Left to right: Monica Ellis bassoon, Jeff Scott french horn, Toyin Spellman-Diaz oboe, Mark Dover clarinet, Valerie Coleman flute
VOLUME 35 NUMBER 03 SEPTEMBER 2017
THEME
ONTO
AND JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS!
In 1997, while still a student, flutist Valerie Coleman started her own chamber music ensemble. The idea was to gather together some of the best African-American woodwind players around. She called the group Imani Winds, which means “faith” in Swahili.
You said that your “goals are to continue to make important, influential and good music that will hopefully change people’s lives.” How do you think classical music can influence people lives nowadays? TOYIN: We feel like the potential relevancy of classical music is underrepresented in people’s thoughts today, especially newly-made contemporary classical music. Imani Winds always plays everything that touches their music stands with meaningful, thoughtful interpretation. It doesn’t matter whether the music was written by composers who lived 50 years ago or composers that wrote their music 50 days ago, all music has a purpose.
Music without words can be even more universally meaningful than music with lyrics because the meaning is up for interpretation. We have a responsibility, as instrumental musicians, to put all of our own meaning into the music so that the listeners can hear, if not a literal meaning, that there is something there to grasp onto. When a listener hears that kind of intent they are changed. Tell us, in a few words, why your group is so passionate about residencies in which the Quintet immerse themselves in a community, giving everything from traditional concerts through to masterclasses and school visits. MARK: Imani Winds has always been committed to sharing our music with people who are not typically accustomed to hearing it. Community based outreach is one of the most meaningful and powerful things we do as an ensemble.
Photo credit: Matthew Murphy
It is completely integral to the future of our music to continue expanding our reach to all people, especially those who don’t have easy access to classical music. Breaking down the barriers of formality that classical music sometimes brings really helps listeners feel intimately connected to the music they are hearing. The future of classical music is dependent on not alienating or intimidating our audiences, but rather inspiring them and earning their attention and interest. What advice would you give your younger self, back when you were students?
MONICA: The advice I’d give my younger self is try to recognise sooner when something is not working out correctly, so that you can change or alter the situation as soon as possible. In the business of music, especially in today’s fast paced, “instant everything” world, it’s important to react to various circumstances that Continued on page 2
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Kia ora tātou Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 and his Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, Piazzolla’s Four Seasons – these are just some of the works that made it through to the Final of the NZCT Chamber Music Contest. I find it nothing short of astonishing that secondary school students could turn out excellent performances of these technically-demanding and musically-sophisticated works.
The Contest covers the length and breadth of Aotearoa and involves students from an enormous range of cultural backgrounds and economic circumstance. The word “inspiring” is a bit over-used these days – but I can think of no better term for this important event in CMNZ’s annual calendar. We conclude the Season with Imani Winds. Their programmes (Ravel, Rimsky-Korsakov, Piazzolla) are dominated by dance – mostly Mediterranean or South American. The flute player in the group, Valerie Coleman, has just been listed by the Washington Post as one of the top
35 female composers in classical music (anywhere). There are a couple of pieces by Valerie being played on the tour along with an offering from one of our own talented young female composers, Natalie Hunt. We’ll be launching our 2018 Season at the Imani concerts. We are looking forward to sharing what we have in store for next year with you.
Peter Walls Chief Executive Chamber Music New Zealand
Photo credit: Matthew Murphy
Left to right: Mark Dover clarinet, Valerie Coleman flute, Monica Ellis bassoon, Jeff Scott french horn, Toyin Spellman-Diaz oboe
Imani Winds Continued... one may be faced with, effectively and efficiently. It’s also very important, of course, to NOT react rashly or too quickly and you have to have lots of patience and a level head. It’s definitely a balancing act. The thing is though - I think that if you are courageous enough to venture into the field of being a professional musician, it’s so vital to trust your gut. If something really feels like it’s the right decision to make, it likely is! [JEFF] you are also a prolific arranger and composer, with a background that includes working
on big shows (8 years playing The Lion King on Broadway!) and playing jazz with greats such as Wynton Marsalis. Do you seek to bring some of this music into the repertoire of wind quintets. JEFF: Absolutely! I firmly believe that jazz and other American popular musics are worthy of exposure on the classical concert stage. Even more, I believe it’s the challenge of the 21st Century musician to train for the flexibility and sensibility in these genres along side the traditional Western Classical canon.
While jazz and popular styles do not make it into every composition or arrangement I write, the colours remain as options amongst the spectrum of choices at any point of the process. IMANI WINDS
TOURING 26 Sep – 12 Oct chambermusic.co.nz/imaniwinds
IHC ACCESSIBLE CONCERTS WITH JULIAN RAPHAEL IHC Accessible concerts focus on participation and discovery opportunities for diverse audiences. We took the opportunity to talk to Julian before the start of this mini-series. What led you to community-focused musical endeavours? I had been working as a secondary school music teacher in England after graduating from Birmingham University with a B.Mus and M.Phil, researching the early operas of Puccini. From secondary school teaching, I was lucky to make the transition to university music lecturer. During this time I had the opportunity to start a ‘natural voice’ community choir in Canterbury, UK, where before there existed only traditional choral society choirs. I began to lead drumming groups and mix with a variety of musicians from different cultures. Within three months of moving back to NZ, I and others formed the Wellington Community Choir, which is now 12 years old. I reinvented myself as a ‘Community Musician’. No-one knew what that meant, so I would say “It’s doing music work with people”. I set up Community Music Junction within my first year in Wellington.
You’ve travelled extensively. How has that influenced your music-making? I’ve been fortunate to have visited two African countries. In South Africa, I experienced learning songs with a fantastic choir leader from Polokwane and then toured around the country in a choir singing to different communities. Many of those songs I have passed onto singing groups back here. I am a student of Shona mbira and recently visited Zimbabwe to learn from a number of master players. Tell us about your 2016 SOUNZ Community Commission I got to know the lovely young people from ACTIVE since they started attending one of our Sing for Your Life morning groups. Together we created a song-cycle about what it means to live in Wellington with an intellectual disability and then we performed it at the Citadel during this year’s NZ Music Month. IHC ACCESSIBLE CONCERTS MINI-SERIES
TOURING 24 Aug – 22 Sept chambermusic.co.nz/accessibleconcerts
COMING UP KALEIDOSCOPES IMANI WINDS 26 September – 12 October chambermusic.co.nz/imaniwinds IMANI WINDS EDUCATIONAL CONCERTS MUSICAL JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD (AGES 8-12) WELLINGTON/AUCKLAND 26 September & 12 October chambermusic.co.nz/education MUSIC IS FUN (AGES 3-7) DUNEDIN 7 October chambermusic.co.nz/musicisfun
REGIONAL SERIES AUCKLAND PIANO TRIO 3 September – 22 October chambermusic.co.nz/aucklandpianotrio WILMA & FRIENDS 24 September – 15 October chambermusic.co.nz/wilma&friends Full concert details: chambermusic.co.nz/017 0800 CONCERT (266 2378)
Left to right: The Mahuta Trio - Louise Hwang, Francesca Orchard-Hall, Emma Wu
NZCT CHAMBER MUSIC CONTEST The Mahuta Trio is the 2017 winning ensemble of National Best Performance of a NZ Work and People’s Choice Award. How has the Chamber Music Contest experience been important in your development as musicians? We all play in our school Concert Bands and Orchestras but playing in a group of three is a much more sensitive affair. You’re a lot more exposed with only two other players with you and that can be quite daunting at times. But we find confidence and support in each other, especially on stage. We have all certainly developed our listening ability, as that was crucial to having full cohesion as a group. The actual Contest and all the rounds have given us invaluable experiences playing in front of people and learning to control our nerves so that we can still play our best. These experiences have also taught us to trust in each other, and our abilities to play our part the best we can. You played a NZ piece by Ben Hoadley. Did it feel different playing a NZ work as opposed to a Beethoven trio for example?
Photo credit: Vanessa Rushton
Wholeheartedly, yes. Emma and I played Beethoven’s Variationen über ‘Là ci darem la mano’ for 2 oboes and cor anglais, and although it is a beautiful piece, it was difficult to connect to it as 16 year olds in NZ. We were lucky enough to commission Ben to write this piece for us, and it has been such an incredible journey. He is such an amazing composer and he has been such a supportive listener too! It is so much easier to connect to this oboe trio because it is written about NZ beaches, which we all grew up on and near. And thus we are able to play it with a lot more sensitivity and feeling, because we can relate to what Ben is wanting to portray. Every time we play it together, it develops further and we find new intricacies and it is such a wonderful experience.
go “what’s that?” or “hobo?!” when you tell them you play the oboe.
What makes double-reed players different from the rest of the world?
Mahuta Trio (Auckland)
Well one could say we are a rarity, as not many people willingly sign up to forcing air into a 3mm wide aperture. You could also say we were mysterious, as people often
Watch the full National Finals performances on our Facebook Page & Youtube channel chambermusic.co.nz/contest2017
But in all seriousness, I think there’s a certain connection that is made between a double-reed, or in fact any wind instrument player and the music, because it is your breath, the thing that gives you life, which gives the music life. AND THE WINNERS ARE… OVERALL WINNERS:
Druz’ya Quartet (Wellington) SENIOR COMPOSITION WINNER:
Benjamin Sneyd-Utting (Wellington) JUNIOR COMPOSITION WINNER:
Stefenie Pickston (Auckland) BEST PERFORMANCE OF A NZ WORK:
Mahuta Trio (Auckland) NATIONAL KBB MUSIC AWARD:
Buda and the Pests (Canterbury) PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD:
Couldn’t make it to the Contest?
2017 CONTEST WINNERS
DRUZ’YA QUARTET A ballet dancer, a table tennis player, a boxer, and an international tennis player - can you pick each of them? Lucas Baker (violin), Andy Yu (violin), Lauren Jack (viola) and Milo Benn (cello), won the Contest performing Shostakovich’s eighth string quartet (movements 1, 2 and 3), a piece dedicated “To the victims of fascism and war’. This is only the second time in the Contest’s history that the Contest has been won by a Wellington group. “The Druz’ya Quartet played with an extraordinary commitment to the piece and we all felt they performed with a maturity well beyond their years” – Stephen De Pledge, 2017 Adjudicator Druz’ya Quartet Raysken Trio
Samuel Woosol Jeon (Korngold Quartet (Canterbury)
NZCT Chamber Music Contest 2017
Contest photo credits: Vanessa Rushton
Stefenie Pickston & Benjamin Sneyd-Utting (National Composition winners)
Jamie Beardslee Bedřiška Trio (Wellington)
Buda & the Pests (Canterbury)
Photo credit: Vanessa Rushton
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SPONSORSHIP IN THE ARTS There is a growing recognition that the arts and cultural sector has a lot to offer to corporate sponsors or partners. There are obvious marketing and advertising benefits, along with opportunities for entertaining clients, networking and other bespoke experiences. The arts provide a way for corporate partners to engage with key stakeholders and audiences in a unique and meaningful way, and to also make a positive impact within local communities. CMNZ is proud to have a growing number of corporate partnerships which are based on shared vision, value and culture. We are grateful for the support that we receive from each of our corporate partners. Here is an introduction to several of our sponsors and why they’ve chosen to partner with us. KBB Music – Located in Wellington and Auckland, KBB Music is one of CMNZ’s longest standing partners and have been supporting our contest
Chamber Music New Zealand partners
for the last six years and is also supporting our 2017 Auckland Family Concert. General Manager, Andrew Chamberlain says; “It’s been a pleasure working with CMNZ for the last 6 years with the sponsoring of the KBB Music Awards. This brings exposure to the music scene in every city it holds its events in.” Voice – One of our most recent sponsors, Voice, have come on board as our official design partner. Managing Director, Neil Sparksman writes; “Voice has a long history of supporting the arts, so when the opportunity arose to align with CMNZ, the decision was quite simple for us. The CMNZ approach to partnership is innovative and valuable, their target audiences, very similar to our own. It was obvious both parties had a lot to gain from working together” Babich Wines – The Babich family have been making wine in New Zealand since 1916 and are NZ’s most
experienced family owned winery. With both Babich Wines and Chamber Music New Zealand leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of excellence, this partnership is a natural fit. We’ll be serving Babich Wines at the Imani Winds concerts as we launch our 2018 season, so make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy these superb wines at the conclusion of these concerts. And to celebrate the beginning of the partnership, Babich Wines are offering a free tasting to CMNZ subscribers at their Auckland Cellar Door. Pop in any time during opening hours, mention you are a CMNZ subscriber and enjoy your free tasting! For more information about supporting one of New Zealand’s flagship national arts organisations through corporate sponsorship, please contact: Mandy Carian mandy.carian@chambermusic.co.nz Phone: (04) 802 0755
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CONGRATULATIONS:
Virtuoso Strings Trust recently won the Porirua Supreme Award of the Regional Community Awards. Virtuoso Strings provides tuition and instruments for free to the community in Porirua and runs an open youth and community orchestra based in Cannons Creek. CMNZ recently worked with Virtuoso Strings as part of our Matariki concert series Te Oro o ngā Whetū: The Echo of the Stars CMNZ Operations Coordinator, Rachel Hardie is a successful entrant in the Wow (World of Wearable Arts) show. It is the third time competing in this renowed international event. Jun Bouterey-Ishido, who has been awarded second prize in the Fourth International Maj Lind Piano Competition in Helsinki, Finland. Jun was amongst 37 pianists, selected from a record 195 applicants, to take part in the competition. Bryony and Todd Gibson-Cornish are the first siblings to have been awarded the prestigious Tagore Gold Medal from the Royal College of Music, London. Todd (bassoon) won the medal in 2016 and Bryony (viola) in 2017. The medal is awarded to both a male and a female graduating student every year, for outstanding contributions musically and in other ways to the life of the Royal College of Music. Salina Fisher for her selection as a 2017 SOUNZ Contemporary Award finalist for her work: Tōrino - echoes on pūtōrino improvisations by Rob Thorne. This work was commissioned by CMNZ for performance by the NZSQ in 2016. The work will also represent New Zealand at the ISCM World New Music Days 2017.
OPPORTUNITIES:
Are you a music student? Or are you simply passionate about chamber music? We are always on the hunt for passionate volunteers and student ambassadors. If that sounds like you, contact Alessandra: alessandra@chambermusic.co.nz chambermusic.co.nz/volunteer
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CORE FUNDER Creative New Zealand SUPPORTING FUNDER NZCT CORPORATE PARTNERS VOICE • Nelson Pine • Phantom • The University of Auckland Todd Corporation • KBB Music • Fraser & Sons Ltd • Crowne Plaza InterContinental Wellington FUNDING PARTNERS Foundation North • Stout Trust Deane Endowment Trust • IHC Foundation The Lion Foundation • The Wallace Foundation Community Trust of Southland • Dunedin City Council Eastern & Central Community Trust First Light Community Foundation • Four Winds Invercargill Licensing Trust • Judith Clark Memorial Fund New Zealand France Friendship Fund • Otago Community Trust Pelorus Trust • Pub Charity • Rata Foundation • Southern Trust The Adam Foundation • Timaru District Council • Trust House Trust Waikato • TSB Community Trust • Turnovsky Endowment Trust Wellington City Council • Wellington Community Trust Winton & Margaret Bear Charitable Trust CHAMBER MUSIC NEW ZEALAND Level 4, 75 Ghuznee Street, P.O. Box 6238, Wellington Tel (04) 384 6133 Email info@chambermusic.co.nz Website www.chambermusic.co.nz BOARD Lloyd Williams (Chair), Quentin Hay, Gretchen La Roche, Bruce Phillips, Matthew Savage, Sarah Sinclair, Vanessa Van den Broek, Kerrin Vautier BRANCHES Auckland: Chair, Victoria Silwood; Concert Manager, John Giffney Hamilton: Chair, Murray Hunt; Concert Manager, Gaye Duffill New Plymouth: Concert Manager, Catherine Martin Hawke’s Bay: Chair, June Clifford; Concert Manager, Rhondda Poon Manawatu: Chair, Graham Parsons; Concert Manager, Virginia Warbrick Wellington: Concert Manager, Rachel Hardie Nelson: Chair, Annette Monti Concert Manager, Clare Monti Christchurch: Chair; TBC Concert Manager, Jody Keehan Dunedin: Chair, Terence Dennis; Concert Manager, Richard Dingwall Southland: Chair, Rosie Beattie; Concert Manager, Jennifer Sinclair For all Concert Managers phone 0800 CONCERT (266 2378) Regional Presenters: Marlborough Music Society Inc (Blenheim), Cromwell & Districts Community Arts Council, Musica Viva Gisborne, Music Society Eastern Southland (Gore) Arts Far North (Kaitaia), Aroha Music Society (Kerikeri), Chamber Music Hutt Valley, Motueka Music Group, Waimakariri Community Arts Council (Rangiora), Rotorua Music Federation, Tauranga Musica Inc, Te Awamutu Music Federation, Upper Hutt Music Society, Waikanae Music Society, Wanaka Concert Society Inc, Chamber Music Wanganui, Warkworth Music Society, Wellington Chamber Music Trust, Whakatane Music Society, Whangarei Music Society. © Chamber Music New Zealand 2017 No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of Chamber Music New Zealand.
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Left to right: Alexandra Partridge cello, Andrew Leathwick piano, Wilma Smith violin, Caroline Henbest viola
REGIONAL SERIES: WILMA & FRIENDS We are fortunate to be bringing Wilma Smith, legendary kiwi violinist, back to New Zealand for an 11 centre tour. Every year Wilma pulls together musical friends she thinks might create some exciting chemistry and they put together programmes full of variety and appeal. Wilma is the former Concertmaster of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and founding member of the New Zealand String Quartet. She will be joined by Caroline Henbest on the viola, who may be familiar as principal viola with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, along with two up and coming kiwi musicians, Alexandra Partridge, cello and Andrew Leathwick, piano.
A special feature of this tour is the inclusion of a new work especially written for the group by their pianist he explains that the circumstances of the commission arose out of a chance meeting with Wilma at a tram stop in Melbourne back in 2015 were he struck up a conversation and invited her to attend an upcoming recital showcasing some of his compositions. Given free rein in writing this work, Andrew feels that it might be most influenced by the sound of the Russian Romantics and perhaps also some ‘dashes of Greek folk music’. Like so many musicians in New Zealand he traces his ‘first real experience of chamber music back to performing in the NZCT Chamber
Music Contest in 2008. What is most satisfying for Andrew about playing in small ensembles is ‘… having others on stage to create energy with you. It doesn’t all rest on your shoulders, but instead you can spur one another on, and get into a good groove together.’ With their tour just around the corner, Andrew just ‘can’t wait to get out there and play! [his new piece]’. Be sure to catch this brand new work alongside a delightful selection of favourite pieces for piano quartet in a centre near you. WILMA AND FRIENDS Touring 24 Sept–15 Oct chambermusic.co.nz/wilma&friends
Attend an IMANI WINDS concert and join us for a complimentary glass of wine to celebrate the 2018 SEASON announcement. Request your brochure now. Simply send us an email at info@chambermusic.co.nz