Claire Edwardes OAM is Australia's ‘sorceress of percussion’ (City News, Canberra) and the only Australian to win the 'APRA Art Music Luminary Award’ four times. A charismatic percussion virtuosi, Claire leaps between her role as Ensemble Offspring’s Artistic Director (Australia’s leading new music ensemble), solo recitals and concerto performances with all of the Australian symphony orchestras including recent premieres of works by Anne Cawrse, Natalie Williams and Iain Grandage. In 2022 Claire was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her indelible contribution to Australian music and in 2023 she was the recipient of the Australian Women in Music Award for Creative Leadership.
Recently described in Limelight as a ‘unique treasure of Australia’s musical community’ and in The Age as ‘an invigorating musical life force’, Claire has hosted Play School, been an ARIA Award finalist twice and has performed as a soloist all over the world – from Vancouver to Amsterdam, the Gold Coast to Malta, and Huddersfield to Alice Springs. Widely known for her genre-spanning solo concerts, plus commissioning and premiering hundreds of new works for marimba, vibraphone, drums and more unusual instruments such as the waterphone, she passionately advocates for gender equity and diversity in all that she undertakes. As a true trailblazer Claire breaks down barriers between art music and audiences with her famous on-stage infectious enthusiasm for bringing new music to new audiences.
Ensemble Offspring
Ensemble Offspring is Australia’s leading new music group standing at the forefront of musical innovation for 30 years. A multi-award-winning musical trailblazer, we present gripping programs of living new music and commission more new music than any other ensemble in Australia.
Ensemble Offspring is led by percussionist Claire Edwardes OAM, with a core line-up of fearless instrumentalists, all soloists in their own right: Lamorna Nightingale (flute), Jason Noble (clarinet), Véronique Serret (violin), Blair Harris (cello) and young guest pianist Ronan Apcar (2025 Hatched Emerging Performer).
Ensemble Offspring is acclaimed on the international stage, and our development programs support marginalised musical voices including female-identifying, emerging and First Nations artists. Committed to subverting the classical tradition with gripping performances that transcend time and place, Ensemble Offspring navigates the future with open-mindedness and equity for all.
Emily Granger &
Claire Edwardes
‘Two queens of contemporary classical performance in Australia’ (ABC Classic) percussionist Claire Edwardes and harpist Emily Granger have forged a musical partnership that is as bold as it is beautiful. Marimba and harp combined transcend expectations, where rhythmic verve meets shimmering resonance. Drawn from their acclaimed album Magic Sky, this concert is a deep dive into the expressive potential of two instruments rarely heard together, yet strikingly complementary. It is "a spellbinding partnership that defies conventional expectations," Limelight Magazine and at the heart of this program is a special vision: an all-Australian repertoire celebrating the voices of gender-diverse living composers. The celestial music of Anne Cawrse, Hilary Kleinig, Sally Whitwell, and Elena Kats-Chernin is combined with classical arrangements by Bach, Debussy, Scarlatti and Ravel.
Press Quotes
“This is a truly special work that demands a lasting place in our contemporary canon, brought to life by a unique treasure of Australia’s musical community.…” Limelight (Steeling Fire, MCO 2024)
“Edwardes’ sheer focus over the course of this long piece was spectacular.” Classikon (Psychedelic Frenzy, EO 2024)
“…played with extremely sensitive virtuosity by Edwardes…” Australian Stage (Incredible Floridas EO 2023)
”Edwardes playing was incredibly lyrical and expressive with nuanced phrasing and impeccable balance.” Adelaide Advertiser (Dare to Declare, ASO 2023)
“…marimbist Claire Edwardes, the concerto’s dedicatee, is a luminary in her field. Darting from one end of the 2.6m-wide instrument to the other, she dazzled with energy and authority.” In Review (Dare to Declare, ASO 2023)
”Claire Edwardes is a phenomenal musician, and any performance she gives will be stamped with consummate skill and her exhilaration for music showcasing percussion.” The Canberra Times (Dances with Devils, CSO 2023)
”The marimba is an incredibly physical instrument and both sheer concentration and glee come through in Edwardes’ playing, a joy to watch…” Classikon (Avant Gardens, Ensemble Offspring 2023)
“Claire Edwardes is a master performer and producer.” SeeSaw Magazine (WAAPA, Time as Revelator EO 2022)
“Edwardes tossed off the two-movement work (Rebonds B/A) with characteristic flair and aplomb, enhancing her reputation as ‘the queen of Sydney percussion’.” Limelight (Boom! Opening Concert)
“…a dazzling tour de force in which Edwardes’ invigorating musical life force offered a confident outlook for the aspirations of Australia’s women musicians.” The Age (Rhythms of Change)
“To say she is virtuosic is redundant; she's more, transforming what must clearly look promising on manuscript paper into sonorous, shimmering aural opulence.” Australian Stage
“A joyous gem of a percussionist” Sydney Arts Guide
Interviews
AMEB
2 April 2024
A Champion of Percussion and New Music
SYO TempO | ASO BLOG
20 June 2023
Musician Spotlight
by Nicola Cann
BMA MAG
23 February 2023
Master in the modern classical landscapeBy Morgan Quinn
SIDE BY SIDE
21 April 2022
A conversation w/ Claire Edwardes & Lamorna Nightingale
Limelight Feature
8 September 2021
Rhythms of Change Feature
by Hugh Robertson
LOUDMOUTH
30 June 2020
Why I Chose the Less Trodden Path by Claire Edwardes
SpICKS & SPECKS
2015 ABC Guest
Claire In Recital
The giant 5 octave marimba is an instrument rarely enjoyed in a solo recital setting. The 'sorceress of percussion' Claire Edwardes' showcases the marimba in a combination of transcriptions and brand new commissions written exclusively for her. The marimba is a large mallet percussion instrument made from rosewood and its sonic character is a combination of mellow, caramel tones and hard-edged woody percussiveness, making for a unique sonic adventure in recital.
Added to this Claire introduces audiences to her famous waterphone and temple blocks reminiscent of woodpeckers making this a memorable musical experience. Featuring works by JS Bach, Edward Elgar, Elena Kats-Chernin, Maria Grenfell, Anne Cawrse, Michael Smetanin and Matthew Hindson.
”Claire Edwardes is a phenomenal musician, and any performance she gives will be stamped with consummate skill and her exhilaration for music showcasing percussion.” The Canberra Times
The Australian Marimba Composition Kit
In 2021 I created The Australian Marimba Composition Kit is designed to help composers understand and write effectively for the 5-octave marimba, my all-time favourite percussion instrument. As a percussionist dedicated to the creation of living new music, my work revolves around composer-performer collaborations, and I’ve noticed that many composers, regardless of their experience, age or stage, often struggle to write for the marimba. This is likely because it isn’t an orchestral instrument but also because people often assume they can treat it like a piano.
My kit is free for everyone and consists of a downloadable pdf as well as a video which together provide composers with a clear, practical guide to the physical mechanics of the marimba, along with essential tips to help them craft compelling and idiomatic compositions. My goal is to bridge the gap between composers and this incredible instrument, giving them the tools they need to write with confidence.
