Naomi Brown

Naomi Brown is an Australian composer, specialising in writing classical and sacred music with a cinematic style, often in response to a text. Her concert works often convey a story or evoke strong programmatic imagery.

Naomi has recently been commissioned to write a piece for bassoon and oboe “The Sea and the Skylark” for bassoon virtuoso Matthew Kneale (founder of Arcadia Winds and Ensemble Francaix) based Gerald Manley Hopkins’ poem. It was performed at Tempo Rubato in June 2023. Naomi also wrote a piece for two bassoons and piano, “Rivers and Thoughts”. The piece is based on Australian poet Miriam Wei Wei Lo’s poem “A Few Thoughts on Multiple Identity”. It was premiered in May 2022 in Adelaide at Urrbrae House by Matthew Kneale, Mark Gaydon (principal bassoonist of the ASO) and Yundi Yuan on piano.

Prior to this Naomi composed a mammoth and exciting work for bassoon and string ensemble, commissioned by Matthew Kneale based on the Francis Thompson poem “The Hound of Heaven”. One of the movements was adapted for bassoon and piano and performed by Matthew and Yundi Yuan as part of the Freedman Music Awards at the Sydney Opera House in July 2022. It was also streamed live as part of a concert by Ensemble Franciax on Australian Digital Concert Hall in October 2022.

Naomi was also commissioned to write a string quartet, “Fractured Peace”, by one of Australia’s most loved chamber ensembles, the Flinders Quartet for their Beethoven and the Vignettes project. The commissioned work was performed in November 2022 at the Melbourne Recital Centre among other venues. Flinders Quartet have also performed another string quartet by Naomi called “A Storm in the Mountains”.

Her choral work “Welcome” was written for St Paul’s Cathedral choir and was sung as part of their carols service in December 2022.

Her work “A Poet’s Home” was chosen and performed by Grainger Wind Symphony in September 2022 for their annual Made in Australia concert where they showcase works by Australian composers.

Naomi also completed a nine-piece piano solo suite called “The Orchard”. “The Orchard” has recently been recorded with classical pianist Kay Cai at The Base recording studios and released on Spotify and other streaming services under the moniker Contemplative Cadences.

Naomi has rigorous music composition training with film composer Amy Jørgensen (James Cameron’s “Deepsea Challenge 3D”, “Home & Away”, and beloved children’s animation “Bluey”), writing music for a variety of genres and ensembles, as well as studying orchestration, music theory and music production.

Naomi lives in the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne’s outer east with her husband and three children.