THE HOUSE THAT DAN BUILT
The House that Dan Built is a not-for-profit, female focussed Australian Arts association, with the mission to raise girls voices and advance women's careers.
The House is a visionary force that creates unique experiences to change the world and advance the culture of the Australian arts scene.
PAST COMMISSIONS
100 WOMEN
100 Women 100 Stories is an uplifting choral celebration of women's stories. Sung by 100 local women, it was written by 6 female Australian composers.
During the 2020 lockdowns, The House That Dan Built spoke to 100 women from around Australia. They shared stories of resilience, connection to community, and reflections on their lives.
The recorded interviews were given to six award-winning Australian female composers who wove those stories into a one-hour moving and poignant choral experience.
In 2026, we'll be re-composing 100 Women for The Women's Club, an investment in new Australian music that will result in an uplifting, joyful community performance.
EMERGENC/Y
Six young House Ensemble members will continue working with esteemed composer Felicty Wilcox on this new work. This contemporary opera comprises voices, instruments, electronics, and interaction design.
The work creatively addresses deficits in the representation of female and gender diverse opera-makers and rewrites traditional operatic narratives that cast them as victims of gendered violence.
BAGATELLE
Inspired by experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the huge challenges that isolation brought to musicians, The House presents BAGATELLE. This project was a 2021 House Commission to showcase a series of micro-compositions written by The House ensemble in collaboration with celebrated composer and pianist Sally Whitwell. This work celebrates choral voice, the return to live music, and the human connection of singing together.
BAGATELLE scores are used as music educational resources.
THE HOUSE THAT DAN BUILT
SYO
Sydney Youth Orchestras (SYO) is one of Australia’s leading youth music organisations, shaping the lives of young musicians through outstanding orchestral training and performance opportunities.
For more than 50 years, SYO has championed youth-led programming and inclusive access, creating clear pathways for aspiring musicians across New South Wales - from their first notes to pre-professional excellence.
BOWERBIRD BLUES
OUR SUPPORT
RESEARCH
2022 Orchestral Season Statistics: Tenth Muse Initiative.
Tenth Muse Initiative, 2022
Donne, Women in Music Annual Report
Laccio & Hardman, 2024
Female Artist Representation in Music Streaming
Avriel Epps-Darling, Romain Takeo Bouyer, Henriette Cramer, 2020
Publishing while Female. Are women held to higher standards. Evidence from peer review.
Erin Hengel. November 2019
How women undersell their work.
Marc J. Lerchenmueller, Olay Sorenson, Anupan B. Jena. December 2019.
LETTERS OF SUPPORT
Letters of support from past commissioned composers on the impact of the commission on their practice and careers, and from partner organisations
