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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)
Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 32s
Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 8m 17s
Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 4m 4s
Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 4m 4s
Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 7m 29s
Co-composed between Māori sound artist Rob Thorne and Berlin-based electronic composer Fis, 11m 3s
Recordings (6)
Resources (11)
Performances (7)
Aotearoa Audio Arts, the first festival of its kind in New Zealand, encompasses live performances...
A rich collection of works inspired by non-Western musical traditions from around the world, incl...
Taonga pūoro specialist __Rob Thorne__'s commissioned work is joined by Shostakovich's 8th Sympho...
Nau mai, haere mai – your whole whānau are warmly invited to celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Ye...
This a rare opportunity to see _Te Kooti Trail_ (1927) on the big screen. Organised by Adam Art G...
Whenua Pūoro | Land Music A Concert of Taiao Conscious New Music Improvisations, an...
Featuring recent compositions by __Karl Steven__, performed by string trio __Kulios__ with __Davi...