NZSM staff and alumna dominate competition awards
This year’s SOUNZ Contemporary Award looks set to be dominated by NZSM, with a staff member and alumna selected as two of the three finalists.
Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music senior lecturer Kenneth Young and NZSM alumna Salina Fisher are both finalists for the prestigious national award, which is supported by music industry organisation APRA AMCOS and celebrates excellence in contemporary composition. The winner will be announced at the 2016 APRA Silver Scrolls at Vector Arena, Auckland, on Thursday 29 September.
Kenneth Young, who lectures in composition, orchestration and conducting at NZSM, has been selected for his work Piano Trio for violin, cello and piano. This is the third time he has been a finalist, and he says he is “both delighted and grateful” for the nomination.
Salina Fisher, who graduated with a Bachelor of Music and a Postgraduate Diploma in Music from NZSM, has been selected for her composition Rainphase for orchestra. She is the youngest female to be nominated for this award and says she has “huge admiration for all the composers and works selected in previous years, so to be named a finalist this year is a thrill”.
NZSM Programme Leader for Composition, Michael Norris, says: “The continuing representation of NZSM staff, students and recent graduates in the SOUNZ Contemporary Award finals highlights the pre-eminence and excellence of our composition programme. We congratulate Ken and Salina on their nomination and wish them well for the award evening.”