Composer awarded 4th no.1 with his 3rd

In an outstanding achievement, Ross Harris has won the SOUNZ Contemporary Award for the fourth time with his Symphony III. The win was announced at the APRA-hosted Silver Scroll event in Christchurch on Thursday 17 September.

(photo: Gareth Watkins: http://www.gareth-watkins.com)

(photo: TOPIC and APRA)

Composers Michael Norris, Jack Body and Ross Harris wwhose works were finalists in the 2009 SOUNZ Contemporary Award.

The SOUNZ Contemporary Award, the most prestigious annual prize for New Zealand composers, is a collaborative project of SOUNZ, the Centre for New Zealand Music and APRA, the Australasian Performing Right Association. It is presented to the work judged the best piece of ‘classical’ music to have been premiered in the last 12 months. The Award consists of a $3000 cash prize and a trophy designed and made by Auckland sculptor Sarah Smuts Kennedy.

Ross’ Symphony III  was premiered in August 2008 by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Marko Letonja. The work was inspired both by the art of Marc Chagall, and by Hebrew klezmer music and the traditional timbres of the symphony orchestra were augmented by the less usual tones of an accordion. NZ Herald Reviewer William Dart said of the concert: “Chagall, who once claimed that all colours are the friends of their neighbours and the lovers of their opposites, would have been won over by the quicksilver iridescences of Harris's sound world.” 

The jury convened by SOUNZ to select the Award finalists were also impressed, commenting: "The musical gestures informed the structure and the writing revealed the composer’s deep understanding of the orchestra while maintaining a fresh but sophisticated language."

Ross previously won the SOUNZ Contemporary Award in 2006 for his Symphony No. 2 for mezzo soprano and orchestra (also premiered by the Auckland Philharmonia with Madeleine Pierard), in 2005 for his Labyrinth for Tuba and Orchestra, and in 2000 for a chamber work, To the Memory of I S Totzka. He was also a finalist in 2004 for his quintet  At the Edge of Silence and was highly commended for his Chaconne for Solo Viola in 2003. 

Originally from Amberley in Canterbury, Ross played French horn with the NZSO and lectured in music at Victoria University, Wellington for many years. He took early retirement to concentrate on composing full time and has since been composer in residence with the APO in 2006/2007 and was the CNZ-Jack Richards Composer in residence at the NZSM in 2008. His works have been performed in every continent (with the possible exception of Antarctica!) and range across genres: music for voice, chamber ensembles, orchestra, operas and electroacoustic music.

The other two finalists in the 2009 SOUNZ Contemporary Award were My Name is Mok Bhon for orchestra with video images and sounds by Jack Body, premiered by the NZSO in May, 2009 and Volti for piano and orchestra by Michael Norris, premiered by Jong-Hwa Park and the Seoul National University Symphony Orchestra in Korea in April 2009.

"There were 35 entries this year and  the calibre was particularly strong," says Scilla Askew, Executive Director of SOUNZ, "Although this is the fourth time that Ross Harris has won the award his music is not particularly well-known in New Zealand.  We can only hope this symphony and the works by the other finalists will be given further performances or broadcasts so that a much wider audience can enjoy and experience the rich and diverse music being created and performed in this country."

Also at the Silver Scroll event, Hirini Melbourne and Richard Nunns were inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. The APRA Silver Scroll Award was won by James Milne (aka Lawrence Arabia) and Luke Buda for Apple Pie Bed and the APRA Maioha Award was presented to Rewi Spraggon and Riki Bennett (Te Aratoi) for their song Takapakanga. In addition awards for the Most Performed Work in New Zealand went to Jeremy Redmore, Simon Oscroft, Matthew Warman, Aidan Bartlett & Nick Campbell (Midnight Youth) with The Letter and the award for the Most Performed Work Overseas went to Neil Finn with Don't Dream It's Over.