17 November 2025
Anime meets symphony: Thomas Green’s bold new commission for AYO
Anime, kung fu and imaginary fantasy worlds will be brought to life in a live symphonic experience, when Queensland composer Dr Thomas Green’s new works – inspired by ancient martial arts and Anime – are performed for the first time at Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp concerts in Adelaide in January.
When the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) commissioned Dr Thomas Green to create a new piece of music for its 2026 National Music Camp (NMC) the electronic music fan drew on his interest in Japanese pop culture.
For Green, the 2026 Composer-in-Residence at the National Music Camp, this was a dream assignment. “The truth is I’m a big kid and I still love watching anime,” said Greene, who lectures at Queensland Conservatorium of Music. “I’m particularly entranced by the music. There’s a whole story that goes along with it.”
Anime soundtracks are renowned for their sweeping emotional arcs, lush orchestration, and bold thematic contrasts -qualities that Green is eager to translate into a full symphonic experience. The new work will premiere at the camp, performed by some of Australia’s most talented young musicians.
Insight into ‘world building’
“I came up with the idea to write a piece of theme music for an imaginary anime – a series that doesn’t exist,” said Green, whose creative vision was inspired by Japanese TV shows which he has enjoyed since childhood. He is one half of Shugorei, a duo dedicated to exploring Japanese cultural heritage through music, alongside collaborator Nozomi Omote.
“Nozomi helped me develop the materials for this piece,” Green explains. “Her insight into Japanese aesthetics was invaluable.”
He said the project isn’t just about writing a piece of orchestral music, but about ‘world building’.
“We’re making up an entire story, an entire plot line, an entire universe. Maybe we could call it a ‘legendarium’ or an expanded universe.”
Dr Thomas Green on his new work Music for Imaginary Anime
He is also working alongside illustrator Ginko Eris to bring the music to life in drawings. “This whole process of creating music is not just something that happens at the end – it’s a whole process,” he said.
Double feature: The Sounds of Chow Gar
In addition to the new commission, the camp will also feature a performance of a new orchestration of Green’s acclaimed electronic work, The Sounds of Chow Gar. Originally conceived as an exploration of the sonic textures of the traditional Chinese martial art Chow Gar (a traditional style of kung fu from Southern China) the piece will be reimagined for full orchestra.
“For this piece I teamed up with a kung fu school, filmed them doing Chow Gar and then set this to music. Now I will be taking that music and arranging it for orchestra,” said Green.
“It’s exciting to hear something that started in a chamber medium with electronics take on a new life as a fully-fledged orchestral work.”
Dr Thomas Green on his new orchestration for The Sounds of Chow Gar
Look out for hidden easter eggs
While Green is keeping the full narrative under wraps, he hints at a story-driven structure, rich in drama and colour. “The piece has easter eggs. There are little secrets in there which can be found, if you look for them,” he said. Expect soaring melodies, rhythmic intensity, and perhaps even a touch of cinematic flair. “There’s a whole story behind this piece,” he teases. “I want the orchestra to feel like they’re inside a fantasy world.”
Trained as a classical composer, Green is also an avid fan of electronic music and composing for video games. “I have a foot in both camps – but it was actually a real joy being asked to write orchestral music,” he said, adding that the big moment will be hearing the National Music Camp orchestra playing it live for the first time.
“With composition the music lives in your head but you never really know what that will really sound like until the musicians bring it to life.”
About AYO National Music Camp
AYO’s National Music Camp has long been a launchpad for Australia’s next generation of classical, showcasing the work of emerging and established Australian composers. The annual two-week residential music camp in Adelaide culminates in seven public Summer Music Festival concerts, all held at University of Adelaide’s Elder Hall in Adelaide between 10 and 17 January 2026.
Audiences can hear Green’s work in two concerts:
- The Sounds of Chow Gar will be performed in Orchestral Concert I (Sound & Fury) on 10 January, 4pm.
- Catch the World Premier of Music for Imaginary Anime in Orchestral Concert III (Rhythm & Hues) on 17 January, 7.30pm.
In the lead up to the AYO Summer Music Festival in Adelaide, Thomas will be creating a series of videos documenting his composition journey. Follow on the AYO socials for updates.
See AYO in Melbourne: Fire & Fantasy
It will be game on when the Australian Youth Orchestra takes to the stage at Sidney Myer Music Bowl, in a free concert presented by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, on 11 February. Press play and immerse yourself in a world where orchestral power meets digital fantasy. GRAMMY Award-winner Christian Reif leads Australia’s brightest young musicians into new musical territories as they conjure cinematic soundscapes and epic adventures through works by Anna Clyne, Nobuo Uematsu, Daniel Nelson, and Stravinsky.
