Gareth Farr
Encyclopedia
Gareth Vincent Farr ONZM
(born 29 February 1968) is a New Zealand composer
and percussionist
. He has released a number of classical CDs and composed a number of works performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
(NZSO) and Royal New Zealand Ballet
. He has also performed in drag under the name Lilith LaCroix in a show called Drumdrag and has also released a CD under that name.
in 1968. He began his studies at the University of Auckland
in composition
, orchestration
and electronic music
. While studying there, he performed as a member of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
(APO) and the Karlheinz Company. Farr was always available as a performer to play new works by other composers. Returning to Wellington in 1988 for further study at Victoria University of Wellington
, he gained note for his compositions, at this time becoming increasingly excited with exploring the Indonesia
n gamelan
. He played percussion frequently with the NZSO before going to the Eastman School of Music
in Rochester, New York
for advanced study.
and pianist Michael Houstoun
as well as a ballet. In 1996 he signed to music publisher Promethean Editions becoming a founding house composer.
His work From the Depths Sound the Great Sea Gongs was specially commissioned for the 50th anniversary of the NZSO. Farr also wrote an orchestral piece Te Papa for the opening of Te Papa
, the National Museum of New Zealand, in 1998.
In 2000, the NZSO performed his percussion concerto Hikoi with Evelyn Glennie
at the Sydney Olympics
. He has released four CDs of his work on the Trust label with the fifth, Ruaumoko released in early 2006.
In 2005, he provided the music for Vula staged during the Christchurch
Arts Festival prior to the world debut of his Triple Concerto performed by the New Zealand Trio and Christchurch Symphony Orchestra
. During 2006, New Zealand premieres of Farr's music included Funambulistic Strains for orchestra and trombone, performed by David Bremner and the NZSO, The Wedding for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and TROY the Musical with librettist Paul Jenden.
In December 2005 Farr visited Antarctica as part of Antarctica New Zealand
's artist programme. The result of the two week residency was a piece for baritone singer and orchestra inspired by the ill fated last expedition of Robert Falcon Scott
. The work was performed in 2008 by London
based New Zealand singer Paul Whelan and the NZSO.
In 2008, Gareth was appointed Composer in Residence of the APO
. Farr composed a memorial piece for the Christchurch earthquake, Nor'West Arch, first performed on 25 September 2011. The title makes reference to a particular Christchurch weather pattern
, but is also that part of the ChristChurch Cathedral that received most damage in the earthquake. Dean Peter Beck
was part of the performance, reading out an introduction and a reflection. The concert was one of the highlights of the 2011 Christchurch Arts Festival.
Alongside Jack Body
, Gillian Whitehead
and John Psathas
, Farr is one of the noted New Zealand composers.
Farr promotes himself as an entertainer as well as a composer:
in the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to music and entertainment.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
(born 29 February 1968) is a New Zealand composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and percussionist
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
. He has released a number of classical CDs and composed a number of works performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is the national orchestra of New Zealand. It is a crown entity owned by the Government of New Zealand, with 90 full-time players....
(NZSO) and Royal New Zealand Ballet
Royal New Zealand Ballet
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is based in Wellington, New Zealand.The Royal New Zealand Ballet is a company of 32 dynamic dancers, performing an eclectic repertoire of outstanding dance, for national and international audiences, whilst continuing to build a style that is ultimately unique to the...
. He has also performed in drag under the name Lilith LaCroix in a show called Drumdrag and has also released a CD under that name.
Early life and career
Farr was born in WellingtonWellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
in 1968. He began his studies at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
in composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
, orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
and electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. While studying there, he performed as a member of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra was established in the early 1980s and has become one of New Zealand's major performing organisations. The instigation of its Composer-in-Residence programme in 1990 has made the orchestra an important force in the promotion of New Zealand composed...
(APO) and the Karlheinz Company. Farr was always available as a performer to play new works by other composers. Returning to Wellington in 1988 for further study at Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
, he gained note for his compositions, at this time becoming increasingly excited with exploring the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n gamelan
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
. He played percussion frequently with the NZSO before going to the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
for advanced study.
Later career
Farr became the composer in residence with Chamber Music New Zealand at 25, the youngest person to hold that post. In 1994, he had four works commissioned for the 1994 International Festival of the Arts including Lilith's Dream of Ecstasy and works for flautist Alexa StillAlexa Still
Alexa Still is a New Zealand born flutist currently based in Oberlin, Ohio, where she teaches at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.Still studied in the US with Samuel Baron at SUNY Stony Brook and with Thomas Nyfenger...
and pianist Michael Houstoun
Michael Houstoun
Michael Houstoun is a concert pianist from New Zealand.Born and educated in Timaru, Houstoun studied piano under Sister Mary Eulalie and Maurice Till in Dunedin and Christchurch...
as well as a ballet. In 1996 he signed to music publisher Promethean Editions becoming a founding house composer.
His work From the Depths Sound the Great Sea Gongs was specially commissioned for the 50th anniversary of the NZSO. Farr also wrote an orchestral piece Te Papa for the opening of Te Papa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
, the National Museum of New Zealand, in 1998.
In 2000, the NZSO performed his percussion concerto Hikoi with Evelyn Glennie
Evelyn Glennie
Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, DBE is a Scottish virtuoso percussionist. She was the first full-time solo percussionist in 20th-century western society.-Early life:Glennie was born and raised in Aberdeenshire...
at the Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. He has released four CDs of his work on the Trust label with the fifth, Ruaumoko released in early 2006.
In 2005, he provided the music for Vula staged during the Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
Arts Festival prior to the world debut of his Triple Concerto performed by the New Zealand Trio and Christchurch Symphony Orchestra
Christchurch Symphony Orchestra
The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra is the professional orchestra of Christchurch, New Zealand...
. During 2006, New Zealand premieres of Farr's music included Funambulistic Strains for orchestra and trombone, performed by David Bremner and the NZSO, The Wedding for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and TROY the Musical with librettist Paul Jenden.
In December 2005 Farr visited Antarctica as part of Antarctica New Zealand
Antarctica New Zealand
Antarctica New Zealand is an Institute set up by the New Zealand Government in 1996 to manage its interests in Antarctica and the Ross Sea. As well as providing logistics support to a large scientific programme, it also runs bases such as Scott Base...
's artist programme. The result of the two week residency was a piece for baritone singer and orchestra inspired by the ill fated last expedition of Robert Falcon Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
. The work was performed in 2008 by London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based New Zealand singer Paul Whelan and the NZSO.
In 2008, Gareth was appointed Composer in Residence of the APO
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra was established in the early 1980s and has become one of New Zealand's major performing organisations. The instigation of its Composer-in-Residence programme in 1990 has made the orchestra an important force in the promotion of New Zealand composed...
. Farr composed a memorial piece for the Christchurch earthquake, Nor'West Arch, first performed on 25 September 2011. The title makes reference to a particular Christchurch weather pattern
Nor'west arch
The Nor'west arch is a weather pattern peculiar to the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. For this reason, it is also often referred to as the Canterbury arch. It is shown in an apparent arch of high white cloud in an otherwise clear blue sky over the Southern Alps, and is accompanied by a...
, but is also that part of the ChristChurch Cathedral that received most damage in the earthquake. Dean Peter Beck
Peter Beck (cleric)
The Very Reverend Peter J. Beck has since 2002 been the dean of ChristChurch Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand. Born in England, Beck has been in New Zealand since 1981, and was vicar of St Matthew in the city in Auckland...
was part of the performance, reading out an introduction and a reflection. The concert was one of the highlights of the 2011 Christchurch Arts Festival.
Alongside Jack Body
Jack Body
Jack Body is a New Zealand composer, photographer, artist and ethnomusicologist.He studied at Auckland University from 1963–67. With a QEII Arts Council grant he attended the Ferien Kurse fur Neue Musik, Cologne and Institute of Sonology, Utrecht, Netherlands...
, Gillian Whitehead
Gillian Whitehead
Dame Gillian Karawe Whitehead, DNZM is a New Zealand composer.She studied at the University of Auckland from 1959–62, and Victoria University of Wellington in 1963, graduating BMus Hons in 1964. She then studied composition at the University of Sydney with Peter Sculthorpe from...
and John Psathas
John Psathas
John Psathas is a New Zealand composer, son of Greek immigrant parents.He has works in the repertoire of such high profile musicians as Evelyn Glennie, Michael Houstoun, Michael Brecker and the New Juilliard Ensemble, and is one of New Zealand's most frequently performed composers...
, Farr is one of the noted New Zealand composers.
Lilith LaCroix
Gareth Farr also performs in drag as Lilith LaCroix in cabaret shows. Since 1997, the cabaret Drumdrag features Lilith playing the drums and Farr has recorded a CD released under her name. LaCroix also made a music video to promote the album. Advertisers have also asked LaCroix to appear in advertisements.Farr promotes himself as an entertainer as well as a composer:
I would, perhaps, be criticised for being too entertaining by some composers, but I don't know what's wrong with that because that is why I write music—I'm an entertainer. That's a dirty word in the classical department, but I don't care. I've even got it on my business card — composer/entertainer — because, hey, let's face it, that's what I do.
Honours
Farr was made an Officer of New Zealand Order of MeritNew Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
in the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to music and entertainment.