NZSO | SOUNZ Tarling Trust Commission
Briar Prastiti recipient of 2024 NZSO | SOUNZ Tarling Trust Commission
Wellington-based composer Briar Prastiti has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 NZSO | SOUNZ Tarling Trust Commission. The commission will see Briar compose a new work for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, inspired by an ‘ethereal garden’, to be toured as part of the orchestra’s 2025 concert season.
The selection panel for the commission consisted of representatives from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Composers Association of New Zealand, and SOUNZ.
Briar comments on her vision for the new work and the opportunity to compose for the NZSO: "'The Garden' is a spiritual term I give to my nostalgic and otherworldly connection to nature and the self, a concept that I have long held as inspiration for my work as a composer and artist. It appears to me in glimpses of another dimension, and visually presents itself as an ethereal, timeless garden. In writing this work I hope to trigger a deeply subconscious collective memory, to look deeper into ourselves, and to remind us of the child-like magic that resides within. The Garden is about remembering our true nature.
To be awarded this commission by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is an immense honour and I am beyond grateful to have this opportunity to bring 'The Garden' to life with one of the best orchestras in the world. It means a great deal to me as a composer to have support in this journey, especially since I have dreamed of being an orchestral composer from a young age. I could not be more thankful!"
The NZSO | SOUNZ Tarling Trust Commission is a unique opportunity in 2024 for an early-career New Zealand composer to compose a work for the NZSO, which will be performed on a regional tour. The commission is kindly supported by the Nicholas Tarling Charitable Trust.