Trans-Tasman Composer Exchange between Australia and New Zealand
Trans-Tasman Composer Exchange Program
The Australian Music Centre, in collaboration with SOUNZ, the Centre for New Zealand Music, established the Trans-Tasman composer exchange residency in 2003 to further develop music relationships between the two countries.
2005 Trans-Tasman Composer Exchange Residency
In 2005 New Zealand composer James Gardner spent time with Brisbane-based ensemble ELISION as the 2005 Trans-Tasman composer exchange resident. Gardner travelled to Brisbane in October for several weeks, working with ELISION at the Judith Wright Centre of Performing Arts. Daryl Buckley, director of ELISION, welcomed the "opportunity to engage with his artistic imagination and to have the opportunity of developing music specifically written for the virtuosity of the ELISION musicians"
After workshopping his ideas with the ensemble, Gardner created a work for clarinet, trombone, electric guitar, percussion and live electronics called Substance and Process. Gardner plans to create a series of pieces called Surveillance for various combinations of instruments, all electronically modified in real time.
The first outcome of Gardner's collaboration with ELISION will take place at Huddersfield New Music Festival on 17 November 2006. ELISION will perform using the raw material and audio files from this notated piece as the basis for a structured improvisation, which will uncover possible directions and future elaboration of materials for the forthcoming notated work. In May 2007 ELISION will premiere the final and fully notated work in Australia.
James Gardner
James Gardner moved to New Zealand from Britain a decade ago and has built a reputation as one of New Zealand's leading contemporary composers. He has given guest lectures in New Zealand, Spain and the United States and lectured on electronic music at the University of Auckland. Jim Gardner is the director of the Auckland-based contemporary music ensemble 175 East. The group has gained an international reputation and given many acclaimed world premiere performances of music by New Zealand and overseas composers.
ELISION
ELISION is Australia's premier New Music Ensemble. Since its formation in 1986, the ensemble has established a strong and distinctive international presence in new music performance touring extensively to Berlin, Oslo, Paris, Tokyo and Bremen. ELISION has developed innovative projects in the areas of contemporary opera, site-specific installation, improvisation and electronic music. In total, they have premiered over a hundred and twenty new works.
Funding
The 2005 Trans-Tasman Composer Exchange Residency was made possible by the support of Creative New Zealand; and SOUNZ – The Centre for New Zealand Music.
