Thank you to everyone who has visited my website. I’ve had great feedback. It’s so exciting to finally have my website ‘online’. I worked really hard on the site with Vanessa (she’s the technical brains). I’ve just added more pictures to my gallery from the NZSO/TODD Young Composers Awards. The pictures were taken by Stephen Gibbs from SOUNZ. Thanks Stephen I’m progressing well with my Paris piece. I’ve spent the last few days finalizing my orchestration before I do my last big edit. I’m trying to think of a title and it’s really stressing me out. Its all about having a good title…;P We’re leaving next month!!! Yay!

On the 20th of September I attended the APRA Silver Scroll Awards! I had a really great time. I was on a table near the front with Eve de Castro-Robinson (nominee for the contemporary award), John Rimmer, Gareth Farr and Phil Dadson just to name a few. All the bands were really good but the Nathan Haines quartet was my favourite. They did a jazz version of Ross Harris’s piece. Congrats to Ross for winning!

Hello, hello. On Wednesday I went to the Auckland Philharmonia Graduate Composers Workshop. It was so cool to hear my composition, Turista di Venezia. It’s really challenging rhythmically and quite a long work – about 15 minutes. The orchestra managed to get through it in about 70 minutes recording section by section. The conductor Mark Taddei was totally organized and did a fantastic job. I can’t wait to hear the CD!

I’ve just been informed that I am the 2006 recipient of the SOUNZ Community Commission! I will be writing a fanfare for the Manukau City Symphony Orchestra to play in 2007. It will be a really exciting piece with strong cultural themes – I’ll be asking the orchestra to chant, use their instruments in extreme ways and all sorts of other crazy things. But, but, but… I really want it to be enjoyable for the audience and players too. Challenging…
Click here to read an article about it on the SOUNZ website.

It’s official! Vanessa Tam, Charmian Keay and I are off to Paris on November the 20th with the help of the New Zealand/France-Friendship Fund. We are putting on a concert on December the 7th at the Cité Universitaire with a new string orchestra, Orchestre 2021 which will be conducted by Elizabeth Askren. She is Attachée Culturelle at the United States Foundation in Paris. I will be writing a fifteen minute work for String Orchestra over the next couple of months for the concert. Vanessa and Charmian will be playing their violins in the concert. They will also be doing some informal chamber music with Nigel Keay’s String Quartet during our 18 days there. I’m so excited!!

Hi guys! I’ve just been commissioned by Chamber Music New Zealand to write a work for piano and violin. It will be performed by John Chen and Julia McCarthy in September 2007 in their 16 concert tour of NZ.

I just got back from the ADAM International Cello Festival and Competition in Christchurch. I had a fantastic time there meeting people, listening to music and hanging out. I heard my composition “Games” in the Finals Gala Concert played by Hee Young Lim from Korea.