Oonagh creates music and sound works inspired by stories and places, particularly waterways.

Oonagh has been commissioned to create over 70 works for radio, theatre, film, dance, live performance, public art, installation and with the community.

Her work involves music composition, sound design, sound art, production, recording, writing, teaching, facilitating, videography and community consultation.

In 1996 Oonagh received a Graduate Diploma In Musical Composition from Sydney University, studying with Peter Sculthorpe, Ann Boyd and Ross Edwards. From 1995 – 1998 Oonagh studied North Indian classical music with Ashok Roy, Sarod Master and Artistic Director of the Australian Institute for Eastern Music. In 1991, Oonagh received a BA in Theatre, Law and Australian Aboriginal History from Macquarie University. In 2002 through ‘Women In Film and Television’, Oonagh was under the mentorship of composer and musician David Bridie.

Current work includes Sound Walk by the Water, a workshop and installation with CuriousWorks, part of ‘Holding Space, Rituals of Welcome’, this project is currently in production.

Recent work includes Barayaya! with Bayala Dharug Aboriginal Corporation, the arrangement and recording of 18 Dharug Language songs.

 11 Stories From the River Dyarubbin, 11 location based audio-walks along Dyarubbin the Hawkesbury river featuring an original music work in 11 parts and 11 time, with Dharug songs by Jasmine Seymour and Stacy-Jane Etal. The music underscores stories of the rivers people, places, history, geology and ecology, shared by over 80 participants. In 2024 the project won an Imagine Award from Musuems & Galleries NSW.

Oonagh led this collaborative public arts project with guiding input from Hawkesbury Regional Museum, Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation, Western Sydney University Sustainable Futures, Hawkesbury Historical Society and Hawkesbury Environment Network. The project was developed and produced over 5 years with support from CREATE NSW, the Australia Council for the Arts, and Museums & Galleries NSW. Oonagh co-curated a project exhibition at Hawesbury Regional Museum launched in 2023.

In 2023, Oonagh was videopgrapher and composer for Bangadyi Nawi – of a short video documenting the process of making a traditional Nawi / bark canoe with Aboriginal students on Dharug Country for Hawkesbury Regional Museum The project received an Imagine Award from Museums & Galleries NSW in 2023.

The Rainbow Passes Through – Ngara Badu, for Hawkesbury Regional Gallery’s Dyarubbin Exhibition in 2022. 

Oonagh was commissioned by ABC’s RN Radio National’s The History Listen to produce the radio feature Yarramundi and the People of Dyarubbin, in 2021. Dharug knowledgeholders share the stroy of their enduring culture along the river Dyarubbin, guests include Emeritus Professor of History a the UNSW, Grace Karskens and  music Oonagh wrote for ’11 Stories from the River Dyarubbin’

Commissions as composer / sound designer include a live cello score for Monkey Baa Theatre Co’s adaptation of Jackie French’s Diary of a Wombat 2017, a soundtrack for Circa circus: When One Door Closes 2016, a live cello score for Urban Theatre’s site-specific adaptation of Michael Mohammed Ahmad’s The Tribe Sydney Festival 2015, Belvoir 2016, Victoria 2017 and music for the ABC RN, ABC online, UNSW/Museum of Victoria icinema multi-platform documentary Retrospect 2015. For the Dictionary of Sydney she created music for their online walking tour of Old Irish Sydney 2014.

As writer and producer she has been commissioned to create four radio features with original music for ABC RN, including Yarramundi and the People of Dyarubbin 2021 for the History Listen, An ear on my heart 2008 and The Earthbound Spirit 2004 for Poetica and for Radio Eye Heart of Conflict 2005.

In 2017, Oonagh was awarded  ‘Magnetic Places’ funding from Penrith City Council to realise South Creek Wianamatta Turning a festival of nature, stories and sound, bringing community & students to South Creek / Wianamatta in St Marys working with waste to create sound sculptures.

In 2015, Oonagh was commissioned by ABC RN’s Into the Music to document the influence of Indian Sarod player and teacher Ashok Roy in Ashok Roy…from India with Love. She was later commissioned to make a short film for PARRAMASALA in 2015 Ashok Roy: Surmani.

Oonagh studied cello in the western classical tradition with Phillipa Jackson also learning to play Hindustani music on the cello, with Sarod Master Ashok Roy. Oonagh worked at the Sydney Opera House as a sound engineer from 2000 – 2006. Oonagh also works with children, teaching and conducting music ensembles at several schools in Western Sydney

Credits include:

sound artist – Sound Walk by the Water, – (2025) a workshop and installation with CuriousWorks Holding Space, Rituals of Welcome, this project is currently in production.

music arrangement, sound engineer –  Barayaya! – (2024-25) with Bayala Dharug Aboriginal Corporation, the arrangement and recording of 18 Dharug Language songs.

videographer – Bangadyi Nawi – (2023) creation of a short video documenting the process of makng a traditional Nawi / bark canoe with Aboriginal students on Dharug Country for Hawkesbury Regional Museum

producer, composer, co-curator – 11 Stories from the River Dyarubbin – (2019-2023) 11 site specific audio walks along Dyarubbin the Hawkesbury River, featuring original music, sound, historic, cultural and ecological stories shared by over 80 participants, with assistance from Create NSW, the Australia Council for the Arts, Museums and Galleries NSW

sound and video artist – The Rainbow Passes Through – Ngara Badu – Hawkesbury Regional Gallery 2022 – an installaton commissioned by Haweksbury Regional Gallery for the Dyarubbin Exhibition

producer, composer – ABC RN feature for The History Listen (2021) Yarramundi and the people of Dyarubbin Darug knowledge holders share their long and enduring relationship with this country, and the river they know as Dyarubbin (The Hawkesbury River) with Emeritus Professor of history at UNSW Grace Karskens

composer, sound designer – Where the Streets Had a Name Monkey Baa Theatre Company (2017) director Eva Di Cesare, adapted by Eva Di Cesare from the book by Randa Abdel-Fattah

producer, sound artist – South Creek Wianamatta Turning…A Festival of Nature, Stories and Sound A Community Arts Place making project on the banks of South Creek St Mary’s, where community members and school students from St Mary’s Public School joined in sound sculpture making, a clean up event, guided walks, native plantings and sharing in stories of environment, pollution, history and culture, including a social media presence and culminating in a documentary

composer – Diary of a Wombat Monkey Baa Theatre Company (2017) director Eva Di Cesare, adapted by Eva Di Cesare from the book by Jackie French

sound designer – The Cartographer’s Curse National Theatre of Parramatta with Third Space Productions (2016) director: Paula Abood

composer, sound designer – When One Door Closes Circa Circus with La Boite Theatre Co. (2016) directors: Yaron Lifschitz and Libby McDonell

composer, cellist – The Tribe produced by Urban Theatre Projects in Bankstown Live, Sydney Festival (2015) and Belvoir St Theatre (2016) Castlemaine State Festival and Substation (2017)  director Janice Muller, writer: Mohammed Ahmad

composer – multiplatform documentary Retrospect for UNSW iCinema, ABC online and ABC RN (2015) producers: Denis Del Favero, Tony Macgregor, Jo Upham, Megan Lawrence, Michelle Rayner

writer, producer – short film Pandit Ashok Roy, SURMANI…Pearl of Melody commissioned by and premiered at Parramasala (2014)

writer, producer – radio feature Ashok Roy …from India with love for ABC RNs Into the Music (2014)

composer – gps enabled app Old Irish Sydney Walking Tour (2014) produced by Dictionary of Sydney

composer – ABC RN radio play Cloud Cover (2013) dir/prod: Anna Messariti, writer: Noelle Janaczewska
sound artist – River sound installation for the exhibition ’12:12:2012 an environmental response’ at Portland Regional Gallery (2012),

composer – love poetry project for ABC RN (2012) and poetry programs on Kenneth Slessor, Judith Wright and John Keats (2012),

composer – ABC RN radio play the Fox (2011) dir/prod: Anna Messariti, writer: Catherine Zimdahl

composer – short films “A perfect statistic” and “Will be done”(2009) – for the RAA and online social network Journey Beyond Road Trauma, dir: Sandra Cook

composer – feature film The Dinner Party (2008), writer/dir: Scott Murden

writer composer and producer – An Ear on my Heart (2008), The Earthbound Spirit and The Heart of Conflict(2005) – radio documentaries for ABC RN

composer – Concerto for Humans and Semtex (2008) by Simon Luckhurst and “Fistful of Sand” (2004) by Haya Husseini for ABC RNs Airplay, dir/prod: Anna Messariti

sound designer – Fast Cars and Tractor Engines (2005) with Urban Theatre Projects, dir: Roslyn Oades on youtube

composer – Tales from the Arabian Nights (2004) writer: Donna Abela, dir: Patrick Nolan and “Go Pinocchio!”(2005) writer: Scott Rankin dir: Kim Carpenter with Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image.

composer – “Below”(2000) for Griffin Theatre Co, dir: Patrick Nolan, writer: Ian Wilding and “Krapp’s Last Tape”(1998) by Samuel Beckett dir: Lois Norman with Sydney Theatre Co.

composer and co-writer – children’s theatre show “I Trust My Brain”(1994) dir: Nadine Helmi written with Phil Joseph prod: Wry Grin Productions – also adapted for ABC TV’s playschool.