WSO YOUNG COMPOSER AWARD Winning Composition | World Premiere 2025
Willoughby Symphony Orchestra
Sunday 4 May | The Concourse, Chatswood
The Young Composer Award, Australia’s only award of its kind, proudly presented by Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and managed by Willoughby City Council, will unveil its 2025 winning
composition in a highly anticipated world premiere on Sunday 4 May.
Under the baton of Associate Conductor Sarah Penicka-Smith, the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra will bring the winning work to life as part of the “Lark Ascending” concert, featuring internationally renowned flautist Jane Rutter, at The Concourse, Chatswood.
Generously supported by Mark Wakely in memory of Steven Alward, the Award has provided a platform for emerging composers for two decades and has launched the careers of many young talents. Through shared experiences and connections forged, the award cultivates a supportive network that sustains artists throughout their careers.
2025 Young Composer Award Winners
- First Prize: Andrei Kelly Hadap (Sydney, NSW) – “Charon’s Barcarolle”
- Second Prize: Adriel Aathavan Sukumar (Sydney, NSW) – “Five Pieces for Orchestra”
- Third Prize: Otto Joseph Monaghan Gibbs (Perth, WA) – “The Crow Atop The Temple”
This year’s winner Andrei Kelly Hadap said, “I am absolutely thrilled to receive the 2025 Young Composer Award. It is an incredible honour to have my work performed by the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, made possible through hosting this initiative for emerging Australian composers. My piece, Charon’s Barcarolle, was inspired by the vivid imagery in Dante’s Inferno, a 14th-century narrative poem depicting a journey through the nine circles of hell. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring it to life through music.”
With a significant increase in submissions this year, the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra will host a Young Composer Workshop later in 2025.
