolas, Sydney composer, researcher, educator, holds a Master’s and PhD from Sydney Conservatorium of Music on scholarship where she currently lectures. Her emotionally driven music aims at evoking calm and catharsis. This is exhibited in “We Won’t Let You Down” for ACO Collective, which was featured on an ARIA nominated album in 2019.
Nicolas has composed for orchestras and ensembles including the TSO, SSO, CSO, winning ASQ Andrew Ford National Composers Forum (2013) and Harold and Gwenneth Harris Endowment for Medical Humanities Harris Award (2019/20). She has won competitions like the Flinders Quartet Composition (2017, 2019) and MSO Cybec 21st Century Australian Composers’ Program (2021). Her works have featured globally, collaborating with Grammy award-winning piano duo, ZOFO. Recent premieres include “Sydney Dreaming” at Sydney Opera House with Omega Ensemble and “By the Tide of the Moon” by Flinders Quartet. Nicolas is releasing a new album with the Hush Foundation in 2024.
Former winners of the Layton Emerging Composer Fellowship include Elizabeth Younan and Harry Sdraulig.
