INGA LILJESTRÖM
PROJECTS
Commissions and collaborations: music made alongside other artists, festivals, and creative projects, in addition to my solo work.
VIVID 2026 - Circles of Rhythm
I composed the music for "Circles of Rhythm," a projection artwork designed for the ASN building in Circular Quay, in collaboration with visual artist Anna Fraser, Giles Westley, and Julian Burgess. The projection explores pure design and mandala forms, evoking energy, transformation, and uplifting beauty. The score features monolina monochord, harps, strings, organ, voice, and synth, an instrumentation that grew out of conversations with Anna, who loved the monochord's sound in my relaxation sessions, and my own love of Alice Coltrane's harp playing. Bronze winner at the AEAF (Australian Effects and Animation Festival) 2026.
WILD ALASKA
I wrote "Transcendence" for "Wild Alaska," a nature film by photographers Aliscia Young and Richard Sidey. Shot during a July 2015 expedition, the film moves through the coastal wilderness of Southern Alaska - its glaciers, fjords, and forests, and the whales and bears that inhabit them. I wanted the music to reflect the cold climes and vast scale of that landscape, layering my voice with chimes and deep synths. Photography & editing: Aliscia Young (alisciayoung.com) and Richard Sidey (richardsidey.com)
WILD ANTARCTICA
The second film in Galaxiid's "Wild Destination" series to feature my original music, following "Wild Alaska." Shot in 4K by New Zealand cinematographers Aliscia Young and Richard Sidey across several expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula in early 2017, including aerial footage captured under a special UAV permit. For this piece, I used layers of synthesizer and voice to create an uplifting feeling. Photography & editing: Aliscia Young (alisciayoung.com) and Richard Sidey (richardsidey.com). Winner of Music and Nature award at the 2017 Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in NYC.
VIVID 2015 - LIGHT ORIGAMI
An interactive installation by artist KAZ Shirane, produced by Reuben Young, commissioned by Destination New South Wales for Vivid Sydney 2015 and later presented at Canal Convergence, with lighting by Lumenpulse. Light Origami is a human-sized kaleidoscope, a dome of 300 mirrored panels that responds to visitors' movement, colour, and sound. My piece "Transcendence" provides the sound element, creating a reflective, meditative atmosphere as people move through the space. Also shown in Scottsdale Arizona, and Singapore festival of light. Winner of Fine Arts and Art Installation Design Category, 2015 - 2016, A'Design Award & Competition, Italy.
BRANCH NEBULA - PARADISE CITY
Twenty years ago, I performed in and co-composed music with award winning engineer and sound artist Bob Scott for Branch Nebula's production, Paradise City, a theatre production that showcased at the Sydney Opera House, and later toured nationally and to South America. A fusion of street-style, dance, and physical performance: skater, break dancer, BMX rider, acrobat, dancer, and "fallen diva" carving out a pleasure ground from stark urban space. Helpmann award nomination (2008). https://branchnebula.com/portfolio/paradise-city/
UNIVERSITY RESIDENCIES
Between 2009 and 2014, I directed and performed in three university residencies (two in Finland, one in Australia), each built around a theme I set, with students developing the work from there into a public performance combining film, music, and art.
The aim of each residency was to create a multi-platformed performance built on collaboration between students and their different art forms. As director, my intention was to shape an interdisciplinary process that became genuinely transformative for the students involved, not just a rehearsal for a show, but a chance to learn to collaborate across disciplines and experience every facet of putting on a production. I've enjoyed developing my own techniques and methods of teaching and directing along the way.
