NZSM connection at New Zealand Music Awards

The latest CD release from the New Zealand String Quartet, who are the New Zealand School of Music Artists in Residence, last week won the Tui for Best Classical Album at the annual Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards.

Released by Atoll Records in January this year, Notes from a journey, which takes its name from a poem by Sam Hunt, showcases work by New Zealand composers Jack Body, John Psathas, Ross Harris, Michael Norris, Gareth Farr and Richard Nunns. All the composers are either current NZSM Composition lecturers or former Victoria School of Music staff and/or alumni.

"This Award is the icing on the cake for us this year" says violinist Helene Pohl. "We've had a very busy year performing in New Zealand and overseas and have been able to perform many of the works on the CD to international audiences, where they’ve been enthusiastically received."

Shortly after the awards the musicians left New Zealand for a North American tour. The work Exitus by Michael Norris from the award-winning CD will feature in the concert programmes for this tour.

All of the composers from Notes from a journey 'journeyed' in some way to find their inspiration. John Psathas turned to the writings of Buddhist guru Chögyam for Abhisheka; Jack Body travelled to hear the musics of China, Madagascar and Bulgaria for Three Transcriptions; Ross Harris went back through time to the music of Bach's Goldberg Variations for his Variation 25; Michael Norris explores death through Inuit, Mayan, Norse and Native American cultures in the four movements of Exitus; Gareth Farr and Richards Nunns, who collaborated to create He Poroporoaki, took this short compelling farewell for string quartet and Taonga Puoro to the home of its inspiration, Gallipoli, for its premiere.

Helix, a recording of works by Professor John Psathas, was also a 2011 finalist in the Best Classical Album category. Albums of his works have previously won Tuis on three separate occasions: View From Olympus (2008), Fragments (2004) and Rhythm Spike (2000).