About

Ossicle Duo is an award-winning exploratory art music ensemble in Melbourne, made up of trombonist Benjamin Anderson and percussionist Hamish Upton. Since forming in 2018, the ensemble has quickly established itself as a powerful voice in the Australian art music landscape, receiving praise and recognition for their highly polished and compelling performances.

Ossicle Duo's sold-out 2018 debut featured the premiere a 20-minute proto-opera ‘GRIT’ by Melbourne-based composer James Hullick - a commission funded by a City of Port Phillip Cultural Development Fund grant. Since then, they have presented regular concerts at the Melbourne Recital Centre as part of the Local Heroes series, and in 2019 they received the MRC Contemporary Masters Award for their presentation of Mauricio Kagel’s percussion theatre piece L’art Bruit.​

Ossicle Duo present complex and richly layered programs with a strong commitment to Australian voices and emerging composers. They have performed works by internationally recognised composers like Richard Barrett, Kaija Saariaho, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Michelle Lou, Mauricio Kagel, and John Cage, and they have commissioned new works from Australian composers Liam Flenady, Jaslyn Robertson, Jakob Bragg, Matt Laing, and New Zealander James Gardner.

Ossicle Duo is committed to pushing boundaries in their practice, with a radical approach to experimental instrumental technique matched by only a handful of ensembles in Australia. Benjamin collaborated with Adelaide-based instrument maker Bret Gustafson to construct a double-bell bass trombone, which has attracted the development of multiple new works, including Liam Flenady’s ‘The Five Seasons’. Hamish regularly commissions and builds new instruments, and frequently incorporates non-traditional instruments within his percussion setups. 

Ossicle Duo is also committed to fostering local community engagement in the arts. In 2019, they launched an experimental music series at iconic Melbourne pub and live music venue ‘The Espy’​. These ‘Underground Sessions’ feature collaboration with some of Melbourne’s best musicians, playing experimental free improv alongside notated music in the relaxed setting of a basement bar. This series was supported through an additional City of Port Phillip Cultural Development Fund grant.

Check out the Events Page to see what OD have coming up!