Cathy Milliken

Cathy Milliken is an international award-winning performer and composer known for her evocative instrumental and vocal works.

She moves between manifold musical worlds, taking great joy in facilitating creativity and participation. The diversity and relevance of her output has won her international recognition as a leading composer, creative director, educational consultant and performer.

Born in Brisbane and based in Berlin, Milliken completed a degree in Australia majoring in performance (piano and oboe) and continued her studies in Europe under Heinz Holliger and Maurice Bourgue. A founding member of Ensemble Modern, she worked extensively with artists such as György Ligeti, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez, Fred Frith, and Frank Zappa.

Milliken has composed for concert, opera, radio and film. Commissioners include Southbank Centre London, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Staatsoper Berlin, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, South West German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker and Musica Viva of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Commissioning Ensembles include Ensemble Modern, LUX:NM, Ensemble Offspring, Zaafraan Ensemble, Remix Ensemble, London Sinfonietta and the AskoISchönberg Ensemble. International participatory compositions include Umculo Festival (South Africa), Future Labo (Japan) and Munich Biennale for Music and Theatre. A versatile performer and member of Ensemble Extrakte Berlin, Milliken is known for her sonic improvisations using oboe and voice.

Recipient of several awards, including the Prix Italia and the APRA AMCOS/AMC Art Music Award, Milliken was also Associate Composer of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra from 2018-20.

In the pipeline:

• A six-month residency in Paris in 2025/2026, collaborating with the IRCAM (Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music) and resulting in a work “As War As Love” for violist Genevieve Strosser and contralto Helena Rasker (Premiere in June 2026).
• The recent premiere of “Here we Are” in Freiberg, Germany as part of ECHO - the European historical organs society’s recent commission program will tour early 2026 to Stavanger and later Leuven and Berlin.
• The new chamber opera for Sydney Chamber Opera supported by the Siemens Foundation is in progress.
• A commission for Musica Viva, Bayerische Rundfunk for Orchestra and a radio play for SWR2, Germany based on Shakespeare Sonnets are in progress.
• Her latest work, a concerto for Cor Angalis and Orchestra “why feather yellow” and commissioned by the Berliner Philharmoniker, soloist Dominik Wollenweber will be premiered in September during the upcoming Musikfest, Berlin 2026.