Libretto by Daniel Szesiong Todd.

Commissioned by Forest Collective.

Dedicated to Danaë Killian.

Premiered February 2024 by Forest Collective at Abbotsford Convent as part of Midsumma Festival.
Also presetned by Forest Collective in February 2025 at Abbotsford Convent, as part of Midsumma Festival.

Roles
High Voice (Tenor) - Theseus
High Voice (Soprano) - Ariadne
Lower Voice (Mezzo Soprano/Counter Tenor/Baritone) - Daedelus 
Piano soloist - Minotaur/Asterion
Alto Flute, doubling on Flute
Viola
Fixed Electronics

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Libretto by Nicole Butcher.

Commissioned by Forest Collective.

Dedicated to Ashley Thompson.

Premiered November 2022 by Forest Collective and BK Opera at Abbotsford Convent.

Roles
3 High Voices (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano and Countertenor)
3 Low Voices (Tenor, Baritone and Bass-Baritone)

Sopranino/Alto Recorder
Flute/Alto Flute
Flute/Clarinet/Tenor Saxophone
French Horn
Trombone
Keyboard
Viola
Double Bass

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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.

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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.

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Libretto devised by the Composer from the libretto’s of Orfeo ed Euridice, Ranieri de' Calzabigi, L'Orfeo, Alessandro Striggio and words by Phemocles and William Shakespeare.

Dedicated to Mum & Dad.

Roles
High Voice (Tenor/Soprano) - Orpheus
Medium to High Voice (Mezzo Soprano/Baritone) - Eurydice
Lower Voice (Mezzo Soprano/Counter Tenor/Baritone) - Calaïs 

Fl./A.Fl./Pic./B.Fl.
Spr.Rec./Sop.Rec./Al.Rec./B.Rec./C.B.Rec. or Ob./C.A. or S.Sax./Bar.Sax.
Cl./B.Cla.
T.Sax./A.Sax.
Tbn./ optional Skbt.
Perc. (B.D. Gng. Bngs. Wood Wind Chimes)
Hp.
Vln. V.Cel. D.B.

Commissioned by Forest Collective, Abbotsford Convent, Midsumma Festival, Density512 & Prismatx Ensemble

Premiered February 2019 by Forest Collective at Abbotsford Convent as part of Midsumma Festival.
U.S.A. debut performance June 2019 by Prismatx Ensemble and Density 512.

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Dedicated to Justine Anderson & Peter Neville.

Text by Nicole Butcher
Soprano voice, Harp, Piano/Celesta and 4 Percussionists (Vbs. Mrmb. Crtls. Glock. T.Bel.)

Premiered 27 October 2017 by the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Percussion Ensemble, 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.

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Dedicated to Benjamin Northey.

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

Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, 2 voices of any range or style, Harp, 3 Violins, one doubling Viola and Percussion (B.D. Gng. Wind Chimes).
Version for Flute/Piccolo/Alto Flute/Bass Flute, Clarinet, Soprano Recorder/Alto Recorder/Contra Bass Recorder/Bass Recorder, 2 voices of any range or style, Percussion (B.D. Gng. Tri. Wind chimes), Harp, Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass.

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.

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“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.

For 2 Sopranos, Mezzo-Soprano, Harp, 2 Violins, Viola, Cello and Double Bass.
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

Libretto by Samuel Yeo

Dedicated to, and commissioned and premiered by Forest Collective, November 2013 at Abbotsford Convent.

Roles
Mezzo Soprano - Calypso
Tenor - Odysseys
Baritone - Uriel
Soprano - Artemis
Soprano - Athena

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Text by the composer.

Flute/Piccolo, Clarinet, Bassoon, Piano/Celesta, Harp, Baritone voice, Violin, and Cello.

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

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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.

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“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 in a production directed by Carmen C. Kruse.

For Queer Stories of Joy

Text by Louie Ulric.

Commissioned by Civic Opera Creations for Wien Volksoper.
Premiered by Ben Connor in a production directed by Carmen C. Kruse.

From Labyrinth.

Text by Daniel Szesiong Todd.

Written for Teresa Ingrilli, commissioned by Forest Collective, Midsumma Festival and Abbotsford Convent as part of the dance-opera Labyrinth.

Premiered by Teresa Ingrilli, February 2024 at Abbotsford Convent as part of Midsumma Festival.
Also performed by Teresa Ingrilli, February 2025.
USA premiere by soprano Zehan Tian as part of the Opera Austin Festival, November 2025.

Duration 6”

For Soprano voice and piano.

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“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

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.

Written for Frances Kruske.

Premiere performance by Evan J Lawson, December 2025 at MPavilion, Melbourne, Australia.

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From Orpheus.

Libretto devised by the Composer from the libretto’s of Orfeo ed Euridice, Ranieri de' Calzabigi, L'Orfeo, Alessandro Striggio and words by Phemocles and William Shakespeare.

For Mezzo-Soprano and Percussion (Bass Drum).

Commissioned by Forest Collective, Abbotsford Convent, Midsumma Festival, Density512 & Prismatx Ensemble

Premiered February 2019 by Aleise Bright at Abbotsford Convent as part of Midsumma Festival.
U.S.A. debut performance June 2019 by Jill Suzanne Morgan.

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Text by the composer.

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

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