SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music is proud to announce the selection for the 2022 NZ Composer Sessions. Nine New Zealand composers’ works will be rehearsed and performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and recorded by RNZ Concert in September:
Robyn Bryant: Action cue – from Borders & Margins
Josiah Carr: faultlines
David Chisholm: Pierre Boulez a la discotheque
Liam Furey: Taking a line for a walk
Leonie Holmes: Piano Concerto
Julian Kirgan Báez: Atiru (Tone Poem for Orchestra)
Jessie Leov: marble, bark, silver
Keith Moss: Overture for an unwritten opera
Nathaniel Otley: Detritus
“We are again delighted to announce another strong and diverse selection for NZ Composer Sessions, which enables us to bring NZ music to a larger audience. In a period that has been so disrupted for our music sector, we’re looking forward to the opportunity to have another set of high-quality recordings of contemporary NZ music, created with the support and generosity of our partners NZSO and RNZ Concert.” Says SOUNZ Executive Director Diana Marsh.
A panel made up of representatives of the NZSO, RNZ Concert and the Composers Association of New Zealand (CANZ) selected the works to be recorded.
Nathaniel Otley, from Dunedin, whose work was selected to be recorded said, “I am beyond thrilled to have had my work Detritus selected for the 2022 NZ Composer Sessions. It is always thrilling to hear a new work come to life and to work with the musicians of NZSO is always an immense privilege. I look forward to working with the orchestra in sculpting the piece, drawing out details and exploring minutiae of orchestral colour. Beyond my own work I am just as excited to hear the wide range of other compositions on offer in this year's sessions as it is always incredibly inspiring to see and experience the wide range of high quality work that is being produced here in Aotearoa.”
The 2022 recordings will take place in late September at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington, including a concert for invited guests to promote the works to a range of orchestras and broadcasters.
NZ Composer Sessions offers an opportunity to have orchestral compositions workshopped and performed by a professional orchestra, to be recorded in a professional setting and promoted to presenters. So far 166 works by 78 NZ composers have been recorded.
Jessie Leov’s work will be also recorded: “I'm thrilled and grateful to have my work marble, bark, silver selected for the 2022 NZ Composer Sessions. This is an invaluable opportunity that I know will impact the ongoing development of my career in the music industry. I'm excited to attend the recording sessions in September along with the other composers involved - thank you to SOUNZ, RNZ Concert and the NZSO for making this event possible.”
You can browse composers and listen to past recordings on SOUNZ’s and RNZ Concert’s websites:
