Salina Fisher wins the SOUNZ Contemporary Award

Salina Fisher wins the SOUNZ Contemporary Award for the second year in a row

SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music is delighted to announce that Salina Fisher has won the 2017 SOUNZ Contemporary Award with Tōrino - echoes on pūtōrino improvisations by Rob Thorne.

Salina (b.1993), who also won the prestigious composition award last year with Rainphase, is the youngest ever winner of the SOUNZ Contemporary Award. She is also the youngest woman ever nominated for the Award, this year for the second time. The winner was announced at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards held at the Dunedin Town Hall on Thursday 28 September.

Salina is currently studying for an MA in Composition at the Manhattan School of Music in New York and was not present at the event. Taonga pūoro artist Rob Thorne accepted the award, presented by composer Gareth Farr, on Salina’s behalf.

Tōrino is inspired by the voices of the taonga pūoro instrument pūtōrino. The work was commissioned in 2016 by Chamber Music New Zealand for performance by the New Zealand String Quartet, and it will represent New Zealand at the ISCM World New Music Days 2017 in Canada.

Salina studied composition and violin at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music. Her works have been performed both in NZ and internationally, including performances by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Stroma New Music Ensemble and Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. The rising young composer was the 2015 NZSO National Youth Orchestra Composer-in-Residence, and the 2014-15 Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's 'Rising Star' Young Composer-in-Residence. Her 2016 SOUNZ Contemporary Award winning work, Rainphase, was selected for the 2016 NZSO-RNZ Concert-SOUNZ Recordings.

SOUNZ Executive Director Diana Marsh said, “Salina’s ‘Tōrino’ is a work that seamlessly combines western musical tradition with Aoteaora’s own musical heritage. It is fantastic to see, and hear, a young composer take her work into this exciting direction. SOUNZ is again very impressed with the incredibly high standard of works entered for the SOUNZ Contemporary Award and the high quality of composition from New Zealand composers. Ngā mihi nui, congratulations, Salina.”

The winning work was selected by a judging panel of independent industry representatives including an international composer representative Gao Ping (China/NZ) and New Zealanders Chris Cree Brown, Stephen de Pledge, Bridget Douglas and Marc Taddei.

The SOUNZ Contemporary Award celebrates excellence in contemporary composition, recognising New Zealand compositions that demonstrate outstanding levels of creativity and inspiration. The Award has been presented in partnership with APRA since 1998.

The winners of the other awards are:
APRA Silver Scroll Award: Ella Yelich O’Connor, Jack Antonoff, Joel Little (Lorde) - Green Light
APRA Maioha Award: Henry de Jong, Lewis de Jong, Ethan Trembath (Alien Weaponry) - Raupatu
APRA Best Original Music in a Series Award: Claire Cowan - Hillary
APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award: Tim Prebble - One Thousand Ropes
NZ Music Hall of Fame: The Clean -Hamish Kilgour, David Kilgour, Robert Scott, and Peter Gutteridge

ends.

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