Biography

Christopher Blake’s compositions encompass a wide variety of music. He has undertaken commissions for all the major music organisations in New Zealand including the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Southern Sinfonia, Mercury Opera and Chamber Music New Zealand and for a range of performers and ensembles. His music is regularly heard in concerts and broadcasts and overseas including orchestral performances in Australia, Finland, Germany, Mexico and the United States of America.

His works have attracted wide critical acclaim and include: ‘Till Human Voices Wake Us’ (1986) for orchestra and tenor soloist; a piano concerto ‘The Coming of Tane Mahuta’ (1987); ‘Clairmont Triptych’ (1988) for piano and wind quintet which was New Zealand’s entry in the 1989 UNESCO Rostrum of Composers in Paris; ‘Bitter Calm’ an opera in 2 Acts premiered at the 1994 New Zealand International Festival of the Arts; ‘Symphony – The Islands’ (1996); a violin concerto ‘Concerto Aoraki’ premiered in 2006 and a set of works for string orchestra, ‘Northland Panels’ which includes ‘Angel at Ahipara’ (2000), ‘Night Journey to Pawarenga’ (2005) and ‘Anthem on the Kaipara’ (2007).

A television version of the opera ‘Bitter Calm’ was telecast nationally in December 1994. A number of works have also been released on compact disc including ‘Till Human Voices Wake Us’; ‘The Coming of Tane Mahuta’; an orchestral work ‘The Lamentations of Motuarohia’; and, chamber works ‘Sounds – an evocation of Tahuahua Queen Charlotte Sound’, ‘Clairmont Triptych’ and ‘Little Dancings’ for flute and piano. Works for piano feature on a CD ‘Ribbonwood is Home’. A CD of orchestral works ‘The Islands’ was released in 2003.

Christopher Blake was born in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1949. He completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) degree at the University of Canterbury (NZ) before resuming an early interest in music. After graduating from the University of Canterbury School of Music he left New Zealand to travel and to further his studies, undertaking post-graduate studies in composition at the University of Southampton School of Music from which he graduated in 1976.

He has held a number of posts in arts management in New Zealand including Manager of the Canterbury Orchestra, General Manager of the National Opera of New Zealand and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and Manager of Concert FM at Radio New Zealand. He was foundation Chief Executive of New Zealand’s Ministry of Culture & Heritage for six years before spending five years as head of the National Library of New Zealand. From 2002 – 2007 he was Chief Executive of Internal Affairs, a department of the government of New Zealand, and is currently Chief Executive and Secretary of the Department of Labour.

Selected Works

• Publications (1)
• Works (33)
• Awards (5)
• Resources (1)
• Media On Demand (1)