Sonorous

Sonorous is MESS’s ongoing commissioning series devoted to multichannel concert works. The commission gives artists the tools, time, and space to craft boundary-pushing new compositions.

This celebrated series has become a cornerstone of Naarm/Melbourne’s cultural calendar, inviting audiences to experience the vast creative potential of spatial composition and spatial listening.

The Sonorous series is one of many ways that MESS empowers artists. We give access to one of the most eclectic and historically significant public collections of electronic instruments in the world, artists are supported to explore, experiment, and bring their boldest ideas to life. Sonorous provides a platform for artists to delve into the complexities of multichannel sound, from conception to realisation.

The 20 plus commissioned works to date consistently demonstrate how creativity thrives when artists are given the time and freedom to engage deeply with sound. By supporting artists to experiment with octophonic diffusion, and embrace the spatial possibilities of electronic music, MESS fosters an environment where unique and transformative works can flourish.

For audiences, Sonorous is an invitation to step into an expanded universe of sound. Each sonorous performance offers fresh perspectives on what is possible in contemporary electroacoustic music that resonate long after the final note.