Cathy Milliken
Composer
Composer, oboist and creative director Cathy Milliken is deeply committed to the principle that music should be participatory. Born in Brisbane, she first studied the oboe and piano in Australia before continuing her training in Europe under, amongst others, Heinz Holliger. As a founding member of the Ensemble Modern, Cathy Milliken collaborated closely with artists such as György Ligeti, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez, and Frank Zappa. She has composed for the concert hall, the opera house, radio and film – and has received numerous awards for her works. She was closely associated with the Berliner Philharmoniker from 2005 to 2012 as head of their Education Programme. In 2026, she composed a concerto entitled why feather yellow for the orchestra’s cor anglais player, Dominik Wollenweber.
