Award Information

The Mozart Fellowship was established in 1969 to aid and encourage composers of music in the practice and advancement of their art, to associate them with the life of the University, and at the same time to foster an interest in contemporary music within the University and in the community. The fellowship is New Zealand’s premier compositional residency; the list of past fellows includes many of New Zealand’s most notable composers.

The Fellowship was established by the University Council in 1969 and was made possible by the generous interest of anonymous friends of the University. An election committee, which varies each year, is established to choose the fellow.

This is a year-long residency (which may be extended to two years) attached to the Music Department of the University of Otago, Dunedin, and includes a salary equivalent to that of a junior lecturer. The successful applicant is usually resident in the Dunedin area for the term of the fellowship. The appointed composer is allowed to work on projects of their own choice, although traditionally many recipients of the award have written compositions for performers within the University’s Music Department or the city’s orchestra the Southern Sinfonia.