Composer

Biography

New Zealand music educator, pianist, organist, accompanist and composer Chris Archer was Head of Music at Villa Maria College until 2000. He was then employed at UC Education Plus (University of Canterbury) until 2009 where he was originally the secondary music adviser for the Canterbury, Westland, Marlborough and Nelson regions. From 2004–2006, Chris was contracted to the Ministry of Education as National Facilitator – Secondary Music.

Chris has written mainly for choral forces and has had works performed in New Zealand, Australia, North and South America and Europe. Chris has been a member of the NZCF Education Group and the SOUNZ Composers’ Advisory Panel. Chris has also co-written several publications for use in New Zealand secondary schools, aimed at promoting and using New Zealand music in the classroom, and he is the moderator the music area on Arts Online ( http://arts.unitec.ac.nz/).

Chris was also co-cordinator for the publication Sound Arts which is the official music education magazine published through MENZA [Music Education New Zealand Aotearoa] the national subject association. He is passionate about music education, and is a former writer, critiquer, examiner and moderator for senior school music, specialising in composition.

Chris is now a Senior Programme Advisor for Creative New Zealand based in the Southern Region office in Christchurch.