Perth Composer Wins with WASO World Premiere
15.10.2025
WASO congratulates Perth composer and director of WASO’s Composition Project, James Ledger, on taking home one of Australia’s biggest compositional prizes for his work The Last Thing, that was premiered by the Orchestra last year.
Acknowledging excellence in Australian composition, the Paul Lowin Prizes are presented every two or three years, with 2025 marking the 50th anniversary of the prestigious awards. James Ledger was awarded the Orchestral Prize for The Last Thing, which WASO was proud to perform the world premiere of in 2024, featuring soloist Sara Macliver.
The Last Thing is a set of three songs for soprano and orchestra with text by Irish poet and playwright, Paula Meehan. It describes the demise of a father, a poisoned relationship between child and deceased mother, and a heart-wrenching lament on the loss of a child.
“The first poem I read of [Meehan’s] was Child Burial - a piercing and incredibly direct poem on losing a child. My initial reaction was that there would be no way I could write music for it,” said Ledger. “The more I thought about it, however, the more I realised that I could engage with the power of her words musically.”
Described by Limelight magazine as “a profoundly moving performance” and The West Australian as “confirmation, if needed, of the depth and quality of local talent”, it’s clear that Ledger’s work has left a lasting impact.
You can read more about the work by looking back at our digital concert program.
The Last Thing by James Ledger
Premiere performances:
3-4 May 2024, Perth Concert Hall. Alpesh Chauhan, conductor. Sara Macliver, soprano. West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
Texts by kind permission of Paula Meehan – Dedalus Press.
Commissioned for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra by Geoff Stearn.