Five award-winning New Zealand composers will write a new work for the highest bidder.

The composers are Eve de Castro-Robinson, Chris Gendall, Ross Harris, John Psathas and Gillian Whitehead.

“Five great composers, five new works! We are delighted to be able to offer SOUNZtender, a unique project that allows music lovers to tender for their own special piece of music created by one of New Zealand’s leading composers,” says Lloyd Williams, Chair of the Board of SOUNZ, the Centre for New Zealand Music.

The successful bidders will then have the opportunity to discuss the content of the piece with the composer, name the work and suggest the instrument or voice for which the work will be composed.  They will receive a performance and recording by a leading New Zealand performer, exclusive rights to performances for a year, and a presentation copy of the score signed by the composer.

“We don’t believe this has ever been done in New Zealand before. Through SOUNZtender anyone can bid for these works and use this as a chance to mark a special event or to honour an exceptional person or organisation with music written especially for them.”

“We are looking forward to this immensely. Bidders will be supporting New Zealand music and adding to the New Zealand music repertoire while at the same time working with composers to create a piece specifically for them,” Lloyd Williams concludes.

Bidding opens at noon on Thursday 14 May and progress can be tracked on the SOUNZ website. Proceeds will be donated to SOUNZ to support the work it does in promoting and providing New Zealand music. The winning bids and the amount raised will be announced by Hon Chris Finlayson, Minister for the Arts, Culture and Heritage after the bidding closes on 31 May 2009.

Full details of the tender are available on the SOUNZ website,  or by emailing project@sounz.org.nz or by phoning 04 801 8601. 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Contacts:
Scilla Askew
Executive Director
Email: project@sounz.org.nz or scilla@sounz.org.nz
Phone: (64 4) 801 8601  or (64 4) 801 8602

SOUNZ, the Centre for New Zealand Music
SOUNZ is a music information centre whose purpose is to provide and promote music by New Zealand composers through a range of services and projects. It is home to the largest accessible collection of music by New Zealand composers in the world.
The Centre was established in 1991 and is funded by Creative New Zealand, APRA and also through PPNZ Ltd. The Centre is a not-for-profit charitable trust whose trustees serve in an honorary capacity. (Charities Commission Registration No. CC22488)
Further information about the Centre is available here
More information about SOUNZtender is available here.

Composers
The five composers are previous winners of the SOUNZ Contemporary Award and fully represented SOUNZ composers.
Eve de Castro-Robinson ; Chris Gendall ; Ross Harris ; John Psathas ; Gillian Whitehead

SOUNZ Contemporary Award
More information about SOUNZ Contemporary Award is available here.