Works selected for SOUNZ-Aroha Quartet-Radio NZ Concert recordings

..."a performance of the utmost refinement and sensitivity in which each player suppressed his own individuality to find a common voice."...
(Lindis Taylor, "Middle C")

8 April 2015 - In an interview on Upbeat on Radio NZ Concert today Haihong and Robert announced the pieces that have been selected to be performed by the Aroha Quartet and recorded by Radio NZ Concert in Wellington at Labour Weekend.

This new collaborative project between SOUNZ, the Aroha String Quartet and Radio New Zealand Concert (RNZ Concert), in association with the Composers Association of New Zealand (CANZ) and Chamber Music New Zealand (CMNZ) will produce 70 minutes of previously unrecorded string quartets by New Zealand composers.

A joint panel made up of representatives of partner organisations met two weeks ago to choose works from the 40 entries received in February this year.

The following works were selected for recording and will be broadcast and made available for free online streaming through partner websites:

Alex Taylor (Auckland) - refrain
Anthony Ritchie (Dunedin) - Whakatipua
Blas Gonzalez (Auckland) - SPASMS
Helen Bowater (Auckland) - this desperate edge of now
Jeroen Speak (London) - auxetos
Kirsten Strom (Auckland) - purity
Ross Carey (Malaysia) - Toccatina (Elegy)

Having initiated this project we were so happy with the enthusiastic response we received, first from the other organisations, then from the composing community. There were many pieces we would have liked to play, but there isn't the chance to do them all this year!

We'll begin rehearsing the seven pieces in the next few weeks, then have some time to workshop them with the composers in October prior to the recording sessions, when RNZ Concert will record and edit the works for broadcast and online streaming. The recording sessions will also be filmed by SOUNZ.