Works - as of April 2025

The Cosmic Automaton (2025)

Chamber Orchestra: 1(picc).1.1.1, 1.1.1, 1perc., strings (1.1.1.1.1), ca. 6' 20"

A revised a reorchestrated version of my 2023 chamber work of the same title

This work considers the universe's many cyclic processes and likens it to a giant clockwork machine, Imagining its vast emptiness, chaos, and massive scale, but also its mystery and awe. 

This work received its world premiere on the 21st of March 2025 by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music New Music Ensemble, under conductor Benjamin Northey.

Verbirg mein Seel aus Gnaden (2025)

For SATB choir and Organ, ca. 1' 30"

A short reimagination of the Chorale Valet will ich dir geben to be sung with Bach's setting in BWV 245. This work was commissioned by the Macquarie Singers for The Chorale Project,  and their concert Dynasty, Music of the Bach Family.

Five Pieces for Orchestra (2025)

Orchestra: 2.2.2.2 4.2.1 timp. 1 perc. Strings, ca. 6' 00"

A collection of five very short miniatures for orchestra, none of which are meant to be too serious. These miniatures although separated by silence, have a sense of continuation, through either mood, gesture, style, or articulation. Each piece builds on material from previous pieces, particularly the first, acting as smaller pieces of a larger whole. 

This work was written for the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra's 2025 Young Composer Award and was awarded Second Prize (Highly Commended). 

It will be read by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Symphony Orchestra on the 5th of May 2025.

Movements:

I. Haiku

II. Waves

III. Pulses

IV. Licht

V. Finale

Piano Sonata (2024)

Solo Piano, ca. 9' 00"

A solo Piano Sonata written in a single movement form, not strictly in sonata form, but structured around its main principles of contrast, development and recapitulation. Written as a journey through sections of various musical character while being always approachable and interesting to listen to. It draws it's influences from the piano works of Vine, Ravel, Scriabin, and Dutilleux.

It will receive its world premiere in early 2025.

Dreamscape (2024)

Orchestra: 2(2=pic).2.2.2(2=cbsn) 4.2.3.1 timp. 1 perc. Strings, ca. 7' 00"

A work for orchestra imagining and exploring a dreamworld, and the strange and mysterious characteristics of dreams. 

It was read and recorded by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Symphony Orchestra on the 11th of October 2024 and will receive its Premiere as part of their 2025 concert series. 

String Quartet (2024)

String Quartet, ca. 15' 00"

A four-movement string quartet greatly influenced by the Bartok string quartets, and polyphonic processes. 

Movements:

I. Moto Perpetuo (ca. 4' 15")

II. Passacaglia (ca. 2' 30")

III. Reverie (ca. 4' 45")

IV. Fugato (ca. 3' 30")

Movement III. was premiered by Gabriel Kerridge, Klara Decker-Stewart, Lucy Dube, and Rachel Jeong at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music on the 22nd of May 2024.

Movement I. was workshopped with the Australian String Quartet at the University of Sydney on the 5th of June 2024. 

(Sibelius-Noteperformer 3 recording)

(Sibelius-Noteperformer 3 recordings)

(Sibelius-Noteperformer 3 recording)

(Sibelius-Noteperformer 3 recording)

Echo (2024)

Soprano and Piano, ca. 5; 00"

An art-song that sets Christina Rossetti's poem of the same name, which deals with themes of love, memory, loss, death, grief, and dreams.

This work was premiered on the 4th of June 2024 at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music by Erina Kirton, and Sebastian Forno.

(live recording - Erina Kirton, Sebastian Forno)

Twists and Turns (2024)

Piccolo, Flute, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Horns in F, and 2 Bassoons, ca. 4' 00"

A short and fun work written for Caesura Ensemble's program Gale

This work was premiered by Caesura Ensemble on the 31st of May 2024.

Speckles and Splats (2024)

Solo Organ, ca. 5' 15"

A tocata-esque work for solo Organ full of gestural 'speckles' and 'splats' of harmonic colour, with a softer lyrical middle section.

Water Ripples (2024)

Solo Piano, ca. 1' 45"

A short and simple work for solo Piano with a pedagogical focus, framed in a post tonal harmonic language. 

This work was premiered by Ian Munro on the 12th of July 2024 at Monash University.

O Magnum Mysterium (2023)

SATB Choir (with divisi), ca. 3' 00"

A short setting of the Latin Sacred Christmas text O Magnum Mysterium for SATB choir.

(Cantamus AI recording)

Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (2023)

Clarinet (doubling Bass Clarinet ad. lib.), ca. 12' 20"

A three-movement sonata for Clarinet and piano with the second movement being attacca and for solo Clarinet (or Bass Clarinet ad lib.). 

This work will receive its premiere in early 2025.

Goldner Variation, on Ode to Joy (2023)

String Quartet, ca. 1' 00"

This work is a short variation on the Ode to Joy theme from Beethoven's 9th Symphony, for the Goldner String Quartet's 2024 version of the Goldner Variations. These were initially a set of 25 variations on Ode to Joy commissioned from 25 Australian Composers for the quartet's 25th Anniversary in 2019. To celebrate their 30th and final year, 5 more variations including this one were added in 2024.

The full set contains variations by:

 Joe Chindamo, Audrey Ormella, Maria Grenfell, Clare Strong, John Peterson, Paul Dean, Robert Davidson, Andrew Schultz, Mark Isaacs, Matthew Hindson, Olivia Diamant, Andrew Ford, Hayden Gardiner, Adriel Sukumar, Ross Edwards, Harry Sdraulig, Nigel Westlake, Liza Lim, Iain Grandage, Paul Stanhope, Jakub Jankowski, Brett Dean, Tim Jayatilaka, Elena Kats-Chernin, Elizabeth Younan, Paul Grabowsky, Nicole Murphy, Holly Harrison, Natalie Williams, and Carl Vine.

This Variation was premiered by the Goldner String Quartet on 09.03.2024 at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the full 2024 version of the Goldner Variations was subsequently premiered at the Adelaide Festival on 16.03.2024. 

(Live recording - Goldner String Quartet)

Lament for Organ and Cello (2023)

Organ and Cello, ca. 5' 40"

Commissioned by Bernard Kirkpatrick (Director of Music, Saint Patrick's Cathedral Parramatta) for the occasion of their 1898 Norman and Beard Organ's 125th Anniversary. The commission asked for a Lament that looks back at a historical fire in 1996, which lead to the construction of a new Cathedral and the purchase and installation of the current organ, from Saint Saviour's Anglican Church in London. 

This work was at a 125th anniversary concert at the Cathedral on the 12th of November 2023 by Rena Tang and Eric Grella.

(Live recording - Rena Tang, Eric Grella)

Many Things: 5 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet (2023)

Flute (doubling Piccolo), Oboe, Clarinet, Horn in F, Bassoon (doubling Contrabassoon), ca. 10' 30"

Written as part of the second year of my studies in composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. The is a set of five short, fun bagatelles for wind quintet, greatly inspired by Ligeti's 6 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet, and presented in a Bartokian arch form. They can be performed individually, in sets, or as a complete multi-movement work in the order provided.

Movements:

I. Many Swells

II. Many Honks (Bassoon is substituted for Contrabassoon in this movement)

III. Many Loops

IV. Many Huffs and Puffs

V. Many Birds?

Bagatelles I, III, and IV were premiered on the 30th of October 2023 at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music by Tanisha Kolodochka, Alex Tsang, Mitchell Brown, Kaithlyn Phillips, and Dylan Roberts.

(Sibelius-Noteperformer 3 recording)

Preludes for Piano (2023 - )

Solo Piano, work in progress

A work in progress collection of short but interesting preludes/miniatures for piano. 

Current movements (titles subject to change):

Reverie 

Fugato

The Fog

The Cosmic Automaton (2023)

Clarinet (doubling Bass Clarinet), Cello, Harp, Percussion, and Piano, ca. 8' 00"

Written as part of the second year of my studies in composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. The work considers the universe's many cyclic processes and likens it to a giant clockwork machine, Imagining its vast emptiness, chaos, and massive scale, but also its mystery and awe. 

(Sibelius-Noteperformer 3 recording)

*title* (2023)

Flute, Clarinet, Cello, and Piano, ca. 5' 00"

Written to represent NSW at the Australian Society for Music Education's 2023 National Conference Young Composer Project. Reflecting the conference's theme of Music Unleashed, this work has no proper title, instead holding a placeholder to avoid composer-imposed imagery and meanings that titles can impose. This allows the focus of the work to be purely on the music. 

This work received its world premiere by Ensemble Offspring at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music on the 5th of July 2023.

(Sibelius-Noteperformer 3 recording)

Missa Lucis (2023)

SATB Choir (with divisi and congregational parts ad lib.) and Organ

A setting of the Mass Ordinary and acclamations, which can be performed with selected movements as a concert work, or used in a Novus Ordo liturgical setting. This work draws from many common plainchant motifs, as well as imagined plainchant-like motifs. Most of the setting is in Latin, however sections of the Sanctus, as well as the acclamations are presented in English to allow for congregational participation. 

Dedicated to the Choir of Saint Patrick's Cathedral Parramatta.

This work has four core movements (in bold), as well as additional acclamations for use in liturgical settings:

I. Kyrie (SATB unaccompanied)

II. Gloria (SATB + Organ)

III. Sanctus (SATB Choir with congregation ad lib. + Organ)

IV. Memorial Acclamation (Voices in unison with cong. ad lib. + Organ)

V. Great Amen (SATB Choir with cong. ad lib. + Organ)

VI. Agnus Dei (SATB Choir + Organ)

This work was premiered on the 6th of August 2023 in a liturgical Setting at Saint Patrick's Cathedral Parramatta.

A companion Toccata for Organ based on motifs from this Mass was written and premiered alongside it by Bernard Kirkpatrick.

Ave Verum Corpus (2022, rev. 2023)

SATB Choir (with divisi), ca. 2' 00"

A short setting of the Latin Sacred Text Ave Verum Corpus for SATB choir.

Piano Trio: Two Australian Landscapes (2021, rev. 2022)

Flute, Clarinet, Cello, Piano, ca. 6' 00"

Inspired by Australian summer alpine landscapes encountered while hiking in Kosciusko National Park in 2021. 

This work is in 2 movements:

I. Mount Anderson (scored for Flute, Cello, and Piano)

II. Lake Jindabyne (scored for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano)

This work was premiered on the 25th of October 2022 at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music by Alexander Maltas, Mitchell Brown, Rena Tang, and Adriel Sukumar


(Live Recording - Alex Maltas, Mitchell Brown, Rena Tang, Adriel Sukumar)

Please note: some older works (or works that I am not as happy with) are not included in this list. If you would like to know more about any particular work that is not included here, please feel free to send an enquiry through the contact page.

© Adriel Sukumar 2025

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