APO Appoints Kenneth Young as Composer Mentor

MEDIA RELEASE: Tuesday 23 November 2010

APO Appoints Kenneth Young as Composer Mentor

Budding New Zealand composers will receive more support in 2011 with the appointment of Ken Young as the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Composer Mentor.

The APO Composer Mentor role is new in 2011 and will provide additional support for developing composers alongside the APO’s Composer in Residence John Psathas as part of the APO’s Education Programme.

The APO Education Programme includes special events and projects spanning all ages and experiences aimed at encouraging people to experience orchestral music for the first-time as well as supporting and mentoring some of the outstanding young musicians of the future.

Composition forms a segment of the programme with workshops, tutorials and the Secondary Composers’ Competition.

As APO Composer Mentor, Ken Young will be working closely with students involved in the workshops and the competition, and will also work on special projects including the new collaboration between New Zealand authors and composers for the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival, and the growing Remix the Orchestra project where students write songs and music mixing classical and hip hop.

Ken is already well-known to the APO as a conductor – and will be conducting the orchestra for the upcoming performances of the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s The Nutcracker and the APO’s Celebrate Christmas concerts in December.

With a career spanning a stint as Principal Tuba for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Ken’s development as a composer began in his teens when his music teacher encouraged him to write music as well as conduct and embark on a course of serious music study.

As a composer, he has had works commissioned by a number of New Zealand orchestras and arts organisations including the NZSO, APO, Wellington Youth Orchestra, New Zealand International Arts Festival and Chamber Music New Zealand.

ENDS

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