Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Helen Clark today paid tribute to composer Douglas Lilburn, who died yesterday, saying his contribution to music in New Zealand was immense.

"Douglas Lilburn was an inspiration to many New Zealand musicians, as a teacher, mentor, composer, philanthropist and, perhaps above all, father figure.

"His contribution was such that he was made a member of the Order of New Zealand in 1988, New Zealand's top honour limited to twenty persons at any one time.

"His achievements were many. He was emeritus professor of Victoria University. He established the first electronic music studio in the southern hemisphere. He won numerous prizes for his compositions. Amongst his many works was his Aotearoa Overture which was performed in London to mark New Zealand's centenary.

"Above all, he was New Zealand's foremost contemporary composer. His work was instrumental in developing a distinctive New Zealand musical tradition.

"As Prime Minister and as Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, I extend the government's condolences to the Lilburn family," Helen Clark said.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>