Bio

Tim Newhouse is a twenty-eight year old creative artist, music director and music educator based in Perth, Western Australia. As a composer for concert and media, Tim’s original music focuses on genre blending and the fusion of orchestral timbres with elements of modern jazz, contemporary pop, electronic dance music and folk music from a variety of cultures. Tim is a multiple WAM Song of the Year nominee for his compositions Lower King (2022 - Jazz, Global) and Southbank (2019 - Jazz). He was a participant in the 2019 WA Symphony Orchestra Composition Project, where WASO premiered his chamber ensemble work Candy Hotdog Marshmallow, and has twice been a composer in residence with the WA Youth Jazz Orchestra, in 2014 and 2018.

Tim’s compositions have been performed internationally and all around Australia, most notably world premieres at the World Saxophone Congress in 2018 (Zagreb, Croatia) and 2015 (Strasbourg, France) and performances in Wales and Japan. He has engaged in multiple commissions for the Perth International Jazz Festival and his music has been performed at national jazz festivals in Manly (NSW) and Devenport (TAS). Tim has released two studio albums as a bandleader and producer, receiving a 2018 yCulture DrugAware grant to record his debut album Daily Pages. He also received the 2015 Jack Bendat Travel Scholarship, which funded a solo tour to the east coast of Australia as a guest conductor performing his compositions with professional jazz orchestras.

As an arranger, orchestrator and music copyist, Tim has collaborated with Telethon Perth, WA Academy of Performing Arts, Perth Festival, orchestras such as Perth Symphony Orchestra, Perth Cabaret Collective, Junkadelic Brass Band, WA Philharmonic, Amnesiacs Big Band, WA Wind Symphony and WA Youth Jazz Orchestra, and artists such as Kav Temperley (Eskimo Joe), Abbe May, Chrislyn Hamilton, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Joel Jackson, Rachael Dease, Libby Hammer and Michelle Nicole. Tim has been an assistant orchestrator for the opera Melba and a copyist for a project with Guy Sebastian.

in jazz, contemporary and music theatre, Tim is a versatile music director, conductor, multi-instrumentalist and improviser. At the 2022 Perth Festival he was the music director, conductor and arranger for the hip-hop show Flewnt’s Boorloo Block Party. On saxophones, clarinets and flutes Tim performs in musical theatre pit orchestras at the Crown and Regal Theatres and he is a keyboardist and backing vocalist in local singer-songwriter groups and cover bands. He has shared the stage with many internationally acclaimed, award-winning artists, most notably James Morrison, Kate Ceberano, Mace Francis Orchestra, Darcy James Argue (USA), Ed Partyka (Austria/USA), Sarah McKenzie (USA), Julian Arguelles (UK), Ed Neumeister (USA), and The Idea of North.

Tim aims to continue a wide variety of concert and media collaborations; bringing contemporary musical ideas to the symphony orchestra and expanding the artistic possibilities of the big band jazz orchestra.

Press

“Tim has forged a musical style and voice beyond his years… and it is with true courage, determination and hard work that he has released this beautifully powerful and ambitious debut album. Tim unashamedly and effortlessly crosses genre and musical influence… …he has been able to draw from influences of jazz, rock, art music, pop, soundscape and classical music. He has assembled exceptional musicians who believe in his music, he has great compositional craft and he has a vision that he has been able to articulate and make a reality.” – Dr Mace Francis, artistic director of the Perth International Jazz Festival and WA Youth Jazz Orchestra

“Incredible music, wonderfully played. Tim tells stories that are at times profoundly moving and at others, lively and fun. Unmissable!” – Bourby Webster, founder of Perth Symphony Orchestra

“The whimsical score and astute musical direction played an important role in this tremendous adaption… …What was surprising to us was that the score and musical direction was done by one man – and that man was only 18 years old. He showed a perception beyond his years and an understanding of the material beyond his years that will no doubt serve him well for the rest of his career.” – Kent Acott, Finley Awards adjudicator

“Tim Newhouse has created a subtle, most effective, slow (almost ad libitum) soundscape of music; at times the music was just the occasional note.” - Gordon the Optum, Independent Theatre Association