One of the questions of new music is: what and how much do composers owe their audiences? It's something Nathaniel Otley, a composer of exciting but unapologetically experimental music, has been dealing with lately.
"Composers," he says, finally, "have a responsibility to be aware of who they are, but you also need to be true to yourself."
It's worked for him so far. In 2019, he claimed both the NZSO Todd Corporation Young Composer Award and the University of Otago Lilburn Trust Composition Competition, and last year featured at the prestigious Voix Nouvelles Academy in France.
He is currently the NZSO National Youth Orchestra composer-in-residence, and the group plays his new work, The Convergence of Oceans, in Wellington and Auckland at the end of the month.
Denne historien er fra July 1-7 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra July 1-7 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
