Biography
Ceridwen is an Australian cellist and composer based in New York. She writes music that blends the clarity of contemporary classical music with the freedom of improvisation, creating narratives with emotional depth through looping layers of cello. Praised for her “unique touch” Ceridwen's work continues to captivate audiences.
Ceridwen's journey in music began at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, where she explored improvisation in cello repertoire. Her talent was recognised early on when she was selected for the Melbourne Recital Centre’s three year Accelerando scholarship program, a transformative experience that deepened her passion for contemporary music performance.
In 2018, Ceridwen earned a scholarship to study a Bachelor of Music Performance at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. Her innovative approach to music was further acknowledged in 2019 when she received the Kate Flowers Memorial Scholarship for her performance demonstrating the interplay between cello and electronic looping pedal. That same year, Ceridwen won the Allan Zavod Performers Award for her original composition The Conference of the Birds, which became her debut album released with the New York-based label Rhodium in early 2021.
Ceridwen's commitment to contemporary music continued with a commission from Arts Centre Melbourne in 2020 for their Memory: 5x5x5 series. Her involvement with the Australian Art Orchestra and Ensemble Offspring in 2021, along with her selection for the Flinders Quartet’s Emerging Composers program, further highlighted her growing influence in the field. She was also awarded the Corinna D’Hague Mayer Scholarship upon graduating with First Class Honours in Music Performance from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.
In recent years, Ceridwen's accomplishments have continued to flourish. In 2022, she was named a Dots and Loops Performance Fellow and received first place in the 3MBS The Talent competition. She was also selected for the Flinders Quartet - EMERGE program and the Ensemble Offspring Hatched Composer Intensive, where she was commissioned to write for the ensemble. Additionally, Ceridwen participated in the Australian Art Orchestra's Creative Music Intensive in Tasmania, and her composition was chosen for the Music She Wrote Festival.
Ceridwen's achievements in 2023 include receiving the New School Merit Scholarship upon her acceptance to The New School’s College of Performing Arts, as well as the Joyce McKenna Scholarship and Ian Potter Cultural Trust award for study abroad. She was nominated for the Freedman Fellowship and selected for the prestigious Eighth Blackbird Creative Lab in the USA.
Currently, Ceridwen is focussing on completing her Masters of Music in both performance and composition as well as working on her second album, continuing to push the boundaries of contemporary music with her innovative approach.
Ceridwen's journey in music began at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, where she explored improvisation in cello repertoire. Her talent was recognised early on when she was selected for the Melbourne Recital Centre’s three year Accelerando scholarship program, a transformative experience that deepened her passion for contemporary music performance.
In 2018, Ceridwen earned a scholarship to study a Bachelor of Music Performance at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. Her innovative approach to music was further acknowledged in 2019 when she received the Kate Flowers Memorial Scholarship for her performance demonstrating the interplay between cello and electronic looping pedal. That same year, Ceridwen won the Allan Zavod Performers Award for her original composition The Conference of the Birds, which became her debut album released with the New York-based label Rhodium in early 2021.
Ceridwen's commitment to contemporary music continued with a commission from Arts Centre Melbourne in 2020 for their Memory: 5x5x5 series. Her involvement with the Australian Art Orchestra and Ensemble Offspring in 2021, along with her selection for the Flinders Quartet’s Emerging Composers program, further highlighted her growing influence in the field. She was also awarded the Corinna D’Hague Mayer Scholarship upon graduating with First Class Honours in Music Performance from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.
In recent years, Ceridwen's accomplishments have continued to flourish. In 2022, she was named a Dots and Loops Performance Fellow and received first place in the 3MBS The Talent competition. She was also selected for the Flinders Quartet - EMERGE program and the Ensemble Offspring Hatched Composer Intensive, where she was commissioned to write for the ensemble. Additionally, Ceridwen participated in the Australian Art Orchestra's Creative Music Intensive in Tasmania, and her composition was chosen for the Music She Wrote Festival.
Ceridwen's achievements in 2023 include receiving the New School Merit Scholarship upon her acceptance to The New School’s College of Performing Arts, as well as the Joyce McKenna Scholarship and Ian Potter Cultural Trust award for study abroad. She was nominated for the Freedman Fellowship and selected for the prestigious Eighth Blackbird Creative Lab in the USA.
Currently, Ceridwen is focussing on completing her Masters of Music in both performance and composition as well as working on her second album, continuing to push the boundaries of contemporary music with her innovative approach.