2025 Composer Workshop Registrations

ATTENDING THE WORKSHOP

VENUE University of Auckland School of Music and Kenneth Myers Centre, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

DATES 6pm start, Tuesday 2 September–Friday 5 September, ending approx. 9pm

MENTORS Our line-up of mentors varies from year to year. Recent mentors include Michael Norris, Leonie Holmes, David Chisholm, Chris Cree Brown, Tristan Carter, Eve de Castro-Robinson, Phil Dadson, Reuben de Lautour, Simon Eastwood, Glenda Keam, Martin Lodge, Fabio Morreale, Celeste Oram, and Gemma Peacocke. 2025 mentors will be announced in due course. 

COST There is no tuition or participation fee. Participants and observers are required to cover the cost of their own accommodation, meals, and travel.

ACCOMMODATION/CATERING The workshop facilitates accommodation in private dorms shared with other participants of the workshop, with a simple breakfast provided each morning. See more details on accommodation and catering below. 

TRAVEL Participants are expected to make their own travel arrangements to and from the workshop. 

CANZ MEMBERSHIP Membership to the Composers Association of New Zealand is compulsory for all participants. Successful applicants who are not already members can join and pay their annual CANZ membership fee. For further information, see http://canz.net.nz/join-canz/.

APPLICATION FORM

On the application form you will be asked to select the instrumentation that you wish to write for. There are limited slots available for each ensemble or solo instrument. The form (see link below), will go live on Sunday 27 April at 7pm. The link will be inactive until that time. Details on available ensembles are included on the following pages, so that you can decide on your preferences in advance. 

https://form.jotform.com/250717788642064

TIMELINE

28 April, 9pm - Application form goes live. We encourage you to prepare in advance so you have the best chance of being able to write for your preferred instrumentation.

12 May, 11.59pm - Deadline for completing applications. The form may deactivate prior to this deadline, once all workshop slots are full. You will receive an email confirming your status by 11.59pm Friday 16 May. 

7 July - Final deadline to submit score/parts for your workshop pieces. 

Please note, you are not required to submit a complete work. Works-in-progress, excerpts, and sketches are acceptable. The only criteria is that if instrumental works are unfinished, score/parts should be presentable. Score submission guidelines will be sent to attendees in due course. 

2-5 September - CANZ COMPOSERS WORKSHOP (arrive Tuesday 2 September, depart Saturday 6 September)

ARTISTIC FORMS / INSTRUMENTATION

We welcome attendees to create works across a range of musical artforms, including sonic arts, improvisation, installations, and electroacoustic/electronic music, including works for live performer/s, amplification, fixed media, and live processing. 

Please bear in mind that this is a workshop setting and, as such, the maximum duration for each work is 7 minutes. Your work will be allocated a 15-minute session, for performance and discussion. Please note: if your work is shorter, you could have more time for discussion, or potentially a second run at the performance. Audio recordings of all workshop sessions will be provided to all participants.

23 slots are available for instrumental works and 6 slots are available for sonic artists to workshop a sound installation. See next page for more details on this. 

For instrumental works, the following base ensembles are available:

• Ensemble 1: string trio (viola, violin, cello)

• Ensemble 2: saxophones/flute, viola, guitars

• Ensemble 1 + auxiliary*

• Ensemble 2 + auxiliary*

• Ensemble 3: taonga pūoro, saxophones/flute, violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello, bass, drum kit, conductor 

• Viola or violin solo

• Drum kit solo

• Taonga pūoro solo

• Sound installation

You may add electronics to any ensemble.

*These ensembles can be customised by adding an auxiliary violin/viola, drum kit, drum kit and jazz bass, or taonga pūoro. Like the base ensembles, there are limited slots per auxiliary selection.

ENSEMBLE 1: VIOLIN, VIOLA, CELLO

Members of the Moth Quartet

This group has a focussed improvisation practice. We encourage you to engage this and integrate improvisation into your composition for string trio. If you select this ensemble, you will be put in touch with a player to discuss how you might approach this.

ENSEMBLE 2: SAXOPHONES/FLUTE, VIOLA, GUITARS/OUD

• Soprano, alto, tenor & baritone saxophone; C flute (1 player)

• Viola

• Classical guitar, electric guitar (strat with Marshall CODE 50), oud (Turkish tuning — D-A-E-B-F#-C# going treble to bass) (1 player)

The saxophonist works primarily in jazz and pop music.

ENSEMBLE 3: SAXOPHONES/FLUTE, TAONGA PŪORO, GUITAR(S), VIOLIN 1, VIOLIN 2, VIOLA, CELLO, DRUM KIT, BASS, CONDUCTOR

The large ensemble offering this year—performers from the core ensembles, plus auxiliaries. This ensemble will be conducted.

SOLOIST 1/AUXILIARY1: TAONGA PŪORO

Performer: Komako A Silver

This performer is not a proficient reader of Western notation. Composers who select taonga pūoro will get an audio file demonstrating the specific taonga pūoro you will be working with.

SOLOIST 2: DRUM KIT

Kick, snare, hat, ride, crash, 3 toms.

AUXILIARY 2: DRUM KIT and BASS

This rhythm section is only available as an auxiliary to other ensembles.

SOLOIST 3/AUXILIARY 3: VIOLIN/VIOLA

Soloist: Mark Menzies.

SOUND INSTALLATION

Six slots are available for sonic artists to develop an octophonic sound installation that incorporates motion capture technology to track and respond to movement. Later in the year, the University of Auckland will commission a sound installation using a similar format, to be presented in their General Library. Installations developed during the CANZ Composers' Workshop may be submitted for consideration for this commission.

Please note: while the workshop provides a valuable opportunity to develop and test ideas, participation does not guarantee selection. The final decision for the commission rests solely with the University of Auckland.

ACCOMMODATION / CATERING

The workshop facilitates accommodation at Attic Backpackers on Wellesley Street in private dorms shared with other participants of the workshop. This is a 15-minute walk from the University of Auckland School of Music. The cost of this for each participant is $55 per night. Staying with the workshop cohort enables a greater amount of socialising and discussion with your peers, and is highly encouraged. Participants are free to arrange their own accommodation if they wish.

A simple breakfast is provided for those staying at Attic Backpackers at no additional cost. Lunch and fully catered dinner options are also available Weds-Fri ($18 for lunches and $25 for dinners). As with accommodation, participants are free to make their own arrangements.

2025 CANZ CONFERENCE

The CANZ Conference will take place at the University of Auckland School of Music on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September, directly following the workshop. With the theme “Composing the Present: Practices, Frictions, Futures” the Conference is open to all CANZ members and will provide the opportunity for collective reflection on the unique demands and possibilities of creating music here and now.

For those staying at the workshop accommodation and intending to attend the conference, it may be possible for CANZ to extend your accommodation for the extra two nights. You will be responsible for all associated costs. 

Please see the Call for Papers/Proposals for information on submitting a proposal - submissions from early-career composers and students are strongly encouraged. Conference registration information and a call for scores will be available in late April. 

Any questions can be directed to convenor Samuel Holloway at samuel.holloway@aut.ac.nz.

CONTACTS

Convenor - Jessie Leov 

Performer Curator - Elliot Vaughan 

canznelsoncomposersworkshop@gmail.com

Please contact us with queries you may have concerning the workshop and your application. We are happy to assist where possible. Updated information about the workshop will be made available on the CANZ website, instagram, and facebook page closer to the time. 

FUNDING

The CANZ Composers Workshop gratefully receives funding from:

Creative New Zealand

Nicholas Tarling Charitable Trust

Lilburn Trust

APRA AMCOS NZ