Stroma presents Pounamu - Maxwell/Psathas/Zorn

A collaboration between two leading New Zealand musicians hailing from very different musical perspectives — Little Bushman and Trinity Roots frontman Warren Maxwell, and leading New Zealand orchestral composer John Psathas — will be celebrated as part of Stroma's "rebirth" concert on 6 October.

Their collaboration, entitled Pounamu, combines the songwriting and orchestral scoring talents of Maxwell and Psathas in a series of songs focusing on the 'invisible people' in society.

It was premiered in May with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. For Stroma's concert, however, the orchestral score has been reduced to chamber ensemble, giving the audience a more intimate experience with the music.

Following the premiere of Pounamu will be a performance of John Zorn's For Your Eyes Only, last played by Stroma in the 2002 International Jazz Festival. Zorn, a New York saxophonist and composer, is renowned for his genre-breaking, madcap scores that take inspiration from the rapid "cuts" of Looney Tunes cartoon composer Carl W. Stalling.

"Stroma is all about showcasing the unique diversity of styles and genres in the New Zealand music scene," says artistic co-director Michael Norris. "Pounamu and For Your Eyes Only demonstrate two very different approaches to combining elements of popular music languages with a more classical approach. There are some very bad examples of this out there in the world today, so we wanted to celebrate the good examples!"

Stroma is one of New Zealand’s finest contemporary chamber ensembles, comprising players from the NZSO and other freelance Wellington performers. Since its inaugural concert in 2000, they has performed regularly, with a repertoire of fresh, cutting-edge compositions. They have appeared at numerous New Zealand International Arts Festivals, and have toured for Chamber Music New Zealand. Critics have hailed Stroma as "one of the most interesting and original ensembles to have emerged recently", describing its performances as "vibrant and exhilarating", "stunning" and "staggeringly fine".

Two shows on Oct 6: 8pm & 9:30pm