# Ensemble Offspring

Ensemble Offspring is an Australian music ensemble. The group is led by artistic director Claire Edwardes, and features some of Australia's most innovative performers. The group has toured to locations such as Hong Kong, London and Warsaw, are regularly featured at MONA FOMA, Sydney and Melbourne Festivals, and have a cult following at their Sizzle series at Petersham Bowling Club. Ensemble Offspring has premiered over 200 works in its 23-year history. The ensemble was previously known as Spring Ensemble.
Together with Kamil Ellis it was nominated for the 2019 ARIA Award for Best Children's Album for Classic Kids: Music For The Dreaming.

## Members

* Claire Edwardes (percussion)
* Geoffrey Gartner (cello)
* Jason Noble (clarinet)
* Lamorna Nightingale (flute)
* Veronique Serret (violin)
* Zubin Kanga (piano)
* Bree van Reyk (drums, percussion)
* Blair Harris (cello)

### Former members

* Damien Ricketson - composer, co-founder and co-artistic director (1995-2015)

## Discography
### Albums

List of albums, with selected details :
| Title | Album details |
| Springtime | Released: February 2010 Label: Ensemble Offspring |
| Between the Keys | Released: 21 May 2013 Label: Ensemble Offspring |
| Fractured Again | Released: June 2013 Label: Damien Ricketson |
| Cycles and Circles | Released: 2015 Label: Ensemble Offspring |
| Noise Husbandry (with James Humberstone) | Released: 6 August 2016 Label: Ensemble Offspring |
| Offspring Bites 1 | Released: 3 November 2017 Label: Ensemble Offspring |
| Classic Kids: Sounds Like Australia (with Luke Carroll) | Released: 6 July 2018 Label: ABC Music |
| Classic Kids: Music for the Dreaming (with Kamil Ellis) | Released: 5 October 2018 Label: ABC Music |
| Offspring Bites 2 | Released: 21 July 2019 Label: Ensemble Offspring |
| Songbirds | Released: 12 June 2020 Label: ABC Music |
| Offspring Bites 3: En Masse | Released: 24 March 2021 Label: ABC Music |
| To Listen, To Sing – Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers | Released: 2 December 2022 Label: ABC Music |

## Awards and nominations
### AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
| 2023 | To Listen, To Sing – Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers | Best Independent Classical Album or EP | Nominated | |

### ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony held by the Australian Recording Industry Association.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
| 2019 | Classic Kids: Music for the Dreaming (with Kamil Ellis) | Best Children's Album | Nominated | |
| 2023 | To Listen, To Sing – Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers | Best Classical Album | Nominated | |

### National Live Music Awards

The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
| 2019 | Ensemble Offspring | Live Classical Act of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2023 | Ensemble Offspring | Best Classical Act | Nominated | |

### Sidney Myer Performing Arts Group Award

The Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards (created in 1984) recognise the essential role of arts and culture in affirming our sense of belonging and lifting our community spirit as a nation.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2020 | Ensemble Offspring | Performing Arts Group Award | Nominated |