Anthony Ritchie’s opera “God Boy” is available as a free download through Otago University’s iTunesU site. This is accessible via the following link: https://deimos.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browsev2/otago.ac.nz

Dunedin composer Gillian Whitehead has been made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to music.

Music related announcements include:

* $4.4 million extra baseline funding over four years for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

* extra baseline funding of $4.8 million over four years for the NZ Music Commission.

* $10.9 million extra over four years for Radio New Zealand to maintain its core services.

PROPOSALS SOUGHT FOR “SHOW and TELL”

The New Zealand International Arts Festival (NZIAF) is committed to fostering the development of new work from New Zealand artists and companies and invites arts practitioners from all artistic disciplines to submit applications for inclusion in the NZIAF’s Show and Tell.

NZIAF seeks to continually engage with the creative sector and encourages new work of great promise. Show and Tell is but one method employed by NZIAF as a vehicle to support the development of new ideas and concepts with the potentiality of presentation by NZIAF and/or other national and international presenters.

Financial assistance is given to selected applicants to progress their initial concept to a form whereby they are able to meaningfully present and convey a solid sense of their project’s potential to industry partners and presenters.

The Show and Tell process culminates in those presentations being given in Wellington later in the year to invited Festival Directors, industry partners and presenters.

For more detailed information please see http://www.nzfestival.nzpost.co.nz/

The prize is awarded annually for excellence in Original Composition and is valued at $1500. The competition is open to all past and present students of the universities of New Zelanad. The topic for 2008 is a composition for string quartet. The work must be not less than 8 minutes and not more than 15 minutes in duration. The prize regulations may be obtained from The Manager, Student Administration, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin. Applications close with the University on 1 July 2008.

…are due FRIDAY 9 MAY (postmarked).

For further details see the Nelson Workshop section of this site.

And don’t forget the NZSO’s annual Made in New Zealand: this Friday, 6.30pm, Town Hall, Wellington

Radio New Zealand Concert is celebrating the start of New Zealand Music Month by releasing a New Zealand work as a free podcast for download.

Anthony Ritchie’s Symphony No 2 was recorded by RNZ when the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra performed it under Marc Taddei in 2006. Radio New Zealand Concert is now making this work available as part of its Podcast Classics series.

Podcast Classics is a monthly web-only programme from RNZ Concert, which makes New Zealand performances of classic works available as free downloads. Partner organisations are the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the New Zealand String Quartet, Chamber Music New Zealand - and of course, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

To download Anthony Ritchie’s work, as well as last month’s podcast by the New Zealand String Quartet, please visit http://www.radionz.co.nz/concert/programmes/podcast_classics

In 2004, many CANZ members took part in a survey conducted by then Victoria University PhD student Chris Watson.  Chris was looking at the effects of music notation software on compositional practices and outcomes and received data in the form of completed questionnaires from some 106 active New Zealand composers.  Chris has now graduated and, as promised, his analysis of the questionnaire data is now available for composers to view, by visiting the following URL: 

http://www.chriswatsoncomposer.com/phd.htm

Here, you will have the option of downloading Chris’s complete thesis, or just the chapter dealing with the results of the questionnaire.

Chris would like to thank members of the composition community for their time and effort in completing his questionnaire and hopes that its findings are of benefit. 

The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra has called for expressions of interest for the position of Composer in Residence for 2009. The residency now has a significant education focus. Further information is available from SOUNZ www.sounz.org.nz or the Auckland Philharmonia www.apo.co.nz

Applications close at the end of May.

The NZSO National Youth Orchestra (NYO) is delighted to announce that Wellington composer, Tabea Squire, has been named the winner of the 4th NYO Composer-in-Residence Award 2008. The award was granted to Tabea for her work Feverdream.

Tabea, currently studying at the New Zealand School of Music, has been a violinist with the NYO since 2005 so will now be unable to play in this year’s season. However, on hearing of the award she said, “The conflict of emotions is surprisingly strong, but above all I’m overjoyed and honoured that the piece I worked on so hard and long has been acknowledged by such a prestigious panel. It is fantastic!”

In addition to having the winning work performed at each of the four NYO concerts, Tabea will receive guidance from 2008 NZSO NYO conductor Jacques Lacombe and mentor Ross Harris. The composer prize also includes Sibelius music writing software, version V5, with free training from MusiTech Ltd as well as a subscription to CANZ.

The 2008 jury panel consisted of Pietari Inkinen (NZSO Music Director), Hamish McKeich (former NZSO contrabassoon and associate conductor), John Psathas (composer and Associate Professor in Composition at the New Zealand School of Music), Ross Harris (Creative New Zealand/Jack C. Richards Composer-in-Residence at the New Zealand School of Music 2007-8) and Jacques Lacombe (International Guest Conductor).

Tabea will be in Wellington when the NYO meets in August to participate in rehearsals of Feverdream and will attend the public concert performances in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Napier.

Tabea was selected from more than a dozen promising applicants, ranging in age from 17 to 24, from Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Palmerston North and Wellington, who submitted works of a maximum of 5 minutes. The project was conceived four years ago in order to find new compositional talent, while challenging the composers to complement the wider music strategy of the NZSO.

Commenting on the award, NZSO Music Director, Pietari Inkinen said: “It is fantastic that the NZSO supports a scheme as such as the Composer-in-Residence Award. It has a direct impact on forming the young composers of tomorrow - an educational focus crucial to the development of creativity in this country.”

Tabea’s mentor Ross Harris describes the competition as “a unique opportunity for a young composer to work with excellent young players and an established New Zealand composer.”

Pascale Parenteau, manager of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra said: “It is gratifying to see the standard of entry increasing each year. Tabea’s work will certainly be a highlight of this year’s concerts.”

Principal co-sponsors of the NZSO NYO Composer-in-Residence Award 2008 are MusiTech Ltd (NZ) and Sibelius (UK), supported by APRA, Radio New Zealand Concert, CANZ and SOUNZ.