Nine Echoes celebrating Lilburn's 100th

November 2 is Douglas Lilburn's 100th birthday.

Stroma, which has been at the forefront of contemporary NZ chamber music for 15 years, is planning a major musical celebration of our most important and influential composer, which will be the only concert in Wellington celebrating Lilburn on his actual birthday.

And you can help to make it happen.

Stroma has commissioned nine chamber works from both emerging and established Kiwi composers: Eve de Castro-Robinson, Dorothy Ker, John Elmsly, Michael Norris, Louise Webster, Stephen Clothier, Salina Fisher, Glen Downie and Sarah Ballard. Each piece will respond to one of Lilburn's Nine Short Pieces for piano, which are among his best known works for keyboard.

Our composers are on tenterhooks waiting for the go-ahead to get their musical dreams down on paper, and our top professional performers - many from the NZSO - are all lined up and ready to play.

Funds raised here will help cover our venue costs and instrument hire. Dr. Jack C. Richards has kindly offered to be a Match Donor for this campaign - so for every dollar you donate, he will add a matching amount up to a maximum of $1000 total donated.

You can also help by getting the word out to everyone who would want to join in the celebration. The concert will be on the evening of Monday 2 November - so please put this date in your diary now, and come help us light the candles and cut the cake!

About Stroma

Stroma is New Zealand's most flexible mixed chamber ensemble, able to draw from a large pool of players, many of whom are principals with the NZSO. Focusing on music written in the last 100 years, Stroma has been playing at the highest levels of excellence in the country for over a decade, performing regularly with a repertoire of fresh, cutting-edge compositions, including over 80 works by NZ composers.

Photo credits:

Douglas Lilburn, Image PAColl-675-22 � Alexander Turnbull Library

Michael Norris � Debbie Rawson/NZSM

Sarah Ballard �  Vogo� Photography

Eve De Castro Robinson � Gareth Watkins