Travel Diary from the ISCM World New Music Days 2022 in New Zealand

Greetings from New Zealand and the ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music) World New Music Days 2022 festival!

The festival was originally scheduled for April 2020, then postponed to autumn 2021, but both were cancelled due to the pandemic. Finally, in August 2022, the event took place! Unfortunately, the performances by Finnish composers Jouni Hirvelä and Ville Raasakka, both members of the Society of Finnish Composers, had to be cancelled because of COVID-related reasons.

Arrival in Auckland

I arrived in Auckland on Monday, August 22, 2022, after a 45-hour journey—an adventure filled with sleeping, composing, about 500 squats to ease restless legs, and several movies.

On Tuesday morning, I had a chance to explore Auckland a little on foot. In the afternoon, the festival opening ceremony took place, featuring beautiful Māori music, both sung and played on traditional Taonga pūoro instruments. That evening there was a concert of electronic music at the Audio Foundation Studio.

Meetings, Music, and Māori Culture

From Wednesday, August 24, to Saturday, August 27, the ISCM General Assembly meetings were held, where I served as the representative for the Society of Finnish Composers.

One of the key topics discussed was the future of the ISCM festivals: the cost of organizing them continues to rise, and not many ISCM sections can afford to host such large-scale events. Another important issue was how to reduce the carbon footprint of future festivals. What new possibilities could technology offer? Whatever the future format may be, everyone agreed that maintaining opportunities for networking and personal connection during the festival is essential.

After Wednesday morning’s meeting, we enjoyed a brilliant solo percussion concert by Justin DeHart, followed in the evening by a choral concert featuring the Auckland Chamber Choir from the University of Auckland.

Rehearsals and New Sounds

After Thursday’s meeting, I had a rehearsal with violist Mark Menzies for my piece No Piece by Violence, which was to be performed on Friday. Mark is an exceptional musician—he had studied every tiny detail of the score and executed everything perfectly! And on top of that, he’s such a warm, kind person. What a joy to collaborate with him!

Later that day, we took a bus trip to Titirangi, just outside Auckland, where a concert was held at a contemporary art museum. One of the highlights was Lukas Ligeti performing on the Marimba Lumina, an instrument designed by synthesizer pioneer Donald Buchla—it produced an astonishing variety of sounds.

That evening, we had a Composer Collider event, which included various group activities for composers, as well as food and drinks.

Friday: Concerts and Sky Views

Friday morning brought the third meeting, which included an update on the 2023 ISCM Festival, to be held in South Africa. Organizer Lukas Ligeti explained that this first-ever ISCM festival in Africa will be very different from any before it—offering both great opportunities and unique challenges.

After the meeting, pianist Gabriela Glapska gave a solo recital, several of the works including electronic parts. Later in the afternoon, I visited the Sky Tower, a 328-meter-tall skyscraper offering a stunning view over the city of Auckland and the surrounding islands.

That evening was Mark Menzies’s concert, where my composition received a truly fantastic performance—recorded by Radio New Zealand. I couldn’t have been happier!

Final Day in Auckland

Saturday marked both the final meeting and the last festival day in Auckland. The Friday and Saturday sessions dealt with some challenging issues that initially created tension, but in the end, we found solutions that satisfied everyone, and the General Assembly concluded on a positive note.

In the afternoon, there was one more chamber music concert, followed by an evening event featuring a few music video premieres—and finally, the closing ceremony of the Auckland part of the festival.

Farewell and Reflections

On Sunday, part of the festival group continued on to Christchurch, while others—including me—began the journey home. It felt bittersweet to leave halfway through, as I had met so many wonderful, passionate people during the festival week.

In Christchurch, the festival continued in collaboration with the Asian Composers League (ACL). It was lovely to follow the rest of the festival from home through social media, seeing my ISCM friends’ travel diaries filled with stunning photos of New Zealand’s landscapes.