Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music (NZSM), Victoria University of Wellington invites applications for the Creative New Zealand/Jack C. Richards Composer-in-Residence at NZSM for the period July 2015–June 2016.
The appointment is jointly funded by Creative New Zealand and private donor Dr Jack C. Richards, with the NZSM as host organisation. This position fosters and expands the New Zealand musical landscape by providing an established composer with the opportunity to write full-time for the period of tenure.
Applicants should be composers of proven merit and be New Zealand citizens or hold New Zealand residency. Applicants may not be employees of, or have been employed by, the New Zealand School of Music (NZSM) or Victoria University in the twelve months prior to the closing date. Students working towards the completion of a tertiary qualification in the period of the residency are also ineligible. Individuals who have been a composer-in-residence in a Creative New Zealand-supported residency within the twelve months prior to the start of the residency are not normally eligible. Applicants should not normally receive any additional substantial income or paid leave during the period of the residency.
Benefits, Opportunities & Sector Partnerships
The residency provides numerous benefits and opportunities for the promotion, presentation and professional development of the successful candidate in the following ways:
Orchestra Wellington will offer the nominal position of Composer-in-Residence to the successful candidate, should the candidate have included an orchestral work in their Work Proposal document (see below), and guarantees performance of one new work written by the composer.
The Lilburn Residence Trust normally offers the use of the former home of Douglas Lilburn in Thorndon to the successful candidate for a modest rental. The house is located in an enclave of artist residences, including the Rita Angus Cottage and the Randell Cottage and is within walking distance of the NZSM.
Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music (NZSM) at Victoria University of Wellington offers to facilitate access to Wellington-based performers and ensembles (e.g. NZSQ, Stroma, Strike, Orchestra Wellington, Baroque Voices) who have agreed to consider programming new works written by the composer. It also provides the following hosting benefits:
• one of the largest composition programmes in NZ, with 8 permanent faculty (Prof John Psathas, Dr. Dugal McKinnon, Michael Norris, Dr. Dave Lisik, Dr. Stephan Prock, Kenneth Young, Dr. Ted Apel, Dr. Ajay Kapur) and over 100 composition students;
• a wide range of compositional expertise amongst staff, with research strengths in orchestral composition, jazz composition, film music, sonic arts, installation practice, multimedia, music technology/engineering and post-tonal theory;
• invitation to interact with, collaborate with, and compose for performance staff;
• an annual reception for the incoming and outgoing Composers-in-Residence to which the local composition community is invited;
• agreement to record at least one work composed during the residency, and to collaborate with the Centre for New Zealand Music (SOUNZ) to film the recording for dissemination via the SOUNZ Website;
• Wai-te-ata Music Press agrees in principle to publish at least one of the works composed during the residency;
• a performance of at least one work within the NZSM lunchtime concert series;
• networking opportunities with Rattle Records for potential future projects;
• invitation to attend the weekly NZSM Composer Workshops, and to present two workshops during the period of their residency;
• invitation to sit on the jury of the annual NZSM Composers’ Competition;
• mentoring of senior postgraduate students of the NZSM;
• provision with an NZSM staff ID card, giving access to library facilities including scores, recordings, DVDs, etc, free entry to all NZSM events, and access to facilities including practice rooms, recording studios, electroacoustic music studios, technical assistance, when available;
• provision of office space, computer, IT support and network access.
Tenure and Terms
The appointment will be for twelve months from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. The appointee must reside in Wellington for the full term of employment, with any absences to be negotiated with the Programme Leader (Composition) of the NZSM. While there is no obligation of formal teaching at the NZSM, some contribution to the NZSM’s cultural and academic life is expected, in a manner appropriate to the personal strengths and preferences of the appointee, and in agreement with the Programme Leader (Composition) of the NZSM. Informal meetings with postgraduate students are particularly encouraged. The successful applicant will be hired as a VUW employee for the period of the residency, and will be required to submit a written report to the Programme Leader (Composition) within one month of the end of the tenure, which is forwarded to Creative New Zealand in accordance with their residency regulations. The gross annual salary for the position will be NZ$50,000 for the twelve-month period, which includes 8% holiday pay to be paid when the term of appointment ends.
Selection process
The selection committee will comprise at least 3 members of the composition staff of the NZSM. The committee will base their decision on the artistic standards and track record of the applicant, as evidenced through a CV and portfolio of representative works, as well as the potential of the proposed works for the residency to make a significant contribution to New Zealand music.
Further enquiries may be made to Michael Norris, Acting Programme Leader (Composition), NZSM. Email: michael.norris@nzsm.ac.nz; Ph: (04) 463 7456.
Application process
Applications should be made via email to the HR Coordinator, NZSM (recruit@nzsm.ac.nz). Please send text files in either MS Word or PDF format, music scores in PDF format, and recordings in either MP3, AIFF or WAV format. Works with a visual component should be hosted via an online video service such as Vimeo or YouTube, and submitted as a web link. Audio or video files larger than 10Mb should be sent to the above email via a file-sharing service such as DropBox or SendSpace. Please note that electronic documents and links are preferred to physical submissions. Any physical documents sent will not be returned or saved for applicants for collection later.
The following files must be submitted with applications:
(a) A current CV, which must include your contact details, qualifications, compositional experience, current employment status and a list of selected compositional output.
(b) A portfolio of no more than 4 representative works. For notated works, please submit both scores and recordings; for works with a visual component, please submit links to online videos (such as YouTube or Vimeo).
(c) A Work Proposal document for the tenure (see below).
(d) Confirmation that you are a New Zealand citizen or that you hold New Zealand residency.
Work Proposal
The Work Proposal document must include the following items:
a) An outline of all works you wish to undertake during the residency, including a tentative timetable for completion, intended performers, and any tentative or firm performance dates and venues.
b) Applicants wishing to be considered for the Orchestra Wellington Composer-in-Residence position must include details of an orchestral work to be completed during the residency.
c) Dr. Jack C. Richards has also stipulated that all applicants should propose a solo piece for classical instrument of a difficulty level suitable for a senior performance student (for example, to be performed as part of a performance exam or competition).
d) Please also provide details of any external funding (e.g. commission money) you will receive for any of the proposed works to be completed during your tenure. As the salary for the residency is funded by Creative New Zealand, it may be considered inappropriate to receive any additional Creative New Zealand commission money for work completed during your tenure.
e) In order to develop relationships between Wellington musicians and the composer-in-residence, applicants are encouraged to write for specific Wellington-based performers and ensembles included on the following webpage: http://www.nzsm.ac.nz/about-us/jobs/cir2015-16. Although the purpose of this partnership is for the mutual benefit of both composer and performer/ensemble, neither composer nor performer(s) is bound contractually in any legal sense. The Programme Leader (Composition) at the NZSM may help facilitate networks with these performers.
Applications close 5pm, Friday 28 November 2014.
