Alison Isadora to be next Composer-in-Residence
Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music (NZSM) has announced the appointment of Alison Isadora, as the school’s next Creative New Zealand/Jack C. Richards Composer-in-Residence.
Alison Isadora is a New Zealand composer who has spent much of her life working in Amsterdam.
In July this year she will move to Wellington to take up residence in the former home of Douglas Lilburn in Thorndon, where she will follow in the footsteps of previous composers-in-residence such as Dame Gillian Whitehead, Lyell Cresswell and John Elmsly.
Alison will be the 13th composer-in-residence. She studied political philosophy, composition and violin performance at Victoria University of Wellington in the 1980s before moving to the Netherlands, where she studied music at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague. She has lived there ever since, and has established a vibrant career in the Dutch musical scene.
Her works often involve improvisational, theatrical and multimedia elements, and deal with issues of culture, identity and biography. With husband Jan-Bas Bollen, she has established a multimedia duo SYNC featuring electric violin, electric bass, electronics and visuals, which has performed around New Zealand on a number of occasions.
NZSM Director Euan Murdoch says the School will be delighted to welcome Alison back in July.
“This residency provides composers with an incredible opportunity to connect and, in some cases, to reconnect with the vibrant music scene in Wellington.”
During her residency, Alison hopes to write a number of works, including some in which performers operate foot percussion alongside their normal instruments. Her plans include composing a series of vocal works using Dadaist texts from the Netherlands and Belgium dating from World War I, a choral work in memory of her teacher and friend Jack Body, as well as a music-theatre work for actor and sextet.
Alison will also interact with staff and students of NZSM’s composition programme. She will present seminars and workshops and provide informal feedback on postgraduate compositions.
The Composer-in-Residence position was established in 2004 to involve composers in the life of the School, which has about 100 students studying composition. The position also provides one of the best professional development opportunities in the country for established New Zealand composers.
A comprehensive package is offered including a salary and accommodation in the former home of Douglas Lilburn in Thorndon. There is also an agreement to record and publish one work during the residency and to film the recording in collaboration with the Centre for New Zealand Music (SOUNZ). Several other past recipients have returned to New Zealand from overseas to take up the residency.
For more information contact Chris Wilson on 04-463 9498, 021 0525 300 or chris.wilson@vuw.ac.nz