Projects
Through collaboration with composers and performing artists in Australia, Germany, France, Japan, the UK and the USA, Caerwen has composed, produced, arranged and performed works developed, broadcast and performed worldwide.
Full Catalogue of Works
View a full list of compositions spanning Caerwen's career. Find links to recordings, performances and scores for sale with the Australian Music Centre.
INVENTI
Inventi Ensemble Artistic Directors Ben Opie and Melissa Doecke have instigated and commissioned, performed and recorded multiple works including The Book Beneath My Bed, Women of the Earth, and Sea Suite for mixed ensemble. Women of the Earth and Sea Suite were commissioned by Inventi and the community of St John’s the Baptist Church in Flinders Victoria, to celebrate the installation of stunning contemporary stained-glass windows created by Victorian stain-glass artist David Wright.
SiloSQ
For 25 years, Silo String Quartet has been championing contemporary composers across a broad spectrum of genres including avant-classical, jazz, popular, metal, world music, musical theatre and film, with a focus on Australian, Asian, British, American and Canadian composers. Caerwen Martin is the primary composer for SiloSQ with albums such as Clouds for Electric and Acoustic string quartet receiving worldwide airplay and attention. The Clouds Album includes 5 movements including Little Fluffy Clouds and Summer House Collaborators include Fiona Burnett, Lou Bennett, Vince Jones, Joe Camilleri, Allara Briggs Patterson, John McAll, Vika Bull, John Butler, Christine Anu, Guy Pearce, Silvie Paladino, David Hobson, Marina Prior, Dan Sultan, Way of the Eagle, Owl Eyes, Emma Hewitt, Ambrose Akinmusire (USA), Quinsin Nachoff (CAN), Sophie Koh, Dan Brodie, Collision Theory, Speak Percussion, David Chisholm, Eve Duncan, Scott McIntyre, Andrew Batterham, Barrie Web (UK), Haydn Reeder, Melbourne Composer's League, Asian Composer's League, Sarah MacKenzie, Belinda Moody, Dj Spooky (USA).
wurukur djuanduk balag — Ancestors Are Calling
2022-2023
wurukur djuanduk balag—Ancestors Are Calling is a beautiful new song cycle composed by the incomparable Dr Lou Bennett AM (Yorta Yorta Dja Dja Wurrung), which responds to the precious belongings of First Peoples held in collections worldwide.
In March 2023, Silo String Quartet will perform Caerwen’s arrangement of this work at the Adelaide Film Festival. The work was originally commissioned by Rising Festival and Museums Victoria and performed at the Rising Festival in 2022.
3 Shades Black Homophonic!
2020 - 2022
3 Shades Black & Homophonic! have been celebrating the historical and modern contributions of LGBTQ+ composers since 2011. Works commissioned by 3 Shades Black & Homophonic! include ArtScore Sheoak for sheoak branch, snare, crotales, and viola, The Agony of She for solo double bass, The Gift for the War-Rak/Banksia Festival, the reopening of Melbourne's iconic art house theatre, La Mama and I am Who I Am’ for vocal and string ensemble for the RESPECT Project. The RESPECT project tells the stories of the older generation from the LGBTIQ+ community in music. Homophonic! and 3 Shades Black have toured and performed I am Who I Am at La Mama Theatre, Fitzroy Town Hall and at Victoria's regional pride events for Midsummer Festival.
Hush
2017
In 2017, The Hush Foundation launched our National Composers in Residence Project, bringing together six established and emerging composers in a project to engage with adolescent patients at children’s hospitals around Australia.
Caerwen was one of 12 composers who worked together with Dr Catherine Crock AM and hospital clinicians to engage with young people with chronic illness and mental health challenges and offered them the chance to participate in the project by sharing their stories to inspire the composition of new music.
The result was the release of Volume 18 entitled ‘Collective Wisdom’, which includes Caerwen’s composition Stars Come Out in a Midnight Sky, originally performed by the ACO Collective and later performed by the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra in 2022.