Chamber Music New Zealand is pleased to announce composer Linda Dallimore as the winner of the first CMNZ Commissioning Prize. Linda will be commissioned to compose a new work for Ensemble Gô (Monique Lapins, violin, and Naoto Segawa, marimba) to perform on their 2022 CMNZ Regional Series tour.
The Commissioning Prize is for New Zealand composers who have not previously been commissioned by CMNZ. Over 50 submissions covered a wide range of tastes and musical interests, as well as cultural and musical backgrounds.
Linda Dallimore; Ensemble Gô (Naoto Segawa, marimba and Monique Lapins, violin)
Jack Hobbs, CMNZ Artistic Manager:
“The calibre of composition in Aotearoa is astounding. It was a pleasure getting to know the voices of the composers who submitted, and many deserving artists missed out this year. But we are thrilled to award this prize to Linda Dallimore. Her music displays a clarity of thought with imaginative and dynamic textures, carried by a musicality that encompasses a range of moods, from mystical to humorous. We also think this commission will be a meaningful step in the career of this emerging talent.”
A new initiative, the Commissioning Prize ensures that CMNZ continue to support new voices in NZ composition. Since 1959 CMNZ have been creating professional opportunities for NZ composers, and recognise the importance of working with old favourites as well as helping create a path to becoming old favourites.
Linda Dallimore, composer:
I am absolutely delighted to be the inaugural recipient of the Chamber Music New Zealand Commissioning Prize, and I can’t wait to work with Ensemble Gô! Marimba and violin are an exciting, vibrant and unusual sonic combination of instruments which I look forward to exploring, as part of what promises to be a fascinating programme of music. This opportunity comes at a pivotal juncture in my career, as I’m about to graduate from Yale with a Master of Musical Arts in composition. It’s wonderful to have the chance to connect with local musicians and audiences around New Zealand.
The Commissioning Prize does this with a simple entry form focussed on the composers’ current interests and previous work, rather than the common ‘call for scores’ which requires they do the work with no assurance of it ever being played or paid for. The Commissioning Prize approach also means the winner can work closely with the performers in creating the piece.
Several groups touring as part of the 2022 CMNZ Regional Series put up their hand to programme a new commission. Ensemble Gô were selected as their commitment to working with living composers is the essence of their practice. Monique and Naoto are accomplished and virtuosic musicians, with violin and marimba being an unusual and compelling instrumentation.
Ensemble Gô:
We are excited to be collaborating with Linda Dallimore and Chamber Music New Zealand for our tour in 2022. We, Ensemble Gô, are always in the search of modern repertoires that can unite marimba and strings together and explore new colours of chamber music. As musicians, to work directly with a composer is to be a part of something coming to life! Music gives us the chance to explore so many elements—reflect the world we live in, express emotions and touch that place no words can possibly reach. We are so excited to work in this way with Linda, and to share the first breaths of her new piece with audiences throughout New Zealand.