Anton Killin

Anton Killin is an academic philosopher and musician, currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Philosophy Department at Bielefeld University, Germany (since 2022).

Anton studied musical composition, sonic art, music theory, and ethnomusicology at the New Zealand School of Music, Wellington, in the noughties. Anton’s MMus thesis and composition portfolio were supervised by Jack Body and Michael Norris. Anton then went on to complete a PhD thesis in philosophy at Victoria University of Wellington. Much of Anton’s scholarly work focuses on philosophy of the sciences and philosophy of the arts (especially music), as well as the evolution of musicality. Anton’s essays have been published in various journals including Biological Theory, Biology & Philosophy, British Journal of Aesthetics, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, Erkenntnis, Ethnomusicology Forum, European Journal for Philosophy of Science, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Journal of Language Evolution, Metascience, Mind & Language, Music & Science, New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies, Philosophy Compass, Phenomenology & the Cognitive Sciences and Review of Philosophy & Psychology. Anton received the 2021 Lilburn Research Fellowship, during which he investigated the role and influence of Indonesian gamelan in New Zealand music composition.

Anton is one of the founding members of Wellington-based SMP Ensemble (though not currently an active contributor). Anton joined the Wellington gamelan community in 2005, and has performed with (and composed for) three Wellington-based gamelan ensembles, Gamelan Padhang Moncar (Javanese), Gamelan Taniwha Jaya (Balinese) and Gamelan First Smile (Cirebon). He has also played in numerous Wellington-based alternative and experimental bands as well as the Australian blues rock ensemble, Ronnie P and the Free Riders.

As composer, Anton has had works performed or workshopped/recorded by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand String Quartet, SMP Ensemble, Gamelan Padhang Moncar and Gamelan Taniwha Jaya (including at the 2007 and 2013 Yogyakarta Gamelan Festivals in Java, Indonesia), Gamelan First Smile, Wang Hui (yangqin), the guitarist Dylan Lardelli, and Sounds of the Engine House Ensemble (at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester, in 2015). Anton’s mixed chamber group piece, Two Moments was performed and recorded live under the baton of Dutch maestro, Lucas Vis in March 2010. Three of Anton's compositions for gamelan appear on Rattle Records' Naga (2014), and his electroacoustic work Podroze appears on SMP Ensemble's album Podroze - Journeys (2010). Several of Anton’s electroacoustic miniatures have received international playback via the Vox Novus 60x60 series.

One of Anton's more recent compositions, Tanpa Tanah (2021) was premiered at the event “Gamelan Aotearoa” (National Library of New Zealand, May 2021) by Gamelan Padhang Moncar; another, Lagu Senyum pertama (2021) was premiered at the launch of Robyn Yuwell’s book Sonic Dissonance at the Long Hall, Roseneath in August 2021 by Gamelan First Smile, who also recorded the piece in 2024.

As a member of Gamelan Padhang Moncar, Anton performed gamelan for the film scores of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit 2: Desolation of Smaug (2013) and Florian Hasicht’s Rubbings from a Live Man (2008). Anton can also be heard as a gamelan player in Gareth Farr’s film score for Luit Wieringa’s Signed, Theo Schoon (2021). Anton has previously contributed to Waiteata Music Press CD releases as audio engineer/mixer — Strange Terrain (2014): “Shifting Shadows”, composed by Briar Prastiti, and NZ Piano Music for Four Hands (2012): all tracks — and to the DVD release of London Fieldwork’s Little Earth (2009), composed by Dugal McKinnon.

Anton was the recipient of the 2005 Indonesian Gamelan Prize (Victoria University of Wellington), the 2008 Max Julian Prize for Ethnomusicology (New Zealand School of Music), 2011 J. L. Stewart Postgraduate and Victoria Doctoral Scholarships (Victoria University of Wellington), a 2014 PGSA Postgraduate Research Award (Victoria University of Wellington), a 2018 British Society of Aesthetics conference organisation grant (“Creativity in Art, Science & Mind”, University of Cambridge, UK) and a 2019 ISHPSSB (International Society for the History, Philosophy & Social Studies of Biology) early career researcher travel award (University of Oslo, Norway).

Anton co-convened the annual CANZ Nelson Composers Workshop with Carol Shortis in 2010 and 2011, having also attended as a student composer in 2009. Anton returned as an observing participant in 2014 and 2021.

Photo credit: Seth Lazar