Young Kiwi composer takes the key for 2025 residency

Kiwi composition student, Grace Wellik, has been selected for a sought-after residency programme that supports young composers to step up an octave to a professional career. Wellik brings to the position of Auckland Philharmonia’s 2025 Young Composer-in-Residence a composition approach that blends traditional techniques with a present-day Aotearoa voice, rich with hopefulness and connection. The multi-faceted musician will add this this role to her impressive music résumé, which includes experience in national-level youth composition, conducting and singing.

Auckland Philharmonia’s Young Composer-in-Residence programme is a partnership between the orchestra and the University of Auckland, which supports New Zealand tertiary students to launch their professional careers as composers. The residency is coveted by student and emerging composers as it provides them with the rare opportunity to hear their works performed in concert settings by a professional orchestra. Such an experience has often proven to be a valuable stepping stone for early career composers looking to build their portfolio.

A student at the University of Auckland, Wellik will complete her Bachelor of Music this year, then continue her study towards Honours in Composition. She is a versatile musician who sings with the New Zealand Youth Choir and the Auckland Youth Choir, trained with the New Zealand Choral Federation as a Young Conductor, and was the 2024 Young Composer in Residence for Auckland Youth Choir.

Wellik’s compositions explore the marrying of traditional classical compositional ideas and techniques with a voice that is present, magical, and undeniably New Zealand. There is a soft hopefulness to Wellik’s compositions, aiming to transport listeners into honest narratives. Stripping back the weight of modern life, Wellik’s music reminds us that at the core of humanity is the connections we have with others.

Under the mentorship of professional New Zealand composers, including Ryan Youens, Wellik will compose three works during the residency: two full orchestral works and a piece for chamber ensemble. They will be performed by the Auckland Philharmonia at Learn & Participate events in 2025, including the Orchestral Summer School programme, Discovery concert, and a bespoke chamber ensemble opportunity suited to Wellik’s career direction.

Wellik is looking forward to the residency and says, “I’m so excited to work with such a phenomenal orchestra over the next year. As a composer, nothing quite compares to hearing your music performed live, and the grand scale and quality of an orchestra is truly a magical experience.”

Support from the Freemasons Foundation underpins the Young Composer-In-Residence programme and the opportunities for aspiring professional and tertiary students generated through this University of Auckland and Auckland Phil partnership.

This residency is offered as part of Auckland Philharmonia’s Learn & Participate programme, which aims to give Aucklander’s access to opportunities and experiences that inspire a connection with orchestral music. The Learn & Participate programme connects the orchestra’s professional musicians with schools, individuals and communities across Tāmaki Makaurau through events, concerts, and workshops that involve over 30,000 young people and adults each year.

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