At the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s rehearsal of Relish in Immature Bombast in 2012.
I compose and arrange works for orchestras, chamber ensembles, choirs, classical soloists… all sorts that might be classified as “dots-on-paper”. (Also comedy songs and musicals – see Comedy Songmaker and Music Director.)
My compositions are represented by SOUNZ: Centre for New Zealand Music. You can buy scores and view my profile and see videos and stuff —> here.
I also have music on other people’s albums: check those out at my Albums page.
With Ross Harris at the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s recording of Feral, Wellington, 2009.
I held the 2012 University of Otago Mozart Fellowship, a one-year full-time composer residency in Dunedin, New Zealand. I’ve also been the Auckland Youth Orchestra Composer-in-Residence (2012), and I’ve won competitions like the NZSO/Todd Young Composers Award (2009), and the Douglas Lilburn Memorial Prize (2006 & 2007).
There are letters after my name which indicate I know how to compose good: I have a Bachelor of Music (Honours) in Composition from the University of Auckland, where I studied with John Elmsly, Eve de Castro-Robinson, and John Coulter.
Orchestral Comedy
In 2019, I got to create a show with conductor Mina Zikri and the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago. Take a look at some of the video, including the academically questionable musical history lessons.
This one incorporates my original mash-up Monty Python’s Flying Dutchman:
Musicals
Performing the Root Vegetable Opera with Jonathan Berkahn, Wellington, 2014.
I compose musicals too. (Also see Music Director.) These have included (co-written with):
- Alien Locusts from Beyond the Stars! (C.J. Tuor, Chicago, 2017)
- Olive Copperbottom (Penny Ashton, Auckland and on tour, 2017 onwards)
- Camp Psychopathways (Danny Galvin & Brad Pike, Chicago, 2016)
- Ask Your Doctor (Jillian Mueller, Chicago, 2016-17)
- The Great Annoyance Melodrama and Vaudeville Holiday Revue (C.J. Tuor, Chicago, 2015)
- Self-Starters (Danny Galvin, Andi Sharavsky, Gretchen Eng & Jonathan Love, Chicago, 2015)
- At Least We Have Our Jobs (Francesca Emms, Radio New Zealand Wellington, 2013)
- Annie & Joshua (Thomas Sainsbury, Auckland, 2013)
- Promise & Promiscuity (Penny Ashton, Auckland and on tour, 2013 onwards)
Who has performed my music?
Orchestras:
- New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (Wellington and on tour)
- Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
- Orchestra Wellington (on tour)
- Auckland Youth Orchestra
- Dunedin Youth Orchestra
Chamber ensembles:
- Saxcess (Wellington and on tour)
- Blackbird Ensemble (Auckland)
- Estrella (Auckland and on tour)
- KAIA String Quartet (Chicago)
- Classical Revolution Chicago
- 175 East (Auckland)
- SMP Ensemble (Wellington)
- Chamber Vulgarus (Dunedin)
Choirs and vocal ensembles:
- Choral Chameleon (New York City)
- Laudamus (Auckland)
- Voicemale (Westlake Boys’ High School, Auckland)
Other performers:
- Stephen De Pledge (piano)
- Buz Bryant-Greene (piano)
- John Van Buskirk (piano)
- Doug Peck (piano)
- Luis Galvez (piano, tenor)
- Chihsuan Yang (violin)
- Tessa Petersen (violin)
- Victoria Moreira (violin)
- Sarah McCracken (violin)
- Zachary Montasser (violin)
- Blake Allen (viola)
- Aurélien Pétillot (viola)
- Emma Dann (viola)
- Alex McFarlane (viola)
- Anna McGregor (clarinets)
- Yvette Audain (clarinet, saxophones)
- Nick Cornish (saxophone)
- Airan Wright (saxophone)
- Reuben Chin (saxophone)
- David Kay (horn, conductor)
- Thomas Eves (trumpet)
- Jono Sawyer (drums)
- Tim Noon (organ)
- Frances Moore (soprano)
- Rose Guccione (soprano)
- Roxann Ferguson (mezzo soprano)
- Andrew Grenon (tenor)
- Daniel O’Connor (baritone)
- Stuart Devenie (actor)
- Hamish McKeich (conductor)
- Kenneth Young (conductor)
- Marc Taddei (conductor)