Why Commision a Work?
You have spent years bringing other people’s music to life.
You have studied their markings, shaped their phrases, and carried their names onto the stage. But at some point, another question may appear:
Where is the piece that begins with you?
A commission is not simply a new work to add to a programme. It is a collaboration in which your sound, character, and artistic identity become part of the creation of a piece that did not exist before.
Your name may appear on the score, in programmes, recordings, and future performances — not only as the performer, but as the person who helped bring the work into being.
For an emerging performer, this can become more than a recital item. It can be a world premiere, a personal statement, and a distinctive piece in your artistic portfolio.
When to Commission
A commission does not need to wait for a major concert, a large ensemble, or a large budget.
It can begin the moment you need a work that gives you something distinctive to say — for a recital, recording, festival application, grant proposal, competition programme, portfolio, or online release.
You might commission a work when you want to create a world premiere, build a more personal artistic identity, offer something beyond the standard repertoire, or mark a specific moment in your career.
Even a short one-minute piece can become a premiere, a dedication, and a work connected to your name.
What I Offer
Many performers want a programme that feels personal, but concert life often returns to the same repertoire, the same names, and the same expectations.
A commission offers another possibility: a work that begins with your sound.
When you commission a work from me, I do not simply deliver a score. I listen to your instrument, your strengths, your artistic direction, and the context of your project. The piece is shaped around you, but it is not merely a portrait of you. It becomes an independent musical work that carries your presence.
A commission can help you create:
- a world premiere for a recital, recording, festival, or competition programme
- a distinctive work written for your instrument and artistic identity
- a score that may include your name as commissioner, dedicatee, or first performer
- programme notes, website text, and public materials around the collaboration
- a documented collaboration that becomes part of my composer archive
What I offer is a serious artistic collaboration: a new work that gives your performance a point of origin, not just another item in the programme.
How it Works?
A commission does not need to begin as a large project. It can start from something small — even a one-minute miniature can become a premiere, a dedication, and a work connected to your name.
For projects with up to ten instruments or parts, my standard rate begins from A$400 per minute of music. Short miniature commissions are welcome, especially for solo performers and emerging artists.
Unless otherwise agreed, the commissioner receives the world premiere opportunity and appropriate credit on the score, programme, and archive. Copyright and future use remain with the composer, so the work can continue its life beyond the first performance.
The process is usually simple:
Initial conversation
We discuss your instrument, project, timeline, performance context, and artistic direction.
Proposal
I suggest the duration, format, difficulty level, fee, and delivery schedule.
Agreement and deposit
We confirm the commission fee, timeline, premiere credit, dedication, and payment schedule. A 50% deposit is paid to secure the commission, with the remaining 50% balance due before the final score and parts are delivered.
Composition and delivery
I write the work and provide the score and parts, with your name included where appropriate as commissioner, dedicatee, or first performer.
Premiere and archive
You give the first performance, and the collaboration may be documented in my composer archive, website, and future work list.
If you are unsure where to begin, a short miniature is often a good first commission.