Michael F. Williams (born 1962, New Zealand) is a

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

contemporary classical music Contemporary classical music is Western art music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st-century classical music, 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 Modernism (music), post-tonal music after the death of ...

. He has received commissions from many of

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

's major musical institutions such as the

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Wellington, New Zealand. The national orchestra of New Zealand, the NZSO is an autonomous Crown entity owned by the New Zealand Government, per the New Zealand Symphony ...

, NBR

New Zealand Opera New Zealand Opera is New Zealand's only full-time professional opera company, formed in 2000 from the merger of companies in Auckland and Wellington (and later Christchurch). New Zealand Opera is headquartered in Parnell, New Zealand, Parnell, Au ...

and Chamber Music New Zealand and his work is regularly broadcast on

Radio New Zealand Concert RNZ Concert () is a publicly funded non-commercial New Zealand FM fine music radio network. Radio New Zealand owns the network and operates it from its Wellington headquarters. The network's playlist of classical, jazz, contemporary, and worl ...

. A lecturer in composition at the

University of Waikato The University of Waikato (), established in 1964, is a Public university, public research university located in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand. An additional campus is located in Tauranga. The university performs research in nume ...

, Williams has received recognition in the NZSO-SOUNZ Readings on three occasions and in the SOUNZ Contemporary Award in 2012 for his multimedia

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

The Juniper Passion ''The Juniper Passion'' is a 2011 opera by New Zealand composer Michael F. Williams to a libretto by John Davies. The opera is set in 1944 during the World War II Battle of Monte Cassino, an Allied victory, but with a loss of life totalling approxi ...

Discography

Selected Works *

, Atoll Records *The Prodigal Child, Atoll Records *Rozmowa/Dialogue, Atoll Records *Ahi, Atoll Records *Breathe, Atoll Records

Awards

Selected Awards *NZSO-SOUNZ Readings 2001: Synaesthesia *NZSO-SOUNZ Readings 2008: In Saecula Saeculorum *NZSO-SOUNZ Readings 2010: Convergence - Triple Concerto *SOUNZ Contemporary Award 2012:

External links

University of Waikato, Music DepartmentSOUNZ Centre for New Zealand MusicMusic Live New ZealandComposer WebsiteAtoll Records

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Michael F New Zealand classical composers New Zealand male classical composers New Zealand opera composers 1962 births Living people