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Tag: Douglas Lilburn

Douglas Lilburn New Zealand’s Musical Grandfather

Being such a huge Sibelius fan, I remember being positively charmed on my discovery of the music of Douglas Lilburn. Lilburn is probably New Zealand’s most celebrated composer.

Lilburn studied journalism and music at Canterbury University College, then part of the University of New Zealand, before embarking for London’s Royal College of Music. There he was tutored by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The two remained good friends, with Lilburn sending his former teacher gifts of New Zealand honey.

Lilburn made his mark at home not only as a composer, but as a conductor and a noted teacher. For decades, he was associated with Victoria University in Wellington, beginning in 1947.

Astonishingly, for one whose own music was so rooted in tradition, Lilburn founded the first electronic music studio in Australasia. This followed visits to electronic facilities at Darmstadt and the University of Toronto.

Actually, his comparatively thorny Third Symphony signaled something of a turning point. Soon after its completion, in 1961, he shifted his attention exclusively to electronics, a field in which he spent the remainder of his career. Many of his works in the medium evoke the New Zealand landscape and the natural sounds he loved so well.

Lilburn died in 2001. He was 85 years old. He has been described as “the elder statesman” and “grandfather” of New Zealand music.

Happy birthday to this eminent antipodean!

“A Song of Islands” (1946)

The composer in the electronic music studio he founded

November 2, 2023
Gemma New Returns to New Zealand Symphony

Congratulations to Gemma New, now back on her home turf as principal conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra!

New is a familiar face here in New Jersey, thanks to her five-year stint as associate conductor of the New Jersey Symphony. Like her compatriot Edmund Hillary, she has been scaling mountains ever since, as resident conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and music director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in Hamilton, Ontario.

I saw her lead a concert at Richardson Auditorium here in Princeton in 2019, and her Sibelius 2nd was a knockout – an inspiring performance, with New, an unassuming presence off the podium, astonishingly authoritative, with a clean and confident baton technique.

I interviewed her in advance of the concert for the Trenton Times. Nice to see the article linked among the footnotes on her Wikipedia page. I think I broke the ice by being so well-versed in the music of Douglas Lilburn (New Zealand’s national composer).

Best wishes to Gemma New. Now on to the next peak!

https://www.nj.com/times-entertainment/2016/10/classical_music_njso_performin_1.html

Press release

https://www.primoartists.com/news/new-nzso-appointment

Conducting Lilburn’s “Aotearoa Overture”

February 28, 2022
Douglas Lilburn New Zealand’s Celebrated Composer

Being such a huge Sibelius fan, I remember being positively charmed on my discovery of the music of Douglas Lilburn. Lilburn is probably New Zealand’s most celebrated composer.

Lilburn studied journalism and music at Canterbury University College (then part of the University of New Zealand), before embarking for London’s Royal College of Music. There he was tutored by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The two remained good friends, with Lilburn sending his former teacher gifts of New Zealand honey.

Lilburn made his mark at home not only as a composer, but also as a conductor and a noted teacher. For decades, beginning in 1947, he was associated with Victoria University in Wellington.

Astonishingly, for one whose own music was so rooted in tradition, Lilburn founded the first electronic music studio in Australasia. This followed visits to electronic facilities at Darmstadt and the University of Toronto.

Actually, his comparatively thorny Third Symphony signaled something of a turning point. Soon after its completion, in 1961, he shifted his attention exclusively to electronics, a field in which he spent the remainder of his career. Many of his works in the medium evoke the New Zealand landscape and the natural sounds he loved so well.

Lilburn died in 2001. He was 85 years old. He has been described as the “elder statesman” and “grandfather” of New Zealand music.

Happy birthday to this Sibelius of the Southern Cross!

Liliburn’s “A Song of Islands” (1946):

The composer in the electronic music studio he founded:

PHOTO: Ant’s-eye Antipodean

November 2, 2020
Gemma New NZ to NJ & Classical Music

From the antipodes to New Jersey!

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, less than 30 years ago, conductor Gemma New has come up in the world, both literally and figuratively. This former associate conductor of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is entering her second season as music director of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in Ontario, a recent Dudamel Conducting Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and now resident conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

She returns this week to conduct the NJSO in music by Sibelius (his Symphony No. 2), Grieg (his Piano Concerto, with Stewart Goodyear the soloist), and her compatriot Douglas Lilburn (the “Aotearoa Overture,” a piece seemingly no non-New Zealander can pronounce). Remaining performances will take place at Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium tonight at 8:00, the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank tomorrow night at 8:00, and the State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick Sunday afternoon at 3:00.

You can learn more about this up-and-coming conductor, her thoughtfully constructed program, the relationship of Sibelius to New Zealand, and the special significance of Lilburn’s music to Kiwi audiences, in my article in today’s Trenton Times.

http://www.nj.com/times-entertainment/index.ssf/2016/10/classical_music_njso_performin_1.html

October 7, 2016
Douglas Lilburn New Zealand’s Musical Pioneer

Being such a huge Sibelius fan, I remember being positively charmed by my discovery of the music of Douglas Lilburn. Lilburn is probably New Zealand’s most celebrated composer.

Lilburn studied journalism and music at Canterbury University College, then part of the University of New Zealand, before embarking for London’s Royal College of Music. There he was tutored by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The two remained good friends, with Lilburn sending his former teacher gifts of New Zealand honey.

Lilburn made his mark at home not only as a composer, but as a conductor and a noted teacher. For decades, he was associated with Victoria University in Wellington, beginning in 1947.

Astonishingly, for one whose own music was so rooted in tradition, Lilburn founded the first electronic music studio in Australasia. This followed visits to electronic facilities at Darmstadt and the University of Toronto.

Actually, his comparatively thorny Third Symphony signaled something of a turning point. Soon after its completion, in 1961, he shifted his attention exclusively to electronics, a field in which he spent the remainder of his career. Many of his works in the medium evoke the New Zealand landscape and the natural sounds he loved so well.

Lilburn died in 2001. He was 85 years old. He has been described as “the elder statesman” and “grandfather of New Zealand music.”

Happy birthday to this antipodean giant!

Liliburn’s “A Song of Islands” (1946):

The composer in the electronic music studio he founded:

PHOTO: Lilburn in a whimsical mood

November 2, 2014

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