Concert

Alchemies

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

These three pieces present an ambitious and unique blending of styles and cultural traditions. Philip Brownlee and Ariana Tikao collaborated to create ‘Ko th...

Concert

Place

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Douglas Lilburn’s classic ‘Overture Aotearoa’ begins this programme of four evocative pieces. The urban landscape is represented by Sarah Ballard’s explorato...

Concert

Contraptions

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Maria Grenfell's contrapuntal 'Clockwerk' kicks off this programme inspired by construction, robots, and unusual musical instruments. Jason Long expertly mel...

Concert

Circles

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Starting off this concert inspired by spirals and circles, Michael Norris’s virtuosic Violin Concerto ‘Sama’ takes the motion of dancers in Sufi ceremony as ...

Concert

Light

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Ross Harris's luminous 'There may Be Light' begins this programme of works inspired by ideas of light and light phenomena. Glen Downie's 'Light Speckled Drop...

Concert

Dance

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

These four works feature dances and dance forms. Leonie Holmes’s ‘Dance of the Wintersmith’ is inspired by Terry Pratchett’s book of the same name in which a...

Concert

Height

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Natalie Hunt’s evocative Only to the Highest Mountain introduces this programme, followed by Gao Ping’s The Mountain which is inspired by the culture and fol...

Article

Meet composer

Ruby Solly

 Please tell us about yourself and what you do.Kia ora! I'm Ruby Solly, or you might have seen my name as Ruby Mae Hinepunui Solly which is my full name. Som...

Concert

Depths

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

In this programme, we journey to the depths of the sea. The first two works, Puhake ki te Rangi (Spouting to the Skies) by Gillian Whitehead, and Tohorah by ...

Concert

Land

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

In Turanga-nui Gillian Whitehead considers the landfall of Cook in 1769, and of Māori centuries earlier, the feeling of finally standing on dry land after a ...

Concert

Enactment

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

My selection stretches the notion of performance. Each work enacts a sonic or narrative concept, with a sense of heightened ritual, an economy of means, a co...

Concert

Flame

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

This programme opens with John Rimmer’s short and fiery ‘Vulcan’ inspired by Auckland’s volcanic landscape. Commissioned by the Christchurch Symphony Orchest...

Article

Meet composer

Micah Thompson

 Please tell us about yourself and what you do.Hello!! I am Micah Thompson and I'm a young Wellington composer/musician and devotee of English literature. I ...

Article

Composer experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic from around the globe

Many composers from Aotearoa New Zealand live abroad, and we’re checking in to ask how the COVID-19 Pandemic is affecting them in their country of residence....

Concert

Symphonic

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Jenny McLeod’s vibrant and youthful Little Symphony, written while the composer was still a student, is a response to Stravinsky’s Symphony in C. It is paire...

Concert

Creatures

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Lyell Cresswell’s absurdist Das Lied von dem Fisch is a setting of short poems about fishy topics, including one about a constipated goldfish! Janet Jennings...

Tips, guides, and knowledge

Introduction to Taonga Puoro

Q & A session with Jerome Kavanagh

Watch the Q & A Livestream with Jerome Kavanagh by clicking the video below.

Concert

Remembering

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Waerenga-ā-Hika names the East Coast pā that government troops besieged in 1865. The defenders were adherents of the new Pai Mārire religion, which opposed B...

Article

Meet composer

Mark Baynes

Please tell us about yourself and what you do.I am a composer and performer based in Auckland. I am drawn to performances using analogue keyboard instrumenta...

Concert

Sound Centre

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

A playlist of New Zealand works that expand the realm of possibility for sonic shape and colour.Guest curator: Chris Gendall

Concert

Wood

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Gareth Farr's exciting and virtuosic 'Marimba concerto' opens this programme, followed by Josiah Carr's slowly unfolding 'redwood', which is inspired by the ...

Concert

Kōrero

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

I always enjoy watching a performance where the musicians are engaging on multiple levels- both with the other musicians in their ensembles, and with the mus...

Concert

Words

These three pieces use found sounds and the spoken word. Jack Bewley splices together parliamentary proceedings in a rhythmic ‘trio’ with oboe and marimba. G...

Concert

Poroporoaki

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

In commemoration of ANZAC Day, SOUNZ is proud to present this programme of two pieces. Gillian Whitehead’s ‘Poroporoaki’ (Farewell) is a haunting exploration...

Article

Meet composer

Kirsten Te Rito

Please tell us about yourself and what you do.I learnt piano from age six and play a little guitar, but voice is my main instrument. I'm really into creative...

Article

Composer Spaces

Louis Baker

In our Composer Spaces series, we ask composers to share a bit about their working environment and to give us a brief insight into their process. This week w...

Concert

Observations

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Ross James Carey’s Toccatina (Elegy) was written in memory of Australian songwriter Ruby Hunter. Melodies are overlaid on a busy hocketing texture, reaching ...

Concert

NZTrio: Tectonic Echoes I

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

NZTrio’s Tectonic series features intense and intimate inspection of the fundamental forces that shape environments and communities: Aotearoa’s fraught relat...

Article

Composer spaces

Ruby Solly

In our Composer Spaces series, we ask composers to share a bit about their working environment and to give us a brief insight into their process. This week w...

Article

Composer spaces

Ariana Tikao

In our Composer Spaces series, we ask composers to share a bit about their working environment and to give us a brief insight into their process. This week w...

Concert

Rā Whānau - a 20th birthday celebration

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Over the last 20 years, Stroma has been a major force for musical exploration in New Zealand, bringing to life classic repertoire of the twentieth century al...

Article

Meet composer

Noel Woods

 Please list any iwi | tribal | nation affiliations:Te AtiawaNgati PorouNgaruahineTell us about yourself?Grew up at Waiwhetu Marae in Lower Hutt known as the...

Concert

Tectonic Echoes II

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Tectonic Echoes II opens with a dialogue between Māori and European traditions, firstly in Whitehead’s (NZ) evocative response to Horomona Horo’s taonga pūor...

Tips, guides, and knowledge

Introduction to Taonga Puoro

Educational series

Introduction to Taonga PuoroIn this video, Jerome shares his personal journey with Taonga Puoro* Filmed during the COVID-19 rāhui in April 2020.Pūtōrino ā Ra...

Tips, guides, and knowledge

Oro Atua

a puoro Māori sound healing journey

Experience Jerome's collection of around 40 unique and rare Māori musical instruments, from the Ngūru (whale’s tooth nose flute) to the Pōrutu Pounamu (green...

Article

Meet composer

Grant Hughson

Please tell us about yourself and what you do.My professional focus has always been split between music and computers. I was classically trained on piano and...

Concert

Keeping the tradition

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Chamber Music New Zealand made its first commission in 1959, a trio for violin, cello and piano from Edwin Carr. CMNZ has commissioned another 87 pieces sinc...

Article

Meet composer

Jack Woodbury

Please tell us about yourself and what you do.I grew up in Wellington, and I’ve spent the past few years studying sonic arts here at the NZSM. I’ve always be...

Concert

NZSO NYO Composers in Residence

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Guest curators from the NZSO, Hamish McKeich (Principal Conductor in Residence) and Bridget Douglas (Section Principal Flute) present works by three of Aotea...

Article

Composer space

Deborah Wai Kapohe

In our Composer Spaces series, we ask composers to share a bit about their working environment and to give us a brief insight into their process. This week w...

Concert

Aotearoa Plus

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

All of these works were inspired by the land and people of Aotearoa.Anthony Ritchie’s ‘Albatross in Flight’ genesis came from the sight of an albatross glidi...

Article

Meet composer

Dale Vail

Please tell us about yourself and what you do. I am a Trombonist and Composer. I am currently working with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as the Trombone Fell...

Concert

Poetry

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

This concert celebrates some of the magnificent works published by Promethean Editions that incorporate words from New Zealand poets.First up is the winner o...

Concert

Reminiscence

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Four friends join the New Zealand String Quartet for this virtual concert of works by New Zealand composers. The programme celebrates the collaborative spiri...

Concert

NZ Concerti with the NZSO

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Alex Taylor’s Bassoon Concerto was written for bassoonist (and fellow composer) Ben Hoadley. Alex writes:“I have been privileged to write for and collaborate...

Article

Composer spaces

Michaela Cornelius

In our Composer Spaces series, we ask composers to share a bit about their working environment and to give us a brief insight into their process. This week w...

Concert

Improbable Dance

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Michael Norris’s ‘Timedance’ is a collaboration with choreographer/filmmaker Daniel Belton. JS Bach’s Suite No. 2 in B Minor is deconstructed by way of stret...

Concert

Duels and Duos

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

From the quick precision of Chris Watson’s ‘orbicularis’, to the quirky theatricality of Eve de Castro-Robinson’s ‘Chaos of Delight’, in this week’s concert,...

Concert

Surfaces

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Five composers explore our perception and interaction with surfaces and textures. Celeste Oram strategically deprives musicians of certain senses in ‘Mirror ...

Concert

The Karlheinz Company

SOUNZ Virtual Concert

Founded in 1978 by John Rimmer, the Karlheinz Company is New Zealand’s oldest contemporary music ensemble, based at the School of Music, University of Auckla...