Alex Taylor (b. 1988) is a composer and musician based in Auckland, New Zealand. His works have been performed by prominent artists and ensembles, including the NZSO, Enso Quartet, NZTrio, the Taipei Chamber Singers, and the New Zealand Youth Choir. In 2012 he received the SOUNZ Contemporary Award for his orchestral work [inner], and in 2016 an Arts Foundation New Generation Award. He has held residencies with the Caselberg Trust, the Auckland Youth Orchestra, and the National Youth Orchestra of New Zealand, and was a Composition Fellow of the 2017 Tanglewood Music Center.
As well as composing, Alex is a multi-instrumentalist, poet, critic, lecturer, conductor and impresario. He writes about music for the Pantograph Punch, and co-directs the hear|say performance group with Eve de Castro-Robinson. He has performed across a range of vocal and instrumental genres, including as lead vocalist for the Blackbird Ensemble, and as the Sorceress in his own recomposition of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with Frances Moore’s Unstuck Opera. After studying English Literature and Music, Alex completed a Masters in Composition with First Class Honours under the Supervision of Eve de Castro-Robinson and John Elmsly in 2011.
Alex’s output includes works for orchestra, chamber music, songs, music for theatre, and two concerti, for bassoon and horn. His piano trio burlesques mecaniques is featured on NZTrio’s most recent CD release, Lightbox. He is currently writing a flute concerto, and an opera based on David Herkt’s The Last Delirium of Arthur Rimbaud.
http://sounz.org.nz/contributor/composer/1745
Images by Priscilla Northe, Striped Trees Productions
Alex Taylor 