Text by Evan J Lawson, after the libretto’s of Orfeo ed Euridice, Ranieri de' Calzabigi and L'Orfeo, Alessandro Striggio.

Commissioned by Forest Collective.
Premiered by Aleise Bright and Danaë Killian, October 2024 at Eleventh Hour Theatre, Melbourne.

Purchase the score.

“Lawson’s repetitive use of text fragments and the emotional extremity of Eurydice’s anguish were riveting.” - Heather Leviston, Classic Melbourne

For Queer Stories of Joy

Text by Jamila Soibiri.

Commissioned by Civic Opera Creations for Wien Volksoper.
Premiered by Ben Connor.

For Queer Stories of Joy

Text by Louie Ulric.

Commissioned by Civic Opera Creations for Wien Volksoper.
Premiered by Ben Connor.

From Labyrinth.

Text by Daniel Szesiong Todd.

For Teresa Ingrilli.

Duration 6”

For Soprano voice and piano.

Purchase the score.

“Lawson’s haunting, impactful music and Szesiong Todd’s lucid and lyrical libretto are a complementary marriage. And the incorporation of pianist as Minotaur, whose ominous expression is sporadically heard but unseen until turning the corner into the final space, is an ingenious conceit.” - Paul Selar’s review of Labyrinth, Australian Arts Review

Text by Claire Tipy.

Dedicated to Ryan Lynch.

Voices can be divided in a standard SAB combination, or into 3 groups of high, medium and low voices.

Purchase the score.

Written for, with text by Deborah Cheetham AO.

Dedicated to Jesse Matthews on his birthday.

Commissioned by Midsumma Festival.
World premiere performance February 2022 at Melbourne Pride, performed by Deborah Cheetham AO.

Text by Claire Tippy

For High voice, low voice, S.Sax.
Commissioned by Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.
Premiered online in 2021, developed and recorded in Aix-en-Provence, directed by Geordie Brookman.

Go to this page for further details.
Purchase the score.

Written for Frances Kruske.

Puchase the score.

Dedicated to Justine Anderson & Peter Neville.

Text by Nicole Butcher
Sop. Hp. Pno./Cel. 4Perc. (Vbs. Mrmb. Crtls. Glock. T.Bel.)

Premiered 27 October 2017 by the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music percussion department, Justine Anderson soprano, and conducted by Guy de Blet.

Dedicated to Igor Mihajlovic

Text by Oscar Wilde, from The Duchess of Padua

For Flute, Soprano voice, and Harp. 
Also a version for Alto Flute, Mezzo-Soprano voice, and Harp.

Commissioned by SoundSCAPE New Music Festival, Italy
Premiered by Cochlea Duo and Katelyn Isaacson, Soprano July 2015
Written while a Bayside Artist in Residence, Bayside City Council.
Australian premiere performance by Rosemary Ball Soprano, Tanya Vincent Flute and Jessica Fotinos Harp as a part of the 2016 Forest Collective concert series.
U.K. premiere performance by The Erda Ensemble, Marta Fontanals-Simmons (mezzo-soprano), Chloë Vincent (flute) and Olivia Jageurs (harp), 14 September 2024.

Purchase the score (soprano version).
Purchase the score (mezzo-soprano version).

Dedicated to Benjamin Northey

Text derived from the libretto of Orfeo ed Euridice, Ranieri de' Calzabigi and L'Orfeo, Alessandro Striggio.

Fl. Cl. B.Cl. 2 voices Hp. 3Vln./Vla. Perc. (B.D. Gng. Wind Chimes)
Also a version for Fl./Pic./A.Fl./B.Fl. Cl. S.Rec./A.Rec/C.B.Rec/B.Rec. 2 voices Perc. (B.D. Gng. Tri. Wind chimes) Hp. Pno. Vln. Vla. V.Cel. D.B.

Commissioned by Forest Collective.
Premiered by Forest Collective at their 2015 concert Moonfall May 2015 at Melbourne Recital Centre as a part of the Metropolis New Music Festival, Rosemary Ball & Teresa Duddy soprano solos, conducted by the composer.
Written while a Bayside Artist in Residence, Bayside City Council
Also performed by Forest Collective at their 2018 concert Berceuse at Church of All Nations, Daniel Szesiong Todd tenor & Aleise Bright soprano.

“Another standout moment in tonight’s program is Evan’s Part III from Orpheus for two voices and ensemble.” — Anni Kalco, CutCommon

“...Lawson’s usual lush sound palette is stripped back and spread about the room. The spatial distribution of the ensemble is some of the most effective that I have heard.” — Matthew Lorenzon, Partial Durations

Dedicated to the memory of Joe Waterman.

Text from The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare.

2Sop. Mez.Sop. Hp. 2Vln. Vla. Vlc. D.B.
Commissioned by Forest Collective. 
Premiered by Forest Collective at their 2014 concert Flooding in the Garden December 2014, Rosemary Ball, Stefanie Dingnis & Christine Storey soprano soloists.

“The premier of Lawson’s Winter Canticle proved the highpoint of the evening. Violin and harp created the texture of feet treading lightly on the forest floor while voices, starting softly, gradually increased in intensity to form whispers of text from Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale. While experimental, the music was by no means difficult on the ear, and the various layers of fricatives, half-formed words, soaring high notes and interjections from the ensemble were impressively executed with dramatic effect.” — Alexandra Mathew, Limelight Magazine

“The piece is a reworking of previous material, taking the emotional structure of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale as a formal basis. An introductory episode of drones and vocalises gives way to an astounding rhythmic explosion. The three vocalists declare “Winter!” as febrile string phrases scurry about. The voices speak and whisper phrases from the play in an emotional polyphony, accompanied by energetic scrubbing in the strings. Lawson has learnt well from his twentieth-century heroes including Britten and Vaughan Williams; even at its dynamic peak the ensemble is always colourful, transparent and mobile.” — Matthew Lorenzon, Partial Durations

Text by the composer.

Fl./Picc. Cl. Bsn. Pno./Cel. Hp. Bari. Vln. Vlc.
Also a version for voice and piano.
Premiere performance sung by the composer, conducted by Christine Storey, at VCA November 2008.
Also performed by Joe Coghlan, November 2010, at VCA, conducted by the composer.
And by Forest Collective, May 2011, sung by the composer and conducted by Louis Sharpe

Purchase the score.