Published by Edition Wilhelm Hansen

What happens when was commissioned by Aphids, Melbourne, at the invitation of David Young, and written with the support of a grant from the Wilhelm Hansen Foundation, Denmark. The work was first performed by Deborah Kayser, Natasha Anderson and Geoffrey Morris, at the ABC Iwaki Auditorium in Melbourne, on 15th December 1999.

A version of What happens when for soprano, clarinet and guitar was later created for clarinetist Petra Stump in 2003.

REVIEW:

An unpretentious gem from the pen of Juliana Hodkinson followed: What happens when (1999). The guitar has a central role, with all the strings initially tuned to unison. Later on they are progressively microtonally detuned with theatrical flair. The piece succeeds by a focus on timbral nuances (glissandi, vocal stops, chest tremolo) and deftly pulsed dialogues.
Jeff Pressing, The Age (Melbourne)