composer profiles

Dorothy Ker

Dorothy Ker studied with Nicola Lefanu and Harrison Birtwistle, completing a PhD at York University in 1998. She has held research fellowships at Reading University (2001-2004) and Sheffield University (2005-2010), where she is currently Senior Lecturer in Composition. A UK citizen of 25 years, Dorothy still draws strongly on the NZ landscape, a connection rekindled in 2013-14 while she was a Visiting Scholar at Victoria University, Wellington. Dorothy’s work includes mixed-media music theatre, orchestral, chamber and solo music, with a focus more recently on collaborations with leading soloists, including oboist Christopher Redgate (21st Century Oboe project), cellist Lucas Fels (of the Arditti Quartet) and guitarist Dylan Lardelli, as well as piano trio, with Onaia , co-commissioned by NZTrio and Fidelio Trio in 2015, and the current work Time Bends in the Rock. An important recent collaboration has been with guzheng player Shu Jiang, resulting in a collection of solo pieces for guzheng, and the foundations of a new creative dialogue with China and Chinese musicians

 Jeroen Speak

Jeroen Speak studied composition with Michael Finnissy and Jonathan Harvey at the University of Sussex UK, where he completed a PHD in 2003, and is the recipient of numerous national and international awards, including the Irino prize (1998) and the Yoshiro Irino Memorial Prize (1992). Speak has worked extensively in Taiwan and China where he has researched, lectured, and organised workshops and performances of contemporary music. He has been Composer in Residence for Visiting Arts (UK/China) and Artist Links (UK/Taiwan) supported by the British Council and at the New Zealand School of Music (2013-14)

Dylan Lardelli

Born in Wellington New Zealand, Dylan holds degrees in Guitar performance, and Composition from Victoria University Wellington. He has studied with Stefano Bellon in Venice and has held a DAAD stipend to work with Dieter Mack at the Lübeck Musikhochshule in Germany. In 2016 Dylan held an artistic research residency at the Tokyo Wonder Site. Dylan’s music has been performed throughout the world by musicians such as Lucas Vis, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Tosiya Suzuki, Ensemble Vortex, the NZtrio and members of Ensemble Modern.His pieces have been programmed in the Gaudeamus music week in Amsterdam, the Darmstadt New Music Festival, the New Zealand Arts Festival, and the Bendigo International Festival of Exploratory Music. As a Guitarist Dylan has performed with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Stroma contemporary music ensemble, 175 East new music ensemble, and throughout Asia and Europe. Dylan has recorded numerous New Zealand Compositions, and is a strong advocate of New Zealand music through commissioning and programming

Gao Ping

Gao Ping is a composer-pianist, born in Chengdu, Sichuan province of China. He studied in the USA in the 1990’s. In demand as a composer, he has received commissions and performances from musicians around the world. Many prestigious venues have presented his work such as the Aspen Music Festival, Dresdener Musikfestspiele, Hibiki Hall Festival (Japan), New Zealand International Arts Festival (Wellington), and the Beijing-Modern International Music Festival.

Gao Ping’s two albums released on Naxos label were critically acclaimed and was as “music which wants to be heard with ears of a child, full of wonder and amazement…. deep and vulnerable.”

Gao is currently a Professor in Composition at the Conservatory of Music-Capital Normal University as well as a guest professor at the China Conservatory of Music. He previously taught at the Canterbury University in New Zealand.