SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music

29/09/2026

We're so pleased to announce Elliot Vaughan as the recipient of this year's SOUNZ Community Commission Te Tono Mahinga ā-Hapori a SOUNZ! Elliot will be working alongside Silver Noodle Soup Film and Theatre Company to create a video composition that will take as its source material the footage of the Silver Noodle Soup performers. Following a series of workshops Elliot will edit together the final composition, which will feature body percussion, vocalisations and other explorations of rhythm and the voice.

Head to the link in the comments to learn more about Elliot and what he's got planned!

29/09/2026

Lovely to get a few progress pics from this year's SOUNZ Commission for Orchestra and Sistema Youth Orchestra! This project will see Arohanui Strings and Orchestra Wellington combine forces (for the ninth time!) to perform Nat Hunt's new work, 'Nocturnes in Black and Gold'. We can't wait to see the final results of this collaboration next month!

28/09/2026

So cool to see how this all works - check it out!

Dichotomous (2024) is a fixed media work featuring the sounds of 32...

28/09/2026

Keith Moss's love letter to the Kalahari Desert combines the forces of Arohanui Strings and Orchestra Wellington. 'A Kalahari Eclogue' depicts the expanse of the desert moving from the intense heat of the day to the deep quiet of the night. The result of the 2024 SOUNZ Commission for Orchestra and Sistema Youth Orchestra, the work is also inspired by elements of music making from Keith's home country of South Africa, such as a traditional Xhosa bowed instrument called the Uhadi.

🏜️ Full film out now: https://youtu.be/M2UJ-z2ySHk

Audio recorded by RNZ Concert. Film funded by NZ On Air.

25/09/2026

Amalia Hall - Violinist reprises Michael Norris’s whirling and twirling Violin Concerto 'Sama', originally written for her in 2018 in this extremely impressive display of virtuosity on the violin. The piece is inspired by a Sufi ceremony that involves ritual, singing, dancing, music, poetry and prayers. The ceremony is brought to a thrilling climax when the dancers whirl around in ecstatic, trancelike devotion. Amalia's twirling on the violin is a sight to behold, and echoed by some 10/10 dance moves from the agile Auckland Philharmonia!

💃 Full film out now: https://youtu.be/aDoaiuxcWrg

Audio recorded by RNZ Concert. Film funded by NZ On Air.

24/09/2026

We're getting ready for this year's Silver Scrolls Kaitito Kaiaka by listening to the incredible works nominated as finalists. On the menu today is Michael Norris and Nicholas Denton Protsack, Composer-Cellist's evocative and impactful work, 'Partial Forms'. An intense auditory expedition for cello and live electronics, the work moves through the shifting terrains of sound and space, and is shaped by themes, textures, and gestures drawn from the natural landscapes and soundscapes of Aotearoa and Canada.

Nicholas' cello is overdubbed as many as 32 times, creating dense textures, often drawing their pitch structures from the natural overtones of the harmonic series. How much cello is too much cello? We could always do with more!

Tune in on October 14 to find out who will take home the APRA AMCOS NZ Silver Scroll!

8 track album

22/09/2026

Brigid Bisley’s shimmering and fragile work, 'Illumination' draws its inspiration from the luminosity of medieval manuscripts. The gold and silver leaf illustrations were designed to catch the light, to uplift and even to connect with the stars; this is particularly reflected in the soaring lines of the upper string section, and the brilliance of the harp.

Hear the Auckland Philharmonia (with Conductor Olari Elts) reflect, shine and glitter in this beautiful performance: https://youtu.be/A_aSJWQ6zns

Audio recorded by RNZ Concert. Film funded by NZ On Air.

21/09/2026

Always a great feeling to see a project work its way from being ideas on a page right through to a world premiere performance! Kane Parsons Music's 2025/26 Community Commission is hitting the stage next month, at the Regent on Broadway, bringing together some 200 rangatahi from across the Manawatū region.

Find out how he keeps this big project moving, and what he's seeing the young people he's working with get out of the experience. https://sounz.org.nz/articles/korero-kane-parsons

19/09/2026

Write in support of the Music Hire Service at the National Library Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa!

The National Library is currently undergoing a restructure. As part of this, their Music Hire Service is at risk of significant changes and loss of efficacy, with the position of Music Librarian being disestablished. The Music Hire Service has been a vital resource for performing organisations in Aotearoa for decades, allowing them to hire performing materials at reasonable cost. It gives choirs, orchestras, bands and other ensembles access to thousands of works.

The Music Hire Service plays a crucial role in supporting New Zealand composers and preserving access to our musical heritage. The National Library service also lends scores of New Zealand music to performance groups internationally, enabling New Zealand music to be performed around the globe. A pause in the process to allow for stakeholder consultation is vital. With this as the immediate objective, we're asking you to help by writing to the following five key decision-makers:

1️⃣ Brooke van Velden, Minister of Internal Affairs: [email protected]
2️⃣ Paul Goldsmith, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage: [email protected]
3️⃣ Paul James, Chief Executive and Secretary for Internal Affairs: [email protected]
4️⃣ Rachel Esson, National Librarian: [email protected]
5️⃣ Jessica Moran, Chief Librarian & Director of Library Collections: [email protected]

In your letter:

👍 express your support for the Music Hire Service
🎼 call for the retention of specialist staff in the delivery of the service
🗣️ ask for proper stakeholder consultation with the sector on proposed changes
💬 outline the impact the closure of the service would have on you. Try to include specific examples of the way you've benefited from the provision of this service.

Write in to help keep the music going!

19/09/2026

Congratulations to the vast array of SOUNZ Composers recently named as finalists for the Silver Scroll Awards in Film, Series and Kapa Haka Categories. It's astounding to see the breadth of talent in Aotearoa's music industry, and how versatile our composers and songwriters are - ka rawe!