Gareth Farr

New Zealand composer, percussionist and entertainer Gareth Farr was born in Wellington on 29 February 1968 and studied composition, orchestration and electronic music at the University of Auckland, then continued his studies at the Victoria University of Wellington and the Eastman School of Music in the USA.

At twenty-five he became the youngest person to be composer in residence with Chamber Music New Zealand.

From the Depths Sound the Great Sea Gongs was commissioned for the fiftieth anniversary of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and is an example of many works influenced by the Indonesian gamelan.

He has also been commissioned to write many other works, and he also took part in the 2005 Artists to Antarctica programme.

Unusually, he also performs in cabaret as a percussionist under the alter-ego Lilith LaCroix.

 

A selection of articles about Gareth Farr

CD Spotlight. Birdsong Fragments - 'Songs of Travel and Home' performed by Jullien van Mellaerts, recommended by Geoff Pearce. '... a singer with a very expressive voice, a pleasing tone, a great insight into the music he sings ...'

Chopin in the Boondocks - Stephen De Pledge returns to New Zealand, by Howard Smith