Holly Harrison is an Australian composer from Western Sydney. Her music is driven by the nonsense literature of Lewis Carroll, embracing stylistic juxtapositions, the visceral energy of rock, and whimsical humour. Highly in-demand, Holly’s works are frequently heard across Australia, Asia, Europe, and the USA. Her music has been described as “exploding off the page”, full of “riotous energy, eclectic rhythmic complexity” and “inventive, witty and invested with thrilling dynamism and momentum”. Limelight has hailed her as “writing some of the most exciting works to come out of Australia over the past decade”. Her music is published by Wise Music G. Schirmer Australia
Holly was Composer in Residence with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra from 2020-2022, and is lead mentor for Ensemble Offspring’s 2025 Hatched Composer Intensive. This year sees the world premiere of Hovercraft by theremin virtuoso Carolina Eyck and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, along with performances from the Melbourne, Queensland, and Sydney Symphony Orchestras. Recent highlights include her saxophone concerto, Superhighway by Matt Styles and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and a residency at the 2024 Canberra International Music Festival.
She has worked with the Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmanian, Queensland, West Australian, Canberra, and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Australian Youth Orchestra. Her music has been performed by Australia’s most celebrated artists, including the Australian String Quartet, Australia Ensemble, Ensemble Offspring, Omega Ensemble, Syzygy Ensemble, Goldner Quartet, Rubiks Collective, Adelaide Wind Orchestra, Partridge Quartet, Kiazma Duo, Arcadia Winds, Duo Blockstix, and Emma-Shay Gallenti-Guilfoyle. Internationally, her music has been performed by Oslo Philharmonic, Eighth Blackbird, Alarm Will Sound, Nu Deco Ensemble, Manchester Camerata, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Nurnberger Symphoniker, Riot Ensemble, Orkest de Ereprijs, Goldmund Quartet, Ensemble Garage, Spokane Symphony, and Catchfire Collective. Recently, her work has expanded to include orchestral arrangements for Australian songwriters Tim Minchin, Jess Hitchcock, and Monique Brumby.
Holly has been recognised multiple times by the APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards, including finalist nominations for Daredevil (2024) and Splinter (2021), and winning Performance of the Year for Lobster Tales and Turtle Soup by Eighth Blackbird (2018). In 2022, she received the Western Sydney University Chancellor’s Alumni of the Year Award for her contribution to the arts. Internationally, her wind ensemble work POUNCE was a finalist in the National Band Association’s 2023 Revelli Composition Contest (USA). She was also the winner of the 2018 Nu Deco Ensemble Nu Works Initiative (USA), the the 2017 Sue W Chamber Music Composition Prize (AUS), the 2014 Young Composers Meeting (NL), the 2014 Riot Ensemble Call for Scores (UK), and the 2013 Pyeongchon Arts Hall International Chamber Music Composition Competition (South Korea).
She holds a Doctor of Creative Arts from Western Sydney University and is currently Composer in Residence at The King’s School, North Parramatta. A committed mentor and educator, she leads workshops and seminars nationally, supporting emerging composers. In addition to composing, Holly plays drum kit and percussion in the improvised rock duo Tabua-Harrison with Joey Tabua (electric guitar).
📷 Steve Broadbent