Golden Hornet is a composer laboratory for the 21st century.

our LATEST commissioning endeavor

INSECTUM is a sonic exploration of the resilience and beauty of the world’s oldest living multicellular creatures; arthropods. Originally inspired by the pioneering imagery of artist-entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian, and furthered by consultation with entomologists Alex Wild and Jo-anne Holley at The University of Texas at Austin, the album aims to not only bring audiences “down” to these creatures' level but also to reframe our relationship with them. As global climate change accelerates and insect populations suffer from a rapid collapse, INSECTUM challenges listeners to move beyond simply writing these organisms off as mere “bugs.”

A bracketed, NCAA-March-Madness style tournament competition which brings original string quartet compositions head-to-head in front of a live, participatory audience. A panel chooses sixteen finalist pieces from an international pool of submissions… you choose the champion!

An intimate, SXSW Official concert featuring six new music and contemporary classical acts. Offered for badge holders and non-holders alike, the concert fosters exposure to groups leading the charge on revitalizing classical music for the modern age, all based here in Austin.

A six month skill-building experience inviting Austin-area youth ages 8 to 18 to compose original pieces and collectively produce a concert, all under the guidance of professional mentors. The collaborative process culminates in a public concert featuring a professional ensemble.

Cinema Recomposed is Golden Hornet’s newest composer program where seven composers (age 18 - 22) will create an original score for a selected Max Fleischer cartoon and be paired with a professional film composer for mentoring on the score. All seven pieces will premiere live at Fantastic Fest (ATX) in September with potential touring following the initial performance.