On Tuesday 21 March between 1.30 and 2.30 pm, join our live videoconference to talk with
New Zealand composer John Psathas
John Psathas is a celebrated New Zealand composer of high-energy percussion music and larger-scale concert works. In March this year John is performing the premiere of Zeibekiko in the New Zealand International Arts Festival. Zeibekiko is commissioned and premiered by the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble and has been inspired by 2,500 years of Greek music.
John received international exposure as the composer for the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. His fanfare for the opening of Te Papa was recorded by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and came to the attention of the organising committee in the course of a worldwide search.
This videoconference will be very relevant for students doing NCEA level music. John will share his own process of writing and in turn encourages students to ask him questions about performance and composition.
Join John in conversation and find out about:
- Building a career as a professional composer – how did John begin his own music career?
- Composing and writing music – how can you achieve a balance between working on composition and fitting in other aspects of the course?
- How to stay motivated and inspired to write music
- Overcoming difficulties with translating creative and imaginative ideas into notated score?
- How relevant is composing to our everyday life?
- The importance of listening widely to many different compositions.
Hear and see some of John Psathas’s compositions.
TO REGISTER FOR THIS VIDEO-CONFERENCE, CONTACT digitalconversations@cwa.co.nz BY TUESDAY 14 MARCH 2006.
Telephone: (04) 382 6506
