A work based on the haunting boom of the kakapo by one of New Zealand's leading composers, John Rimmer, has been selected from 400 world-wide to be performed in the World Music Days in Slovenia at the end of September.
A work based on the haunting boom of the kakapo by one of New Zealand's leading composers, John Rimmer, has been selected from 400 world-wide to be performed in the World Music Days in Slovenia at the end of September.
"Kakapo Reborn" will be heard in one of 30 concerts which make up this major international music festival presented for the past 80 years by the International Society for Contemporary Music.

With the performance of John Rimmer's work, New Zealand marks its return to this forum for the first time in 40 years. With a new commitment from the Composers' Association of New Zealand, it is expected that from 2004 onwards
the inclusion of New Zealand works will be a more regular occurrence.

CANZ spokesperson Michael Norris says, "We hope that by having New Zealand representation in a high-profile international organisation such as the ISCM, we are directly increasing the visibility of New Zealand composers and
compositions on a global stage."

Kakapo Reborn was originally commissioned by the Auckland Philharmonia and premiered last year by the Ensemble Philharmonia.

To evoke the distinctively low call of the world's largest parrot, Rimmer plumbed the depths of musical instrumentation, scoring it unusually for bass
clarinet, bass trombone, cello and double bass.

The performance takes place on Saturday 27 September, Tartini Theatre, Piran, Slovenia.

Margaret Ogilvie or Scilla Askew
At the Centre for NZ Music (SOUNZ)
marg@sounz.org.nz or scilla@sounz.org.nz