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Contributor


Rob Thorne

Composer, Performer, Māori Composer

Biography

Ngāti Tumutumu

New Zealand Māori composer, performer and anthropologist Rob Thorne (Ngāti Tumutumu) is a diverse and original explorer in the evolving journey of Taonga Pūoro.

A musician with over 25 years' performance experience in bands and as soloist, predominantly within alternative rock, free noise, experimental, and improvisational sound art, Rob’s work since 2001 with traditional Māori musical instruments has seen him complete an MA in Social Anthropology, incorporating this diverse experience to create long, beautifully transcendent, ambient compositions using loops, intelligently blending the modern with the ancient.

His journey of identity has seen him travel the country to research museum collections, teach, demonstrate, collaborate and perform, working academically and musically with masters including Richard Nunns. His Post Grad Diploma research became a museum exhibition (Kōauau: The Music Within), which successfully toured New Zealand regionally for five years.

In 2012 he received CNZ funding to record his debut Taonga Puoro album Whaia te Māramatanga. He participated in a cultural exchange and performance series with Korean dancer and drummer Saes Byeol Cha and Italian born guitarist Lorenzo Buhne, was awarded Manawatu Student City Musical Artist of the Year and opened Palmerston North's Christmas in the Park.

In 2013 a number of opportunites included working with director Vanessa Stacey (Chocolate Box) on her acclaimed Summer Shakespeare show The Tempest, performing with Richard Nunns at the Voices of Sacred Earth conference, recording for Dudley Benson's Forest remix project, composing and performing for UCOL Perf. Arts Dip. student productions, and being invited to participate collaboratively in Phil Dadson's exclusively curated island sound-art exploration Sounding Tiritirimatangi, alongside NZ greats such as Don McGlashan (The Muttonbirds). He also successfully executed a crowdfunding campaign to travel to the Peruvian Amazon to research and experience ancient indigenous sound- healing techniques. While in Lima he performed solo, collaborated with jazz drummer Steve Cournane, and lectured on his work with Taonga Puoro.

2014 brought the worldwide release of the album, and a NZ national tour, including a return to Tiritirimatangi, collaborating and performing with Phil Dadson, Chilean musician Enrique Sique, drummer Chris O’connor (Phoenix Foundation) and Michael Morley (Gate, The Dead C).


Composed (49)

Whāia Te Māramatanga Suite

for taonga puoro and electronics


A Forgotten Land - First Light

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden., 5m 41s


A forgotten Land - The Uprooted Tree

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 3m 55s


Aro

for taonga puoro and electronics, 6m 22s


Attention

for taonga puoro and electronics, 5m 15s


Atua Kiato

for pūtōrino, 7m 40s


Beating Spaces

an acousmatic composition, 7m


Beginning

for taonga pūoro, 2m 15s


Corridor

for taonga puoro and electronics, 9m 9s


Dark Star - EnTrance

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 2m 41s


Dark Star - Fading Light

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 8m 12s


Dark Water

for taonga pūoro and double bass, 7m 10s


First Improvisation

for taonga pūoro and electric guitar with pedal


Front Ear

Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 32s


Gateway

for taonga puoro and electronics, 5m 17s


Glurn Herrin

Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 8m 17s


Intention

for taonga puoro and electronics, 6m 30s


Kauhanga

for taonga puoro and electronics, 4m 48s


Ko Tō Manawa, Ko Tōku Puritia - Your Heart is My Heart

for taonga pūoro, guitar and orchestra, 12m


Kore

for taonga puoro and electronics, 4m 42s


Kotahi Rārangi Ūngutu

for saxophone and taonga pūoro


Kōrero

for taonga pūoro and live electronics, 11m


Maiea

for pūtōrino, 7m 20s


Nothing

for taonga puoro and electronics, 2m


Overture

for chamber ensemble


Parawhenua

for taonga pūoro, saxophone, bass and drums


Phase Transition

Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 4m 4s


Prisma

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 2m 54s


Pursue Enlightenment Suite

for taonga puoro and electronics


Spell

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 2m 32s


Spiral

for taonga puoro and electronics, 9m 27s


Te Ao Hou: Whakariterite

for taonga pūoro and string quartet


Te Manawa o Raukatauri

for solo pūtōrino, 7m 45s


Te Tangi A Mutu

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 15m 14s


Te toroa me te tohorā

for taonga puoro and piano trio, 4m 30s


Timatanga

for taonga puroro and electronics, 5m 9s


Timeless

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 59s


Tomokanga

for string quartet and taonga pūoro, 10m 30s


Tor 201

Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 4m 4s


Triptytchon

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 2m 31s


Tōrino

for taonga puoro and electronics, 7m 18s


Undivided

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden, 1m 24s


Whakaaro

for taonga puoro, 1m 35s


Whakapaparanga

for improvising musicians, 8m 30s


Whakauruuru

Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 7m 29s


Whakawhiti

for taonga puoro and electronics, 4m 40s


With the Wind

for taonga pūoro


Wooden Lung

Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 11m 3s


Yfasma

Co-composed with Tania Giannouli & Steve Garden., 7m 54s



Performances (7)

Aotearoa Audio Arts Festival

Aotearoa Audio Arts, the first festival of its kind in New Zealand, encompasses live performances...


STROMA | Voices of the World

A rich collection of works inspired by non-Western musical traditions from around the world, incl...


Orchestra Wellington | Houstoun/Triumph!

Taonga pūoro specialist __Rob Thorne__'s commissioned work is joined by Shostakovich's 8th Sympho...


Matariki ki Pōneke | Wellington Sky Show

Nau mai, haere mai – your whole whānau are warmly invited to celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Ye...


Film screening and performance: Te Kooti Trail (1927)

This a rare opportunity to see _Te Kooti Trail_ (1927) on the big screen. Organised by Adam Art G...


Whenua Pūoro | Land Music

Whenua Pūoro | Land Music A Concert of Taiao Conscious New Music Improvisations, an...


Unfencing the Commons

Featuring recent compositions by __Karl Steven__, performed by string trio __Kulios__ with __Davi...