SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music Toi te Arapūoru
New Zealand
Member since:
n/a
Website
CEO
Hannah Darroch
Address
Level 3, 61 Abel Smith Street, Te Aro,
Wellington 6011, NEW ZEALAND
Services
Introduction
SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music Toi te Arapūoru is based in Wellington, New Zealand, and is a charitable trust dedicated to championing and promoting the sounds and music of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
About
In operation since 1991, the music represented in the SOUNZ catalogue includes classical composition, taonga puoro (traditional Māori instruments), works by Māori composers, Moana Pacific Peoples musics, electroacoustic music, jazz composition, screen composition, and sonic art.
SOUNZ represents over 750 composers, and has over 12,000 shop items, and 28,000 library resources. Their online database is the largest hosting platform for finding scores and recordings of NZ works to listen to, purchase, hire, or borrow from the library. As trusted advisors on repertoire, programming, and the performance of NZ music, SOUNZ also provides numerous development opportunities for composers and groups through projects, funded commissions, collaborations, prizes and awards. They enjoy longstanding partnerships with other arts organisations around New Zealand, collaborating on and supporting many annual projects and events.
In recent years SOUNZ has also become known for its content production, with a number of award-winning podcast series and video resources, including their Hōtaka Māori collection and Instruments of the Moana. The website is also a destination for articles, music features and interviews about NZ music topics, and SOUNZ promotes NZ music through workshops and wānanga, as well as sharing information about concert events and opportunities through its digital channels.
SOUNZ Films has been a much-loved flagship series at SOUNZ since 2013, and has grown into a diverse collection of over 1600 films, by more than 400 composers from around New Zealand. Thanks to funding from NZ On Air, and audio provided by RNZ Concert and other independent audio engineers, SOUNZ has been able to build the only extensive catalogue of its kind, to ensure that there is a vibrant record of what the many talented professional ensembles and performers are presenting around the country.
SOUNZ Chief Executive Hannah Darroch presenting the SOUNZ Contemporary Award during the 2025 APRA Silver Scrolls, © Stijl Photography
Services
SOUNZ offers the following services
- Composer Database
SOUNZ houses the largest database on Aotearoa music in the country, including composer biographies, detailed works pages, and performance history - Shop, library, and music hire service
SOUNZ acts as a publisher for NZ composers wishing to sell scores via the website, and also runs a library and music hire service used by performers and ensembles around the country - Articles and features
The SOUNZ website provides promotional opportunities for composers through feature articles and interviews as a means of highlighting their projects, research, and creations - Events
Hundreds of events that include NZ compositions around the country are listed each year on the SOUNZ website
- SOUNZ Films
Funded by NZ On Air, with audio predominantly from RNZ Concert, the SOUNZ Films series is a collection of thousands of films of NZ works, performed live by professional ensembles around the country - Podcast and video series
SOUNZ has produced a number of podcast and video series in recent years, which have won awards at the New York Festivals Radio Awards and New Zealand Podcast Awards - Composer opportunities
A number of opportunities are created for composers each year, including a range of paid commissions and awards - Youth opportunities and development
A programme of opportunities, prizes, and emerging composer residencies and mentoring are offered each year to school and university students - Educational resources
SOUNZ provides a range of educational resources, study guides, and repertoire lists for students and teachers - Advocacy and collaboration
SOUNZ works with other NZ music organisations to advocate on behalf of composers, and encourage the programming and championing of NZ composition. We provide advice and present submissions to a range of proposals.
Have a look at the SOUNZ website to view all information they have to offer about music life in New Zealand.
Visit the SOUNZ website
Insights into our work
The premiere of the SOUNZ Community Commission, held in the foyer of Wellington Hospital in July 2025, supplied: SOUNZ.
SOUNZ Filmmaker Chris Watson during the NZ Composer Sessions at the Michael Fowler Centre – an annual collaboration between SOUNZ, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and RNZ Concert, supplied: SOUNZ.
From a recording session for the 2025 SOUNZ Jazz Recording Prize, where a jazz musician receives payment, and studio time, audio/video engineering to record up to 30 minutes of new material, supplied: SOUNZ.
The presentation of the SOUNZ-NZCF Te Reo Māori Choral Composition Award, given out each year to a high school-age composer during The Big Sing national final, supplied: SOUNZ.
Interview
Hannah Darroch
SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music – CEO
Hannah Darroch – CEO of SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music
For readers outside New Zealand: How is musical life organised and structured?
The music ecosystem is very interlinked, with a range of diverse organisations serving the whole population from students right through to adult community musicians and professionals. Some organisations operate on a national level, and each of the main centres also has its own professional orchestra, as well as other opportunities for paid work in genres including choral singing, chamber music, and jazz. A number of music organisations are funded by Creative New Zealand, along with a combination of funding from various foundations, trusts, and philanthropic sources. Many run specific localised events and projects, and are supported by local council and community funding.
During the past forty years in particular, there has been an immense revival in the knowledge and performance of indigenous Māori instruments, taonga puoro, and instruments from around the Moana Pacific. This has created new pathways and opportunities for these art forms to be incorporated into our musical lives as New Zealanders.
Where does SOUNZ fit into this structure?
SOUNZ is the glue that connects a lot of other presenting music organisations, performers, and educators to one another. In many cases, we are the only means of accessing particular sheet music of NZ works, or resources about NZ composition. We also provide advice and support to a variety of community groups, schools, and professional arts organisations..
Through our commissioning and recording projects, SOUNZ is also able to collaborate with numerous organisations and individuals across the music sector, with the goal of promoting NZ composition and providing sustainable pathways for local creatives. We love to see NZ repertoire flourishing for communities across Aotearoa.
In recent years SOUNZ has worked hard to ensure that Māori and Pacific musicians are being supported, in particular through developing our Māori composer database, cataloguing works, promoting events and new releases, filming compositions and works with taonga puoro, and following the journeys of a number of classical musicians collaborating with indigenous instruments in a range of settings.
Why is SOUNZ relevant for national and international target groups?
SOUNZ’s website is the best place to access information about NZ composition, and when programming works, SOUNZ is also the mechanism for finding sheet music and recordings.
SOUNZ is constantly providing both national and international parties with information about NZ composers, offering programming advice, and ensuring that composers and works can thrive both in our own country and much further afield. There is a large global audience for NZ composers, due in part to the number of NZ musicians who spread their wings around the world, and many international viewers follow our SOUNZ Films series on our various social media platforms.
