Because Music by Women Belongs Centre Stage.
Mirabilis Collective performs chamber music by women composers — past and present — through unforgettable concerts, recordings, and community engagement.
Mirabilis Collective
We are Mirabilis Collective — an intergenerational ensemble of women musicians on Whadjuk Boodja in Western Australia, united by a simple belief: women's music deserves to be heard.
From centuries-old classical works to contemporary commissions, from folk traditions to reimagined songwriting — we perform music by women across every genre and era. Our concerts are conversations: between past and present, between generations, between performers and audiences.
We champion Western Australian artists and underrepresented voices from around the world. Through storytelling, mentorship, and musical excellence, we ensure that women's creative legacy doesn't just survive — it thrives, evolves, and inspires.
Join us in celebrating the creativity, resilience, and brilliance of women in music — past, present, and future.
What We Do
We reimagine what chamber music can be and who it's for. By boldly blending classical traditions with contemporary expression, we push artistic boundaries while staying rooted in musical excellence. Our performances bring together centuries of women's music — from baroque pioneers to living composers — creating conversations between past and present, between generations, between performers and audiences.
Mentorship sits at the heart of everything we do. We empower young musicians through hands-on collaboration, creating space for emerging artists to learn alongside established musicians. Every rehearsal, every performance, every commission becomes an opportunity for intergenerational knowledge sharing. This is how we ensure the next generation of musicians inherits not just technical skill, but a commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices.
We partner with composers, artists, and educators to craft performances that connect deeply with audiences. Through collaborative storytelling, we create concerts that do more than entertain — they heal, inspire, and build community. Whether we're performing in metropolitan concert halls or regional community spaces, our work supports the mental health and wellbeing of the communities we serve, bringing people together through the transformative power of music.
Our commitment extends beyond the stage. We're documenting Australian women's compositions through professional recordings, bringing these voices to international audiences. We're expanding our reach in Western Australian schools and universities, ensuring young people encounter music by women as part of their education. And we're building partnerships that allow us to tour regionally, bringing world-class performances to communities that rarely have access to chamber music.
Our highlight reel features Umoja by Valerie Coleman, Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr by First Nations Yorta Yorta woman Madi Colville-Walker, Constant Craving by k.d. lang, “Elegy” from Renaesence by West Australian composer Carmel Dean , “Spring Tide” from Coastal Kaleidoscope by Alyssa Morris and Hold the Girl by Rina Sawayama.
Performed at The Ties That Bind on Monday 11 December 2023 at Wesley Church, Perth as part of our Her Voice Resounds season
Arrangements by Stephanie Nicholls and Julia Nicholls. Videography by Tallulah Chong.
Our Impact
Since 2023, we've performed works by over 90 women composers, collaborated with leading arts institutions, and brought music into schools and communities across Western Australia — both metropolitan and regional. Our commitment to excellence, inclusivity, and accessibility ensures that women's contributions to chamber music are not only acknowledged but celebrated.
Through mentorship and intergenerational collaboration, we've created pathways for emerging composers and performers to establish themselves professionally. We've commissioned new works that reflect our unique experiences as women and as Australians, adding to the living repertoire of chamber music. And we've fostered wellbeing in our communities, using music as a bridge between generations, cultures, and experiences.
Every performance is an act of reclamation — bringing underrepresented voices from the margins to centre stage, where they've always belonged.
Upcoming Projects
Hear Her Now: Australia's First Women Composers Chamber Music Festival will take place in 2026, presenting 100 works by women across iconic and unexpected venues in Perth. Spanning centuries, genres, and cultures — from baroque pioneers to today's boldest voices — this landmark festival celebrates the breadth and brilliance of women's music that has been too long underrepresented.
Empowering Women Through Music in the Wheatbelt brings Mirabilis Collective to regional WA for deep community engagement. Running from January to May 2026, this project partners with young women from Narrogin, Wagin, Williams, and Cuballing to co-create original music reflecting local stories and experiences. Through workshops, mentoring, and intergenerational collaboration with local choirs, participants will build creative confidence and skills, culminating in public performances that celebrate regional voices and community connection.
Resonance: The Mirabilis Recording Project is a landmark album documenting commissioned works by West Australian women composers. This recording will preserve these voices for future generations and bring Western Australian women's music to audiences around the world.
We're expanding our educational partnerships across WA schools and universities, creating more opportunities for young musicians to encounter, perform, and be mentored in music by women. These partnerships ensure that the next generation grows up knowing women's music as an essential, not optional, part of their musical education.
Join Us
Be part of the movement to amplify women's voices in chamber music. When you engage with Mirabilis Collective — whether by attending our performances, supporting our educational work, or contributing to our commissions — you're investing in a more inclusive, vibrant musical landscape.
You're supporting the mental health and wellbeing of communities through transformative musical experiences. You're enabling the next generation of musicians to learn and grow through intergenerational mentorship. And you're ensuring that underrepresented voices continue to be heard, celebrated, and passed forward.
Explore our upcoming performances, discover our educational initiatives, and find ways to support Mirabilis Collective as we continue this essential work.
Commissioned Works
Mirabilis Collective is dedicated to nurturing the future of music by commissioning new works from Australian women composers. We believe in empowering and supporting these talented artists, providing them with opportunities to showcase their craft and share their unique voices.
By investing in their creativity, we contribute to a diverse and flourishing musical landscape. Through these commissions, Mirabilis Collective encourages innovation and artistic growth, strengthening the connections between composers, performers, and audiences, and celebrating the wealth of talent within Australia's creative community.
2023 Commission Emily Gelineau Her Time (IWD 2023)
2024 Commission Candice Susnjar Despite It All
2024 Commission Candice Susnjar It Was Only a Dream
2024 Commission Julia Nicholls Christmas Is Here
2025 Commission Julia Nicholls Accelerate (IWD 2025)
2025 Commission Katherine Potter Love
Music Written By West Australian Women
West Australian women composers are central to everything we do. Their music tells our stories, reflects our landscape, and deserves the same platform as any composer — past or present.
We actively program, perform, and champion WA women's voices. From established artists to emerging talents, we create space for local composers to be heard, celebrated, and woven into the living repertoire. Every performance strengthens the creative community we're all part of and ensures that the next generation inherits a musical landscape where women's work is essential, not exceptional.
We’re proud to perform music composed by these West Australian women:
Olivia Davies
Rebecca Erin
Emily Gelineau
Carmel Dean
Madeliene Antoine
Julia Nicholls
Gina Williams
Candice Susnjar
Katherine Potter
Music Written By Women — Explore Diverse Repertoire
Finding music by women composers shouldn't be difficult, but it often is. We've curated resources to make discovery easier — whether you're a performer looking for your next program, an educator building inclusive repertoire, or simply curious about the wealth of music that's been waiting to be heard.
Explore composers across centuries and genres, from baroque pioneers to contemporary voices. These resources are here to support you in programming, teaching, and celebrating women's contributions to music..