Welcome to the September edition of the New Zealand School of Music's Dawn Chorus. It's been a busy month here and students are currently enjoying a well-earned break. An American in Wellington with the NZSM Big Band and Orchestra was a particular highlight, with visiting soloist-conductor-arranger Shelly Berg (pictured above) putting on a fantastic performance alongside our students. This week, Cellophonia has begun and features a number of great string and chamber music events. Be sure to check out some of the free concerts below. Michael Norris, the director of our composition program, has been nominated for the SOUNZ contemporary award for his work Sygyt. Michael won the award in 2014 and we wish him the best of luck for this year! 

EVENTS

CELLOPHONIA AND CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL

Our special guest artist for this week's Cellophonia and Chamber Music Festival is Brinton Averil Smith (pictured) - “an extraordinary cellist”. Kicking off tonight is the first of the concerts we're presenting as part of this festival. All concerts are open to the public and are free entry - come along!
 

Wednesday 29 August
Chamber Music Concert - Te Kōkī Trio will play Shostakovich's Piano Trio, and festival guests and guests from NZSO will perform Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence for sextet. 7:30pm, Hunter Council Chamber

Thursday 30 August
String Ensemble Concert 8pm, Hunter Council Chamber

Friday 31 August
Rising Stars Lunchtime Concert for outstanding players 12:15–1pm, Adam Concert Room
Cellophonia Gala Concert, 7pm, Hunter Council Chamber

Sunday 2 September
Cellophonia Taster Concert 3pm, Hunter Council Chamber
Cellophonia Closing Concert 4pm, Hunter Council Chamber

EAT YOUR HEART OUT

A feast of operatic scenes featuring students from the New Zealand School of Music

When: 14-16 Sep 2018
Where: Adam Concert Room

Gorging on one of the world’s most luscious art forms, we present to you a feast of operatic scenes. Join some of New Zealand’s finest young singers in the dining room of the Adam Concert Room and prepare for an evening of excess. Featuring works by Verdi, Mozart, Handel, Gluck, Bernstein, Humperdinck and more - bring your appetite! And make your reservation soon... this one will be popular! 

AOTEAROA AUDIO ARTS

When: 27-29 Sep 2018
Where: City Gallery Adam Auditorium and Potocki Paterson Gallery

NZSM presents Aotearoa Audio Arts, the first festival of its kind in New Zealand, encompasses live performances, showings of audiovisual works and sound art installations across genres from kinetic, mechanical, and robotic art, to glitch, noise, experimental acoustic and electronic music. 

JIAN LIU AND JUDIT GABOS
PIANO DUO CONCERT

When: Tuesday 18 September 2018 7pm
Where: Adam Concert Room

Jian Liu and visiting Hungarian pianist Judit Gábos give a piano duo concert. Free entry, all welcome.

YOUNG MUSICIANS CONCERTS

The NZSM’s Young Musicians Programme gives pre-tertiary students an opportunity to develop their performance and composition skills under the guidance of our excellent tutors. The second YMP module of 2018 will conclude with performances by each class. These concerts are free to attend (koha is appreciated at St Andrew’s for Music Futures generous support) and we encourage you to come and hear the next generation of talented musicians!

What: Classical classes concert 1 When: Sept 22 2PM Where: Adam Concert Room
What: Composition class When: Sept 25 6:30PM Where: VUW Hunter Council Chamber
What: Classical classes concert 2 When: Sept 29 2:30PM Where: St Andrew’s on The Terrace
What: Jazz class When: Oct 8 6PM Where: VUW Student Union Building room 310

FRIDAY LUNCHTIME CONCERTS

MUSIC FORUM

Music Forum is held on Wednesdays at 4:15pm in room MS209 - Free entry, all welcome

NEWS

SOUNZ CONTEMPORARY AWARD

Congratulations to Michael Norris, who is a finalist for the 2018 SOUNZ Contemporary Award for his work Sygyt for throat singer, ensemble and live electronics, commissioned by Stroma and written for Jonny Marks. He won the Award in 2014 and it's the fifth time he's been nominated. The two other finalists are Leonie Holmes and Rosie Langabeer. 

ARS ELECTRONICA

NZSM alumni Rebekah Wilson is presenting a new electronic film and music performance work in collaboration with Wellington writer and actor Francesca Emms at ARS ELECTRONICA in Austria on 10 September. Rebekah, who recently completed her Masters in Composition in Networked Music Performance, applies her technical and theoretical research in music and network technology in Here Not Here, which is the unfolding of a moment in time between a computer programmer and her program. Rebekah is participating as part of Austrian artist's Elisabeth Schimana’s Hidden Alliances project. Her decade-long project "IMAfiction" exposes the narratives of women in electronic music, and this year culminates with the celebration of the centennial anniversary of women’s suffrage in Austria. More info...

ART AUCTION

Victoria University of Wellington and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra are holding an Art Auction to raise funds for the national music centre. Kindly supported by Dunbar Sloane Ltd, the Auction will include 28 works from key New Zealand artists.

13th September 5:30pm
Grand Dining Room, Wellesley Boutique Hotel
2–8 Maginnity Street, Wellington

For further details and to book tickets click here.

IFAC COMPETITION SUCCESS FOR SINGERS

Master of Musical Arts student Pasquale Orchard and Bachelor of Music with Honours graduate Katherine McIndoe have both won places in the finals of the 2018 IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition.

Pasquale and Katherine were selected for the semifinal out of about 100 contestants. From there they have both made it to the final to be held on 8 September in Sydney, where five singers will compete for a range of prizes and scholarships. We wish them both the best of luck!

Support the musicians, composers and scholars of the future

For some of New Zealand's most talented musicians, the only thing that stands in the way of their dreams is the lack of funds to make them real. For further information on how you can provide support for students at the New Zealand School of Music, please contact either: