Chinary Ung has one of the most unusual backgrounds of any contemporary composer. Born in Takeo, Cambodia in 1942, he was not exposed to Western classical music until his late teens. His interest led him to be one of the first students at the newly opened music conservatory in Cambodia,. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1964 to further his studies, including at Columbia University where his principal teacher was Chou Wen-Chung.

Scholars have remarked about Ung's strong sense of commitment to tradition, ingenuity, techniques and imagination. His music relies on his personality, in his refinement of his ideas expressed in lines, shades, perspective and time factors.

He has received numerous prizes, honors and commissions including the Grawemeyer Award (the 'Nobel Prize' for new music) in 1989.

Michael Atherton is a composer, performer, musicologist and Founding Professor of Music at the University of Western Sydney. He has made a sustained contribution to Australian music through a creative output across many fields. Michael’s research areas include musical instruments, electroacoustic music, film scoring, music therapy, and intercultural collaboration.

Michael’s early work began in popular music. He played early music in the Renaissance Players from 1974-1980, and was a founding member of world music group, Sirocco, exploring musical syncretisms through Anglo-Celtic, Balkan and Middle Eastern musics.

He has undertaken significant collaborations with Indigenous Australian performers and his electroacoustic duo, Sync, is one of only 20 international performance ensembles selected to perform at the Centre Pompidou, IRCAM/NIME, Paris 2006 and NIME (new interfaces for music expression) New York, 2007.