New Zealand students will create an original composition, which will be influenced by Latin America, mentored by composers in Argentina and Colombia, and then performed publicly in New Zealand.

Latin America is known for its creativity in the arts and music space, providing a great opportunity for New Zealanders to gain a wealth of firsthand, transferable knowledge in this area​​.​  ​The Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence, in collaboration with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand School of Music,​ Puentes Abroad in Argentina,​ and Campus B​ in Colombia​, will provide New Zealand university​​ student​ composer​s with a music immersion ​experience ​centered around Latin America​, specifically​ Colombia and Argentina. ​

​The New Zealand student composers will participate in a series of virtual seminars, masterclasses, and forums led by Latin American ​musicians and composers, as well as in-person meetings in New Zealand.  The students will gain a fresh perspective on the classical music field in Latin America and explore connections between New Zealand and Latin America in the creative sector.  The New Zealand student composers will draw on Latin American influences to jointly compose an original 10-minute composition that will be performed live in New Zealand at the conclusion of the project.

Programme Activities

About Argentina

About Colombia

Music

Who is Who

 

A note from Latin America CAPE’s Director

It gives me great pleasure to join the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in welcoming you to the launch of the Latin America CAPE’s Musicality Programme.

Our Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence was established in 2017 to help New Zealanders engage more successfully with Latin America. Hosted at Victoria University of Wellington, and managed by a consortium that also includes Auckland, Waikato and Otago universities, we deliver innovative programmes that contribute to New Zealanders’ knowledge of Latin America and enhance relationships with the region.

Before they can choose to focus on Latin America, however, New Zealanders must first see that region’s relevance to their future and identify points of connection with it. For this reason we are working to strengthen cultural ties with the region’s peoples, as such ties can spark new opportunities for emotional, intellectual, and commercial encounters.

This Musicality programme is a perfect expression of our ambition. Through uniting young New Zealand composers with Latin American peers it will produce a new piece of cross-cultural music to be performed publicly by New Zealand music students. Beginning this weekend, there will be a series of structured activities designed with Latin American partners and mentored by New Zealand and Latin American composers that foster greater mutual understanding of our societies’ cultures, languages and rhythms. At it progresses, too, we look forward to seeing its fruits shared with music lovers in both countries and a new level of connections between our peoples.

Thank you for your support for this project and our work, and good luck with this exciting challenge!

Dr Matthew O’Meagher
Director
Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence 

 

Programme Learning Objectives

  • Develop basic awareness of Spanish language and its connection to music and Argentinian and Colombian cultures and people.

  • Grow knowledge of Latin American classical and country/culture-specific music traditions and styles.

  • Gain an understanding of the Argentine and Colombian music sector through direct contact with local professionals.

  • Produce a 10-minute composition for 12 musical instruments, influenced by Argentine and Colombian music traditions and practices, based on the Composer Lab and workshops.

  • Disseminate the completed composition via a live public performance, and upload to Latin America CAPE and NZSO social media channels.

  • Students apply learning and skills from the programme in the future.

 

The following programme sessions will be hosted on Zoom.

Zoom link: https://bit.ly/AliZoom (Meeting ID: 347 329 1586; Password: alipuentes)

Spanish Workshops

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 10:30AM - 12:00PM NZST
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 9:30AM - 11:00AM NZST
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 9:30AM - 11:00AM NZST
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 9:30AM - 11:00AM NZST

In these dynamic workshops, you will be introduced to the Spanish language, which is the world's second-most spoken native language. As a global language with more than 483 million native speakers, the majority of whom are in Spain and Latin America, the Spanish language shapes the Latin American culture, traditions, and rhythms in uncountable ways. We will review the standard sentence structure of Spanish, the cadences and tones of the Spoken language, its distinct sounds and phonetics, and typical phrases of Argentina and Colombia. We will also explore the connection between music and Spanish, music vocabulary in Spanish, and the ways in which the Spanish language influences Latin American culture.

Silvia Portalanza:

Born in Ecuador and living in Argentina since 2010, Silvia is an engaging and internationally experienced teacher of English and Spanish whose passion is to help students discover not only a language but also the nuances of the culture behind it.

Watch the Recording (Sep 15)
Watch the Recording (Sep 29)
Watch the Recording (Oct 6)
Watch the Recording (Oct 13)

Introduction to Colombia

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 9:00AM - 10:30AM NZST

In this first interaction, we will be in touch with the wide and diverse Colombian culture and understand its origins through history. The evidence of its diversity is everywhere: It is shown in the ethnicity, which is a cultural heritage itself, influenced by African slaves, Indigenous peoples and European immigrants; it can also be seen in the varied geography, with landscapes from the Amazon forest and Caribbean coast to the Andean mountains. You will be thrilled to connect with a little bit of the most populous spanish speaking country in South America and the second largest population in the continent.

Daniel Cardona:

He is a design thinker, graduated as an International Manager, whose passion is bringing solutions to conventional business using technology in creative ways. He loves working with different people and learning from diverse cultures; by becoming a guide he was able to give back to the community and learn more about the educational/professional challenges that nowadays students have. He is in love with Colombian territories and has been travelling the most part of it for the past 6 years now.

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Watch the Recording
Access the Miro Board

Introduction to Argentina

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 9:00AM - 10:30AM NZST

Argentina is an incredibly lively, sometimes contradictory, and always captivating country, and this seminar will offer an introduction to eighth largest country in the world and the largest Spanish-speaking nation by area. Through the stories of Argentina's people, we'll learn about the cultural influences contributed by diverse immigrant groups over the years. We'll get to know Argentina's vibrant street culture, flair for festivals and celebrations, and political and economic inclinations and struggles. We'll explore how traditions in food, sports, religion, arts, and music have been shaped by the country's immigrants and by strong connections with the land through agriculture and livestock.

Lisa Ubelaker Andrade:

Lisa received her Doctorate in History from Yale University, with a focus on Latin American Studies and United States International History. She is a Professor at the Universidad de San Andrés in Buenos Aires and is a Lecturer at New York University’s Buenos Aires Campus. She has published articles on transnational U.S. media in Latin America and is co-editor of the forthcoming Buenos Aires Reader due out in 2021 with Duke University Press.

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Argentine Music and Composition

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 8:00AM - 9:30AM NZST

The Argentine composer mentor Francisco Varela will walk us through the musical influences and composition styles most common in Argentina's past and present. He'll introduce you to notable Argentine composers and help you to understand how they have successfully crafted authentically local music to represent the country and the region.

Composer Mentor:

Francisco Varela. See biography in Who is Who.

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Access the Audio Guide

Argentine Folklore and “Gaucho” Culture

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 9:30AM - 11:00AM NZST

Using Argentine folklore music as our guide, we'll experience "gaucho" (Argentina cowboy) customs and cultures. We'll look at the roots of Argentine folklore music and how it has been shaped by cultural movements, historical moments, and key artists over time. We'll listen to typical types of folklore music played throughout Argentina's vast territory, and we'll discuss the "gaucho" attire, dance, sport, and drink.

Ceferino Marino Chamoux:

Ceferino was born and raised in the "gaucho" (Argentine cowboy) culture of Tres Arroyos, where the "Pampa Húmeda" (Humid Pampa) meets the sea and the main industries are agriculture and livestock. Ceferino is a self-taught songwriter, and he has always enjoyed listening to, dancing with, and performing folklore. From October to May of each year, he is a dynamic tour guide for treks on the Perito Moreno glacier in Argentine Patagonia. The rest of the year he travels throughout Europe, doing public and private performances of his audiovisual and multidisciplinary show about Argentina and its "gaucho" culture.

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Colombian Music and Composition

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 11:30AM - 1:00PM NZST

The composer Juan David Osorio will be your mentor for the Colombian side of the project. We will take this time for the first introductions and he will share his personal and professional experiences with the world of music and his knowledge and influences in the field.

Composer Mentor:

Juan David Osorio. See biography in Who is Who.

Music+Composition
Watch the Recording
Access Colombian Scores

Roots of Colombian Culture Expression

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1:30PM - 3:00PM NZST

We will make a fast journey through the main traditional manifestations of Colombia pointing to its Indigenous, African, and Spanish influences. We will hear and recognize traditions as Cumbia, cumbia sabanera and Bullerengue from the Atlantic coast. The Joropo from the plains in the east of Colombia. The music from the "cordillera" (music from the interior, or músic from the Andes Mountains), and the music from the North and the South of the Pacific Coast.

Adrian Sabogal:

Music master with extensive international experience in the field of musical performance and teaching. Graduated from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana with emphasis on Jazz Guitar. He has worked for fifteen years in research on the traditional music of the Pacific coast of Colombia. He has a high level of knowledge and experimentation with music from the Pacific and Jazz. Founder of Redil Cuarteto and Pambil, groups with a long trajectory who explore and reaffirm the tradition of Marimba music. Founder and music director of Marimbea, a creative enterprise designed to spread the culture of the Colombian Pacific, and support its actors through the design and realization of cultural tourism experiences.

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Access the Musical Map

Argentine Musical Instruments

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 8:00AM - 9:30AM NZST

We'll have a lively demonstration of representative Argentine instruments, which have their origins in folklore and pre-columbian music and which are used for festivals, cultural rituals, and religious ceremonies. We'll journey through Argentina's vast regions to hear the different rhythms of the guitar, including Huayno, Chacarera, Milonga, and Chamamé. We'll also learn about the origins and playing techniques of the charango, bombo leguero, siku, quena, and tarka.

Juan Vila:

Juan is a soloist of the Orchestra of Indigenous Instruments and New Technologies, with which he has participated in music festivals in Cuba, France, Peru, Slovenia, Argentina, and other countries. He is also a composer of contemporary popular music inspired by Latin American popular music, and he has has received national and international awards for his original compositions in folklore and contemporary music, specializing in charango, guitar, Andean wind instruments, and folk percussion. Juan has a PhD in Philosophy from the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) and a Masters Degree in Music, Traditional Arts, and New Technologies from the Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero (UNTREF). He is a university professor on the popular music of Latin America and indigenous thought, on music and philosophy, and on the construction of pre-columbian instruments, especially flutes, ocarinas, and teponaztlis.

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Watch the Recording
Access the Audio Guide

Composition Workshop with Argentine Composer Mentor

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 9:30AM - 11:00AM NZST

In this session, the New Zealand composer students will share their initial ideas for their original composition with the local Argentine composer mentor in order to receive his guidance. This will be an ideal time for questions, brainstorming, and more detailed exploration of topics discussed in previous ideation sessions.

Composer Mentor:

Francisco Varela. See biography in Who is Who.

Composition.jpg
Watch the Recording

A Deep Look into Colombian Instruments

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 11:30AM - 1:00PM NZST

We will start with a brief introduction to the geographical and social context of the Colombian Pacific Coast. Then we will get through the traditional instrument formation for the Marimba traditional music, to know how and why they build these ancestral instruments. You will hear some demonstrations of some of the main traditional rhythms of this Afro-Colombian tradition and some explanations of the context in which these specific rhythms are played. Finally, with a couple of simple games, I will invite you all to sing and play two traditional songs in different rhythms.

Adrian Sabogal:

Music master with extensive international experience in the field of musical performance and teaching. Graduated from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana with emphasis on Jazz Guitar. He has worked for fifteen years in research on the traditional music of the Pacific coast of Colombia. He has a high level of knowledge and experimentation with music from the Pacific and Jazz. Founder of Redil Cuarteto and Pambil, groups with a long trajectory who explore and reaffirm the tradition of Marimba music. Founder and music director of Marimbea, a creative enterprise designed to spread the culture of the Colombian Pacific, and support its actors through the design and realization of cultural tourism experiences.

Instrumentos+Colombia.jpg
Watch the Recording
Access the Presentation

Composition Workshop with Colombian Composer Mentor

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1:30PM - 3:00PM NZST

In this session, the New Zealand composer students will share their initial ideas for their original composition with the local Colombian composer mentor in order to receive his guidance. This will be an ideal time for questions, brainstorming, and more detailed exploration of topics discussed in previous ideation sessions.

Composer Mentor:

Juan David Osorio. See biography in Who is Who.

Watch the Recording

Composition Workshop with Top Peruvian Conductor

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 5:00PM - 6:30PM NZST

The New Zealand composer students will have the honor of receiving mentorship from the renowned Peruvian conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya. This will be an ideal way to close the intensive Composer Lab Weekend!

Composer Mentor:

Miguel Harth-Bedoya. See biography in Who is Who.

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With stunning landscapes, intense personalities and passions, and talented professionals across numerous industries, Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world, the fourth largest in the Americas, the second largest in South America after Brazil, and the largest Spanish-speaking nation by area. With European influences and "gaucho" (Argentine cowboy) culture, the country's creative sector of music, arts, cinema, and design is bustling, innovating, and achieving like never before. Argentina is a powerhouse in agriculture and livestock, and it has also produced some of the world's top athletes in soccer, rugby, and polo.


Government

The country is a representative federal and democratic republic, with Buenos Aires as the Federal Capital and 23 provinces. The national president and vice president, as well as the head of government of the city of Buenos Aires, the provincial governors, and the members of the legislative bodies are chosen by the universal, secret, and compulsory vote of citizens of either sex above the age of 18. Presidential reelection is allowed for one consecutive four-year period. Our current president is Alberto Fernández of the “Partido Justicialista”, inaugurated in December 2019. His current vice president is Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, the former president of Argentina (2007-2015) and leader of the central-leftist political movement aptly titled kirchnerismo.


Economy

Argentina’s GDP is US$637.6 billion (2017), with a per capita GDP of US$14,400. Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, a diversified industrial base, and an export-oriented economy. Main destinations of exports in 2017 were Brazil (17.0%), China (7.2%) and U.S. (5.9%). Although one of the world’s wealthiest countries 100 years ago, Argentina suffered during most of the 20th century from recurring economic crises, persistent fiscal and current account deficits, high inflation, mounting external debt, and capital flight. The most formidable challenge was a severe economic crisis in 2001 and 2002 that led to the resignation of several interim presidents.

The economy has recovered strongly since bottoming out in 2002. With the reemergence of double-digit inflation in 2005, the Kirchner administration pressured businesses into a series of agreements to hold down prices. The government renegotiated its public debt in 2005 and paid off its remaining obligations to the IMF in early 2006. Real GDP growth averaged 8.5% during the period 2003-2009, bolstering government revenues and keeping the budget in surplus. This trend has ended in the over the last few years, as growth has fluctuation between -2.5% (2014), 2.5% (2015), and -1.8% (2016). Argentina’s unemployment rate hovers around 8%, with around 30% of the population below the poverty line (2006). 2018 saw the worst inflation since 1999, clocking in at 47.1%.


Religion

There is complete religious freedom in Argentina, although the official religion is Roman Catholic. Other major religious populations include Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox. Pope Francis, who was born in Buenos Aires as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. He is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first pope from outside of Europe since the Syrian Gregory III, who reigned in the 8th century.


Geography

Located in the southeast tip of South America, Argentina encompasses 1,452,236 square miles and is populated by 44.7 million inhabitants, over 15.9 million of which claim home to the capital city of Buenos Aires. The dominant language is Spanish.

Argentina is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Brazil, and Uruguay to the east, Paraguay and Bolivia to the north, Chile to the west, and Antarctica to the south. The vast Argentine territory has a diversity of landscapes, where ice fields contrast with arid zones; mountains (the Andes) with valleys or plateaus; fluvial streams and lakes with large oceans, broad grassy plains with woods and forests. The southern area is the Patagonia region. The climate is generally arid in north and west, Mediterranean-type climate in the center-east of the country, and damp and cool in the south.

The average temperature in Buenos Aires is 18°C/64°F, except during the summer, with a high of 35°C/95°F or in the winter with a low of 0° C/32°F.


Culture

Buenos Aires has great cultural production in cinema, theatre, visual arts, music, and literature. The Colon Theatre is ranked among the top three opera houses in the world. Painting and sculpture have a key role in cultural life. The country’s principal cities have prestigious art galleries. There is popular and folklore music and special mention should be made of the urban music typical of the River Plate area: the tango. Its idol, Carlos Gardel, is revered by millions. With regards to science and culture, Argentina has five Nobel Prize winners: Carlos Saavedra Lamas (1936) and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (1980) for peace; Bernardo Houssay (1947) and Cesar Milstein (1984) for medicine; and Luis Federico Leloir (1970) for chemistry.

Books about Argentina

Argentines performing “Malambo” at the show America’s Got Talent.

Short film portraying the city of Buenos Aires through a person.

Colombia is a very diverse country, full of different faces and personalities. The blood heritage and miscegenation brought by African slaves, Indigenous peoples and European immigrants is transmitted in its culture and traditions. Its geography with landscapes from the Amazon forest and Caribbean coast to the Andean mountains also impacts the climate, which can have a wide variation depending on the time of the year or which part of the country you are. The result is endless natural wonders and a vibrant population full of history and culture. 

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Colombia’s current president is Iván Duque Márquez of the right-wing party “Centro Democrático” (Democratic Centre). Since 1991, the country has been a representative democratic presidential republic and the government is divided into three powers: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. The elections are held every four years and each representative can be re-elected only once (total of 8 consecutive years of presidential term). Their votes are secret, direct and not compulsory. 

The Federal Capital and its biggest city is Bogotá, located in the Capital District. The other administrative divisions are the 32 departments and indigenous territories. This last one can  cover more than one department or municipality and they are located mostly in the departments of Amazonas, Cauca, La Guajira, Guaviare, and Vaupés.

ECONOMY

The Colombian economy is based mainly on agriculture and livestock. The country is considered the third richest in South America, after Brazil and Argentina. Its natural resources are abundant. Coffee is the main agricultural product produced in Colombia. The Colombian economy suffers shocks when the international price of coffee falls, due to the importance that the export of this product has. The main destinations of Colombian coffee are Europe and the United States.

Their currency is the Colombian peso. One NDZ is equivalent to almost 2500 COP.  With this amount you can already buy an “arepa” in a street market. 

Colombia's GDP was estimated at 331 billion USD  in 2018, of which 1.7 % is represented by creative industries, centred  around the arts, audiovisual production, film and music. The per capita GDP is 6.667,79 USD. 

FOOD

Colombian cuisine has been greatly influenced by the colonizers and ancient peoples of South America. Tints of Andean, African, Caribbean and Creole cuisine are also noted. Among the most common ingredients are corn, banana, cassava and avocado.

Some typical dishes are Bandeja Paisa (white rice, beans, fried egg, avocado, chorizo, arepa and potato served directly on a tray), Ajiiaco (soup made with vegetables), Arepas (bread with dough based on corn flour) and Lechona (baked suckling pig, stuffed with rice and peas, cooked for 12 hours).  When the subject is sweets, the highlight is Arequipe (milk jam), Arroz con Leche (sweet rice), Mazamorra (chanjica) and Oblea (two fine waffle cookies with different kinds of fillings).

Colombia also has its kind of empanada and they are usually offered as starters. Unlike the large Chilean empanadas and the Argentine empanadas, in Colombia they are fried.  You can learn how to make your empanada at home here! 

Last but not least, you cannot forget… coffee! 

GEOGRAPHY

Colombia has a land size of 1,138,910 km2 and it is the 25th largest nation in the world and the fourth-largest country in South America (after Brazil, Argentina, and Peru). Its territory is situated largely in the northwest of South America, with some parts falling within the boundaries of Central America. 

The over 49 millions Colombian habitants are not evenly distributed and most of the people live in the mountainous western portion of the country as well as along the northern coastline; the highest number live in or near the capital city of Bogotá. The southern and eastern portions of the country are sparsely inhabited, consisting of tropical rainforest, and inland tropical plains that contain large estates or large livestock farms, oil and gas production facilities, small farming communities, and indigenous tribes with their territories.

Colombia is the only South American country that has coastline on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Its area is divided into 5 regions that have its own climatic and geographical particularities: Andean, Caribbean, Pacific, Orinoquía  and Amazon region.

Due to differences in elevation, the country has a striking variety in temperature and precipitation. The proximity to the equator also  influences its climates. The lowland areas are continuously hot. Colombia's geographic and climatic variations have combined to produce relatively well-defined "ethnocultural" groups among different regions of the country. 

CULTURE

You must have heard of names like Shakira, Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Fernando Botero. They are worldwide known parts of Colombian culture and Marquez won the Nobel prize of Literature in 1982. However, it is way more than that. The traits of its local tradition can be found among over a thousand music rhythms distributed along its territory, in their literature, visual arts, dance and sports. Recognising the importance of the creative sector industry (Orange Economy), the country has managed to turn around film production by implementing new legislation -  increasing the number of new releases from 3 to 40 over the past 15 years. 

Furthermore, it is Latin America's largest music exporter. The capital Bogotá is a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities of Music network and hosts world-class festivals and fairs, positioning itself as an epicenter for creative industries in the region. In what regards culinary, coffee has a special place. The national coffee production is one of the biggest ones in the world and built its fame (rightfully)  all around the world. 

Books about Colombia

  • One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien Años de Soledad), Gabriel Garcia Márquez

  • Memory by Correspondence (Memorias por Correspondencia), Emma Reyes

  • The Tramp Steamer’s Last Port of Call (La última escala del Tramp Steamer), Álvaro Mutis

  • Too Many Heroes (Demasiados héroes), Laura Restrepo

  • The Informers (Los informantes), Juan Gabriel Vasquez

Movies about Colombia

  • Embrace of the serpent (El abrazo de la serpiente) - 2015

  • The color of the mountain (Los colores de la montaña) - 2011

  • The rose seller (La vendedora de rosas) - 1998

  • The wind journeys (Los viajes del Viento) - 2009 

  • Maria full of grace - 2004 

  • The strategy of the snail (La estrategia del caracol) - 1993

 

Barranquilla’s carnival party.

Short film about a social organisation that fights for human and civil rights through Hip-Hop.

Student Composers

 

Jacob Barrett

was extremely fortunate to visit Sao Paulo and the Amazon as part of a small team of students on a trip to learn more about Brazil as a thriving country and economy. However, what really captured his interest was the uniqueness and diversity of the Brazilian culture, which is both heard and felt in their music. Everywhere he went in Sao Paulo, the city pulsated with music; from bossa nova to choro, samba to forró, and even in the middle of the Amazon, the indigenous communities and tribes had their own music. Since then, Jacob has been obsessed with the music and culture of Brazil and Latin America. He was so inspired by what he heard that he bought a cavaquinho (Brazilian ukulele/banjo hybrid) to bring back to New Zealand. Jacob wants to learn more about the cultures of Latin America and immerse himself in their respective musical genres in order to influence and inform his musical compositions. (Email: barrettj979@gmail.com; Phone: 0220485605)

Michaela Cornelius

is an Auckland-based composer currently studying her Honours degree at the University of Auckland, majoring in Composition. Michaela is a composer and sound designer for mobile and computer games. With a focus on vocal and instrumental composition, her works and research often incorporate aspects of nature, fantasy, and self-reflection. In 2017, Michaela was awarded a Summer Research Scholarship by the University of Auckland to research the compositional process in the context of randomly determined criteria. Her performance of works include the Douglas Lilburn Composition Prize concert in 2015 and 2016 and the Nelson Composers Workshop in 2018. Her works have been recorded in 2016 and 2017 as part of the SOMSA Recording Project, a student-led initiative at the University of Auckland. (Email: mikattemusic@gmail.com; Phone: 027 950 0020)

Jose Jugo

originally hails from the Philippines, and he displayed an interest in music from a very early age. After his family immigrated to New Zealand when he was ten, he began his formal studies in classical guitar, further honing his craft throughout his secondary school education, before shifting his interests from performance to composition. He decided to continue his musical studies with a Bachelor of Music at the New Zealand School of Music. While pursuing a double major in both instrumental and vocal composition and musicology, he was taught by various esteemed New Zealand composition figures such as Michael Norris, Kenneth Young, and John Psathas. He completed his undergraduate studies in 2018 and continued his compositional studies through an extra honours year in 2019, which he completed having achieved first-class honours. (Email: jmsjugo@gmail.com; Phone: 0278792290)

Thomas Bedggood

is a young performer-composer from Christchurch, New Zealand. He has played the violin since the age of eight and, after receiving a junior scholarship from the University of Canterbury, commenced studies at UC when he was seventeen, majoring in Performance Violin and New Music. During his time at UC, Thomas has won the Judith & Leigh Pownall Prize each year for academic and musical excellence, the Alabastor Knowles Prize in his second year for achieving the highest marks of his class in music theory, the Lilburn Award for student compositions each year, the UCSA Blues Award in Music, and a Blues Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts. He was also unanimously voted as Student Representative for all second-year music students in 2019, and he has been part of the UCME 2020 advertisement programme. In his second year, he travelled to Australia to take part in the Bendigo International Festival of Experimental Music as a representative of UC in the Re Huo Future Voices of New Zealand Initiative. Thomas has a passion for ethnomusicology and the expression and fusion of different cultures' music through new music. (Email: tombedggood@gmail.com; Phone: 021 178 7974)

 

Composer Mentors

 

Francisco Varela (Argentina)

Conductor and composer Francisco Varela graduated cum laude from leading institution Catholic University of Argentina studying conducting with Guillermo Scarabino and composition with Marta Lambertini, Pablo Cetta, and Julio Viera. He received several prizes and scholarships, which enabled furthering his training as a conductor with a Masters Degree from Penn State (USA) under Gerardo Edelstein and taking workshops and masterclasses in conducting (with Charles Dutoit, Kurt Masur, Marin Alsop, Harold Farbermann, Pedro Calderón, and Jordi Mora) and composition (Gerardo Gandini and Marcelo Delgado).

As an advocate for Argentine and Latin American symphonic music, Mtro. Varela has worked as adviser for the National Culture Ministry of Argentina, for the IBERMÚSICAS international cooperation programme, and has created and led the First Forum for Symphonic Orchestras of Argentina. He is the Artistic Director of the Classical Music Festival of San Isidro, Buenos Aires, and since 2017, he is the General and Artistic Manager of the National Symphony Orchestra of Argentina. A versatile conductor Varela frequently collaborates as a guest conductor with orchestras throughout South America. Mtro. Varela has also worked teaching, mentoring, and leading groups (in Spanish and English) from all levels, and he has coordinated and been part of juries for different musical disciplines, including the Concurso Internacional de Composición IBERMÚSICAS.

As a composer, Francisco has been recognized by the Fondo Nacional de Las Artes, Concurso de Composición de Orquesta UCA03, Fundación Antorchas, Melos/Ricordi, and Festival UniNorte (Paraguay). He has commissioned and conducted several premieres, including his own music. His works are mainly focused on instrumental music, ranging from soloist and chamber ensembles, to the full orchestra. He has been published by Melos Editorial.

Upcoming projects include two recordings of Argentine composers for Naxos (Concertos of Eduardo Grau with Brno Philharmonic in February 2021, and Piano Concerts by Alessio, Bottirolli, and Spinassi with the Orchestra of the Teatro Colon in June 2021) and a recording of works by César Franck in 2022 with pianist Fabio Jiricek. In 2021, he will also be leading the Second Forum for Symphonic Orchestras of Argentina and the First International Convention of Iberoamerican Orchestras (IBERMÚSICAS) in San Juan, Argentina. 

Email: varelafrancisco@gmail.com

JUAN DAVID OSORIO (COLOMBIA)

He holds a bachelor and master degree in composition from EAFIT University in Medellín, Colombia, where he studied with Professor Andrés Posada and Victor Agudelo and conducted courses with professor Cecilia Espinosa. In addition, Osorio has studied composition with professor Anthony Iannaccone at Eastern Michigan University (E.U) and Eddie Mora in Costa Rica. 

He has received different composition prizes such as a “The Creation Scholarship awarded by Medellín city government” (“Quinta y octava versión de becas a la creación Alcaldía de Medellín”) thanks to two of his pieces: “Missa Martii XVI'' for choir, soprano and orchestra and “Rápido Medellín-Ypsilanti”, rhapsody for flute and chamber orchestra. He received the honorable mention by his graduate work “Flow Sin Fronteras” (Flow without borders), Concert for Percussion and Wind Ensemble. Moreover, he won an artistic residence in Costa Rica awarded by Ibermusicas. 

Osorio has received commissions from Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra, Medellín Metropolitan Theater, EAFIT Symphony Orchestra and San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Unitas Ensemble, among others, and his music has been interpreted by the principal orchestras in Colombia, as well as Cuba and Paraguay National Symphony Orchestras. 

As a conductor, he was the chief conductor of Orquesta Sinfónica de Antioquia between 2018-2019, Camerata Jaibaná (2016-2018) and he is the founder and principal conductor of the MACONDO Vocal Ensemble. He has been guest conductor of PERISCOPIO New Music Ensemble, Karabí Chamber choir, Tonos Humanos and Arcadia Choirs, EAFIT Symphony Orchestra and Medellín and Cali Philharmonic Orchestras. As a professor, he is currently teaching music theory and composition at EAFIT University and University of Antioquia. 

Email: osoriojuandavid@gmail.com

Michael Norris (New Zealand)

Michael Norris (b. 1973) is a Wellington-based composer, software programmer and music theorist. He holds composition degrees from Victoria University of Wellington and City University, London, and is currently Senior Lecturer in Composition at the New Zealand School of Music (Te Kōkī) at Victoria University of Wellington. He held the Mozart Fellowship in 2001, and was awarded the Douglas Lilburn Prize in 2003 and the CANZ Trust Fund Award in 2012. He has also been nominated for the SOUNZ Contemporary Award six times, winning it in 2014 with his work Inner Phases for string quartet and Chinese instrument ensemble, in 2018 for his work Sygyt for the unusual combination of throatsinger, ensemble and live electronics, and in 2019 for his work Violin Concerto ‘Sama’.

He has participated in composition courses featuring leading composers such as Peter Eötvös, Alvin Lucier, Christian Wolff and Kaija Saariaho, and has had performances from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Roberto Fabbriciani, Michael Houstoun, the New Zealand String Quartet, NZTrio, Richard Haynes, the Viennese Saxophonic Orchestra, Ensemble Offspring, Stroma, the Israel Contemporary Players and the Ensemble Pierrot Lunaire Wien. In 2010, he was commissioned by the SWR (Sudwestdeutsche Rundfunk) to write a new chamber orchestra work, Sgraffito, which was premiered at the Donaueschinger Musiktage 2010 by the Radio Chamber Orchestra Hilversum, conducted by Peter Eötvös, and was reviewed by Die Zeit as one of the highlights of the festival.

Michael is also co-founder and co-director of Stroma New Music Ensemble, and has collaborated with a number of other artists including Daniel Belton and Ashley Brown. He is coordinator of the Creative New Zealand/Jack C. Richards Composer-in-Residence at the NZSM, serves on the boards of the Lilburn Residence Trust and Stroma New Music Trust, and is the Editor of Wai-te-ata Music Press.

Michael's programming work is also internationally renowned. His 'SoundMagic Spectral' suite of real-time FFT-based audio effects have been used extensively in both industry and academia worldwide, including by artists such as Aphex Twin and Brian Eno.

Email: michael.norris@vuw.ac.nz

Cristohper Ramos Flores (New Zealand)

Cristohper Ramos Flores is a composer and instrument builder based in Wellington. Originally from Morelia, Mexico, he graduated with honors from the composition program at UNSMH under Hebert Vazquez and Horacio Uribe. Additionally, he took many workshops at Conservatorio de las Rosas and CMMAS with composers such as Rodrigo Sigal, Julio Estrada, Mario Lavista, Helmut Lachenmann, Alejandro Viñao, Ricardo Climent, and many others.  

He completed his master’s degree at Wesleyan University with Paula Matthusen, which influenced his creative approach and led him to immerse himself in experimental music and sonic arts. In 2014, he started the first laptop orchestra in Mexico, Kurhanguni, at CMMAS. He recently finished his PhD with Michael Norris and Jim Murphy at Victoria University of Wellington researching and designing hyperinstruments. 

Cristohper’s work has been supported by the Jovenes Creadores grant three times, as well as the Fulbright-Garcia Robles scholarship and the FONCA-Conacyt grant. His catalog of works includes compositions for solo instruments, chamber ensemble, large orchestra, and works including electronics, as well as interactive installations. He is currently interested in exploring embodiment and the medium as the foundation of his creative process. 

Email: aiwiy@hotmail.com

MIGUEL HARTH-BEDOYA (Peru)

Peruvian conductor Miguel Harth-­‐Bedoya is a master of colour, drawing idiomatic interpretations from a wide range of repertoire in concerts across the globe. He has amassed considerable experience at the helm of orchestras with 2016/17 his fourth season as Chief Conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and his 17th season as Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Previously he has held Music Director positions with the Auckland Philharmonia and Eugene Symphony.

Harth-­Bedoya regularly conducts the upper level of American orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Cleveland, Minnesota, New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestras. Following his exceptional tenure as Associate  Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic during the early years of his career, Harth‐Bedoya’s “special chemistry” (LA Times) with the orchestra remains strong and he returns each season as a guest conductor.

With his experienced toolkit and exceptional charisma, Harth­‐Bedoya has nurtured a number of close relationships with orchestras worldwide and is a frequent guest of the Helsinki Philharmonic, MDR Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, National Orchestra of  Spain, New Zealand Symphony and Sydney  Symphony Orchestras. Other recent appearances include concerts with the BBC Scottish Symphony, London Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Dresden Philharmonic, NDR Sinfonieorchester Hamburg, Zurich Tonhalle, Danish  National  Symphony and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestras. Summer 2016 saw his Japanese debut conducting both the NHK Symphony and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestras, whilst highlights this season include performances with the Helsinki Philharmonic, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken, Malaysian Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony and National Orchestra of Spain.

Last season Harth­‐Bedoya conducted the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s first opera Cold Mountain at Santa Fe Opera. Previous opera engagements include a new production of La Bohème at English National Opera directed by Jonathan Miller and appearances with the Canadian Opera Company, Minnesota Opera and Santa Fe Opera. He has led two productions of Golijov’s Ainadamar, with the Cincinnati Opera and recently at the New Zealand Festival.

Inspired by the ancient melodies from the countries where the Incas travelled, Miguel Harth­‐Bedoya is the founder and Artistic Director of Caminos Del Inka, a non-profit organization dedicated to researching, performing and preserving the rich musical legacy of South America. He commissioned moving images to accompany the orchestral programme, and the resulting multimedia project has so far been performed by the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Baltimore Symphony Residentie Orkest and MDR Sinfonie Leipzig.

Harth­‐Bedoya’s 2016 release on Harmonia Mundi, Lutoslawski Concerto for Orchestra and Brahms arr Schoenberg Piano Quartet with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra was highly praised by The Guardian “[it] shines out with its precision, vigour and clarity of sound”. Other recent releases on Harmonia Mundi include orchestral works by Jimmy Lopez, the complete Prokofiev Piano Concertos with Cliburn winner Vadym Kholodenko, and piano concertos by Grieg and Saint­‐Saëns which was awarded “Editor’s Choice” in Gramophone.

Previous recordings include Traditions and Transformations: Sounds of Silk Road Chicago with the Chicago Symphony and Yo-­‐Yo Ma, which received two Grammy nominations, music by Osvaldo Golijov with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Castilla y Leon and pianists Katia and Marielle Labeque on Deutsche Grammophon and Sentimiento Latino with Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flores on Decca.

 

Programme Coordinators

 

The Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (CAPE) aims to foster knowledge and to build cultural and economic ties between New Zealand and Latin America, by helping businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as well as learners, teachers, exporters, and communities to improve their understanding of the Asia-Pacific and its many cultures and languages.

The Latin America CAPE has conceptualized this project and is providing overall coordination throughout.

Contact: Lucy O’Neill - lucy.oneill@vuw.ac.nz

 
 

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is the country's national orchestra. One of the world’s oldest national symphony orchestras, NZSO has charmed audiences with memorable concerts and recordings since 1947. Today it is recognized as an outstanding orchestra of international stature, even being nominated for Best Orchestral Performance at the prestigious Grammy Awards in 2016.

The NZSO has identified and selected the NZ student composers and is overseeing the technical components of their original musical composition.

Contact: Simon Brew - simon.brew@nzso.co.nz

 
 

Puentes Abroad partners with universities and institutions across the globe to conceptualize, build, and manage dynamic and engaging internship, study abroad, and short immersion programmes in Argentina and Uruguay. Puentes seeks to provide highly personalized international immersion experiences that help to shape global citizens.

Puentes is coordinating the Argentine-led virtual sessions for the programme, the Spanish Workshops, and the online Portal.

Contact: Alicia MacLoughlin - alicia@puentesabroad.com

 
 

Campus B is an international education facilitator, specialized in expanding experiential learning opportunities. Campus B collaborates with institutions from around the world, connecting each to Latin America through programmes and constructive interactions with local academia, community organizations, private sector enterprises, and public offices.

Campus B is coordinating the Colombian-led virtual sessions for the programme.

Contact: Pamela Camarano - pamela@campusb.org

 
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