Christopher Thomas Gendall (born 1980) is a New Zealand composer and lecturer in composition at the

University of Auckland The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...

Early life and education

Born in 1980 in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

Gendall studied composition at

Victoria University Victoria University may refer to: * Victoria University (Australia), a public research university in Melbourne, Australia * Victoria University, Toronto, a constituent college of the federal University of Toronto in Canada * Victoria University of ...

in Wellington. Gendall studied under Roberto Sierra and

Steven Stucky Steven Edward Stucky (November 7, 1949 − February 14, 2016) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer. Life and career Steven Stucky was born in Hutchinson, Kansas. At age 9, he moved with his family to Abilene, Texas, where, as a teenager ...

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

and was awarded his PhD in 2010 with his thesis entitled ''New Musical Rhythm: Toward a Reductive Analytical Method for Music since 1900.''

Career

In 2009 Gendall, along with

Gillian Whitehead Dame Gillian Karawe Whitehead (born 23 April 1941) is a New Zealand composer. She is of Māori Ngāi Te Rangi descent. Her Māori heritage has been an important influence on her composing. Early life Whitehead was born in Hamilton in 1941 ...

, Ross Harris,

John Psathas John Psathas, (born Ioannis Psathas, ; 1966) is a New Zealand Greek composer. He has works in the repertoire of such high-profile musicians as Evelyn Glennie, Michael Houstoun, Michael Brecker, Joshua Redman and the New Juilliard Ensemble, a ...

and

Eve de Castro-Robinson Eve de Castro-Robinson (born 9 November 1956 in London, England) is a New Zealand composer, professor and graphic designer. Her compositions include orchestral, vocal, chamber and electroacoustic works. She studied at the University of Auckland ...

, was one of the composers chosen by SOUNZ (Centre for New Zealand Music) to compose for SOUNZtender an online auction in which anyone could put up a tender for a composer's work. Gendall's composition ''Suite for String Orchestra'' was written while he was Composer in Residence at the

Banff Centre Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (formerly Banff Centre) is an arts and culture educational institution in Banff, Alberta, Banff, Alberta. It offers arts programs in the Performing arts, performing and fine arts, as well as leadership trai ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

. In 2010 he was appointed as the Creative New Zealand/Jack C Richards Composer in Residence at the

New Zealand School of Music The New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī (NZSM) at Victoria University of Wellington is located in Wellington, New Zealand. It provides a tertiary teaching faculty with programmes in classical and jazz performance, music studies, composition, ...

at Victoria University. The Vector Wellington Orchestra (now

Orchestra Wellington Orchestra Wellington is New Zealand's oldest professional regional orchestra, based in the capital city of Wellington. It hosts an annual subscription series of concerts in the Michael Fowler Centre, performing varied repertoire from the Classi ...

) appointed Gendall as their Composer in Residence for 2011. His ''Triple Concerto'' for the orchesta and the NZTrio was performed in 2012. Gendall was Mozart Fellow at the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

in 2016 and 2017. During the residency he composed ''Talking Earth'' for brass band. In 2020 on the 250th anniversary of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

's birth he received a commission from the

Auckland Philharmonia The Auckland Philharmonia (formerly Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, APO) is a symphony orchestra based in Auckland, New Zealand. Its principal concert venue is the Auckland Town Hall, and it is also the accompanying ensemble for Auckland stage ...

and composed ''Disquiet'' for piano trio based on Beethoven's piano trio Op. 70 no. 2. Gendall has participated in a number of international festivals and conferences including the Wellesley Composers’ Conference, the

Aspen Music Festival The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is a classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado. It is noted both for its concert programming and the musical training it offers to mostly young-adult music students. Founded in 1949, th ...

, the Britten-Pears Contemporary Composition programme, the Royaumont Voix Nouvelles Composition Course, and the

Aldeburgh Festival The Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the town of Aldeburgh, Suffolk and is centred on Snape Maltings Concert Hall. History of the Aldeburgh Festi ...

and his works have been performed by orchestras and ensembles in New Zealand and elsewhere. Gendall has also worked for

RNZ Radio New Zealand (), commonly known as RNZ or Radio NZ, is a New Zealand public service broadcaster and Crown entity. Established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995, it operates news and current affairs station, RNZ National, and a classica ...

as an assistant producer for the Upbeat programme. In 2018 he was president of the

Composers Association of New Zealand The Composers Association of New Zealand (CANZ), established in 1974, after an initial meeting of composers was organised by David Farquhar. Farquhar was the association's first president. It is a body that lobbies for the interests of New Zealand ...

. He has also been a mentor for the NZSO National Youth Orchestra Composer in Residence in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2024, and for the NZSO Todd Young Composer Award in 2017.

Awards and honours

Gendall won two awards in 2005 and 2006: a New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Todd Young Composer Award and an ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award. In 2008 he won the SOUNZ Contemporary Award at the APRA Awards for ''Wax Lyrical.''

Selected works

* ''Visionnaire'' (2003) – for vocal soloists, SATB choir and piano * ''Bop'' (2003) – for solo trombone and chamber ensemble * ''Hand to hand'' (2005) – for percussion ensemble of six players * ''Agitato'' (2007) – for chamber orchestra * ''Gung-ho'' (2007) * ''Wax lyrical'' (2008) – for chamber ensemble * ''Suite for string orchestra'' (2009) * ''Gravitas'' (2011) – for orchestra * ''Three details'' (2012) – for guitar, pre-recorded electronics and 4-8 sustaining instruments * ''Triple concerto'' (2012) – for violin, cello, piano and orchestra * ''Incident: an opera in one act'' (2014) * ''The charm offensive'' (2014) – for soprano and orchestra * ''Choruses: for shō, recorder and koto'' (2015) * ''Violin concerto'' (2016) * ''Talking earth'' (2017) * ''Siteswap'' (2019) – for solo horn * ''Disquiet'' (2020) – for piano trio * ''Crazing'' (2021) – for violin and percussion

References

External links

Chris Gendall's website

Chris Gendall profile
Audio recording in Alexander Turnbull Library, 2016 {{DEFAULTSORT:Gendall, Chris 21st-century New Zealand composers Victoria University of Wellington alumni 1980 births Living people Cornell University alumni