Work

Programme Note

Stapes is the first piece in a series of three trios collectively entitled Middle Ear. The stapes (or stirrup) is the smallest in the chain of three bones that transmit vibrations from the eardrum to the internal ear in the process of transformation of external soundwaves to an emotional or cognitive response within the listener. The composition of Stapes was largely dictated by the idiosyncrasies of the ensemble: the piano, suffering under equal temperament and timbral limitation, and the strings, free in pitch and hosting a wide timbral palette. The juxtaposition of these disparate musical entities, with the instruments working together and against each other, forms the basis of this work. The piece is physically and mentally demanding, pushing the players in individual and collective struggles for articulacy.

Difficulty:

Advanced

Performance History

	08 Oct 2005	Performed by the NZTrio, under the auspices of the Karlheinz Company, at the Music Theatre, University of Auckland
		NZTrio
	26 Nov 2007	Performed by the Luxembourg Sinfonietta, as part of the ISCM/ACL World Music Days in Hong Kong. It was awarded first prize in the ACL Young Composer Competition.
	03 Aug 2008	Performed by the NZTrio, comprising violinist Justine Cormack, cellist Ashley Brown and pianist Sarah Watkins at the Music Theatre, University of Auckland, in Auckland
		NZTrio
	24 Nov 2009	Recording of performance by the NZTrio, comprising violinist Justine Cormack, cellist Ashley Brown and pianist Sarah Watkins at Music Theatre, University of Auckland in Auckland, was broadcast on “Sound Lounge”, Radio New Zealand Concert
		NZTrio
	29 May 2011	Performed by the NZTrio at the Auckland Museum in Auckland
		NZTrio
	19 Apr 2012	Performed at the “New Zealand in LA” Festival at REDCAT, Los Angeles, USA.
	15 Nov 2012	Performed by NZTrio at the Ahmet Adnan Saygun Culture Centre in Izmir, Turkey
		NZTrio
	22 Feb 2013	Performed at the Auckland University Music Theatre.
		NZTrio

Awards

• Asian Composers League Young Composers Awards (2007)
  

  Stapes won the Asian Composers’ League Young Composers’ Award in 2007 when the Festival was held in Hong Kong.