This year I’ve been lucky enough to have two CDs released that feature my works. Aeon is a Rattle CD of works commemorating my friend and composer Martin Lodge. As well as my work dedicated to his wife Gail, there are works by many of my fellow NZ composers and a string quartet by Martin.
Most recently a CD of four of my orchestral works has been released by Atoll. This project has been a couple of years in the making and has involved both the NZSO and the Auckland Philharmonia. It’s exciting to see the final product.
I was thrilled to attend three more performances of my opera Mataatua in mid-May. The 2026 performances also marked the last programme that Peter Walls conducted with Opus Orchestra who together with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra have championed this work.
Tessa Petersen, leader of the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, and I were delighted to receive a 2025 Dunedin Theatre Award for ‘Outstanding concept: libretto’ for The Journey of Mataatua Whare. Tessa played a major role in bringing the project to life.
The New Zealand String Quartet has been named best classical artist at the 2024 Aotearoa Music Awards for their Atoll CD Notes from a Journey II. It features 6 works by fellow New Zealand composers including my Poroporoaki.
