Omega Ensemble is thrilled to present New Now 2026 at Sydney’s Walsh Bay Art’s Precinct on Friday 14th August. A showcase of boundless creativity and bold new directions, New Now celebrates the next wave of Australian musical voices.
Born out of Omega Ensemble’s CoLAB program, New Now 2026 features a program of four world premiere works by some of Australia’s most exciting new musical voices, Jessie Leov (NSW/NZ), Robert McIntyre (VIC), Thomas Misson (TAS) and Beth Roche (NSW), four composers whose distinctive voices reflect the diversity, curiosity and ambition shaping the future of Australian music.
Jessie Leov’s ‘A Map to Nowhere’ focuses on the environmental challenges facing us all, creating a world which navigates the sensory experience of a forest through the eyes of a child. This new piece marks Jessie’s first time writing for a combination of clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano.
Robert McIntyre’s work ‘Solastalgia’ also focuses on the environment and climate change, exploring how nostalgia for the natural world transforms into solastalgia: a feeling of homesickness experienced while still at home. Robert’s previous song-cycle ‘Our Duty to Care’ also covered the topic of climate justice and earnt him the Dorian Le Gallienne Composition Award in 2023.
Thomas Misson will take audiences on a unique, sensory journey in ‘Cicerone Suite’, a musical pairing for four types of beer, creating a playful exploration on the shared “bitterness” of contemporary music and brewing, and the self-discovery inherit in trusting your senses.
In Beth Roche’s ‘The Lambton Worm’, she reimagines a 14th century legend from North-East England, detailing the battle between John Lambton and a giant worm, capturing the duality between the naivety of young Lambton and the sinister, deceptive nature of the worm.
Omega Ensemble’s Artistic Director David Rowden said, “New Now is easily one of my highlights of the year. The program is always fresh and exciting, and this year is no different with one piece influenced by craft beer and another by far off lands. Each composer we’re working with this year is bringing their own distinctive, adventurous voice, reflecting the depth, diversity and ambition of the next generation of Australian music.”
Launched in 2021, CoLAB has rapidly become one of Australia’s leading professional development programs for fresh compositional talent, offering direct collaboration with world-class musicians and composer mentors. The 2026 edition continues the series’ commitment to championing bold musical thinking and new chamber music compositions.
Celebrated composer and CoLAB mentor, Holly Harrison, describes the initiative as “one of the greatest gifts any performing organisation has devised. CoLAB was driven by an unwavering commitment by the Omega Ensemble to advance the future of Australian musical creativity.”
Now in its sixth year, and with previous showcases selling out, New Now has quickly become an annual meeting ground where artists, industry and audiences alike come together to experience and celebrate the music and voices shaping tomorrow.
New Now plays for one show only this August – 90 minutes, no interval with tickets priced at only $49.00 – this is the perfect night out on the Harbour.
For more information and tickets, please visit: https://www.omegaensemble.com.au/new-now-2026
PROGRAM
Jessie Leov a map to nowhere
Robert McIntyre Solastalgia
Thomas Misson Cicerone Suite
Beth Roche The Lambton Worm
ARTISTS
Omega Ensemble
NEW NOW 2026
Friday 14th August, 2026, 7pm
ACO on the Pier
Tickets: $49 Concession $39 / Under 30 $34
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