David Hamilton
DAVID HAMILTON Musical Director
“New Zealand composer David Hamilton was Head of Music at Epsom Girls Grammar School until the end of 2001 where he conducted the award-winning girls choir ‘Opus’. He is Deputy Musical Director of Auckland Choral and has been Composer-in-Residence with the Auckland Philharmonia (1999).
He concentrates on composing while maintaining part-time involvement in music education as a composition tutor, lecturer and choral conductor. He is well-known as a choral conductor, adjudicator, workshop leader and clinician.
His choral music is widely performed, and is published in the UK, USA, and Finland. Works have been commissioned by choirs in Japan, England, Finland, the USA, and Ireland. Choral works have won recent competitions in Italy (2000 – “Veni Sancte Spiritus”) and the USA (2005 – “Deus, Deus meus”).
In 2006 he has won the Ned Rorem Award for Song Composition (USA) and the NZ Flute Society’s composers’ competition. In 2007 “Hine Raukatauri”, a concerto for flute and chamber orchestra, took 1st prize in the Haifa International Composers Competition (Israel), and a setting of “The Singers” took 2nd place in the Longfellow Chorus Composers Competition (USA). New Zealand composer David Hamilton was Head of Music at Epsom Girls Grammar School until the end of 2001 where he conducted the award-winning girls choir ‘Opus’. He is Deputy Musical Director of Auckland Choral and has been Composer-in-Residence with the Auckland Philharmonia (1999).
He concentrates on composing while maintaining part-time involvement in music education as a composition tutor, lecturer and choral conductor. He is well-known as a choral conductor, adjudicator, workshop leader and clinician.
His choral music is widely performed, and is published in the UK, USA, and Finland. Works have been commissioned by choirs in Japan, England, Finland, the USA, and Ireland. Choral works have won recent competitions in Italy (2000 – “Veni Sancte Spiritus”) and the USA (2005 – “Deus, Deus meus”).
In 2006 he has won the Ned Rorem Award for Song Composition (USA) and the NZ Flute Society’s composers’ competition. In 2007 “Hine Raukatauri”, a concerto for flute and chamber orchestra, took 1st prize in the Haifa International Composers Competition (Israel), and a setting of “The Singers” took 2nd place in the Longfellow Chorus Composers Competition (USA).
In 2012 David was with us only briefly at the start of the Festival. He was also appointed choral adjudicator in the 75 year old Llangollen Eisteddfod, an opportunity to be treasured, and he dashed off there. NZ choirs have featured at Llangollen occasionally and it is a much admired event here. The prestigious “Choir of the World” title was won by the NZ National Youth Choir in 1995. David is back on the adjudication panel at Llangollen for 2013, these duties immediately following those at the SingDownunder Festival.