School of Music Proudly Presents . . . GONG CRAZY!

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Media Release for Immediate Use: September 2009
 
 
The New Zealand School of Music Proudly Presents . . .
GONG CRAZY!
A concert of new music for gamelan & other instruments

3 & 4 October 2009, 8.00pm
Adam Concert Room, NZ School of Music Kelburn Campus (Gate 7, Kelburn Parade)
Prices: $25/$15 concessions
Bookings: gongcrazy@nzsm.ac.nz or 04 463 5233 ext. 8960

A concert celebration of Jack Body’s 30 years at Victoria University and The New Zealand School of Music!

 
“Some people might like a concert of their own music to celebrate retirement,” says composer and passionate musician Jack Body. “But I want to share an evening of music with friends!”
 
Body’s compositions cover most genres, including solo and chamber music, orchestral music, music-theatre, music for dance and film as well as electro-acoustic music. A fascination with the music and cultures of Asia, particularly Indonesia, has been a strong influence on his music. My Name is Mok Bhon, an orchestral work based on Cambodian music, was premiered at this year’s NZSO concert of New Zealand music, and is a finalist in the 2009 SOUNZ Contemporary Award. As an ethnomusicologist his published recordings include music from Indonesia and China.
 
Since 1980 he has lectured at Victoria University of Wellington (now New Zealand School of Music). He sites highlights from his extensive career at Victoria University as:
 
1)    The amazing stimulus of working with young musicians – “I learn a lot from my students and love the energy they bring to their work. I’ve always said I never had any children of my own, but I feel like I’ve got 100’s!”  
2)    Encouraging students to see the potential in all different types, styles and methods of music. “It’s important to me for composers to experience other kinds of music and other ways to create music - how it’s all put together. That’s why I encourage them to play Indonesian gamelan.”
3)    Supporting and nurturing the development of our musical culture “I’ve always been committed to promoting NZ music as best I can through publishing scores and CDs and through organizing events of various kinds. I feel strongly that the job I’ve had at the university – which is a very privileged position, at least for a composer – carries with it a responsibility to do this.”

Gong Crazy features new music for gamelan in combination with an assortment of wonderful and rarely heard instruments including the sheng (Chinese mouth organ), gambus (Indonesian lute), guzheng (Chinese zither) along with traditional Western classical instruments and the New Zealand School of Music’s two gamelan ensembles, Padhang Moncar (Java) and Taniwha Jaya (Bali).

Gong Crazy will showcase compositions many from Body’s current and former students (including John Psathas, Gareth Farr and Helen Bowater), features special guest musicians Wang Zheng-Ting (China/Australia), Irwansyah Harahap (Indonesia), Rithaony Hutajulu (Indonesia), John Rae (Scotland/NZ), the New Zealand String Quartet, and offers a delightfully exotic sonic smorgasbord!

 
www.gamelan.orgnz

Gong Crazy features compositions by:

Jack Body & Wayan Yudane
A House is Bali (string quartet & gamelan Bali, and narrator)

Helen Bowater
Sun Wu Kong -Monkey (gamelan Java, string quartet, sheng, singers(s), rebab, frog toys)

Irwansjah Harahap
Born (string quartet, sheng, clarinet, marimba, hasapi etc)

Ross Harris
Enteng - light, easy (gamelans Bali & Java)

John Psathas
waiting : still (Balinese musician & piano)

Gareth Farr
Interlude (Balinese gamelan, viola & sheng)

Megan Collins
Mata (taonga puoro, rabab pasisia, saluang, percussion & gongs)

David Sanders
(gamelan instruments and spinning wheel)

Andre Nowicki
(bassoon, gamelan Bali)

Thomas Lambert
The Dancing Lights (3 players of gamelan Java, 2 voices, electric guitar)

Shen Nalin
Wang (sheng, zheng, 4 singers, taonga puoro, saron, gong)

Anton Killin
Cycles, Shadows (gender, bassoon/viola and clarinet)

Leon Delorenzo
Vessel electroacoutsic and masked actor

John Rae, Budi Putra, Wayan Yudane, Ajay
(drum jam)

With thanks to our generous sponsors:
Victoria University of Wellington, The Indonesian Embassy, Creative NZ, NZSM, Australian High Commission, Wellington City Council, Asia: NZ Foundation

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