Nathaniel Otley wins SOUNZ Contemporary Award

Congratulations to our CANZ composer Nathaniel Otley for winning the presitigious 2024 SOUNZ Contemporary Award!

'the convergence of oceans' delves into the powerful theme of convergence, drawing inspiration from the natural phenomenon of ocean currents merging. Through intricate sonic layering, the composer explores an interplay of diverse and contrasting sounds, creating a richly textured orchestral work that reflects both musical and oceanic confluence.

Nathaniel Otley says, “It's an absolute honour to have won the 2024 SOUNZ Contemporary Award | Te Tohu Auaha. The award is such a wonderful celebration of the work done within our compositional community in Aotearoa and it's quite surreal to have won it this year. Getting the opportunity to write the convergence of oceans was an immense privilege and it was very special to get to work with the NZSO National Youth Orchestra in bringing the piece to life. I'm thrilled the work has had a resonance within our community and feel very fortunate to have it recognised in this way. There are too many people who have supported both the writing of thispiece and my musical journey more broadly to name people individually but I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful and generous community of family, friends, mentors and supporters around me.”