Year 2022 in Review

This year the TAVAC concert was cancelled due to covid influencing public concerts.
Fortunately it was a privilege for TAVAC to hold the TAVAC Composers' Competition for the first time. The examiners who kindly volunteered were Alison Armstrong (Music Teacher, Tauranga), Simon Eastwood (Composers Association of NZ) and Kassandra Wang (CANZ, Music Teacher).
The winners of the competition were in order: Colin Decio, Gabriella Egleton and James Baxter. The descriptions in the words of the competitors themselves are as follow.

First Place: Colin Decio with 'Awkward Dance No.1'

Colin Decio was born in Birmingham, England to an English mother and a Ukrainian father ‐ hence the surname! From 1982 he studied Piano Performing, Piano Teaching, Classical Guitar and Composition at the Birmingham School of Music, UK (now Royal Birmingham Conservatoire), graduating with five diplomas - including a distinction in composition, in 1986. Since receiving a permanent residence visa and arriving in New Zealand in 2016 Colin has been awarded - 1st Prize and the Audience Award in the New Zealand Double Reed Society Composition Competition 2017; finalist in the Auckland Clarinet Competition 2017; 'Highly Commended' in the Sounz Brass Composition Prize 2020, and 'Commended' in the Australia & New Zealand Viola Society Composition Competition 2021. Awkward Dance No.1 is a fun piece for piano solo. It is so titled because the time signature changes would make it 'awkward' to dance to ‐ though this should not dissuade anyone from doing so.

Second Place: Gabriella Egleton with 'The Sleepy Cat's Waltz'

Gabriella Egleton is a South African New Zealander who has lived in the Bay of Plenty for 12 years. She loves music and storytelling, and since her childhood dream of becoming an elephant hasn't worked out, she plans of becoming a piano teacher. She is currently working toward her grade 6 NZMEB piano exam. "The Sleepy Cat's Waltz" was inspired by her light ginger cat called Marshmallow, whose favourite pastimes include not eating the food he's given and hogging the seat in front of the fireplace in winter. Gabriella tried to capture all the moods and variations of a cat that insists ‐ in spite of all the forces of nature that might come against him ‐ that his sole purpose in life is to sleep warmly and eat well. Gabriella and Marshmallow both hope you enjoy the piece.

Third Place: James Baxter - 'Raindrops in the Ngahere' and 'Koanga Leaves'

My name is James Baxter. I have been composing for over 10 years. I like writing in classical style as well as modern. I am inspired with theory and enjoy counterpoint and four part harmony. I really enjoyed doing these 2 pieces. Koanga Leaves means "spring leaves" in Maori with the flute and oboe suggesting the wind and the melody suggesting falling leaves on top of spring winds. Raindrops in the Ngahere means "Raindrops in the Forest" and the harp here suggests raindrops with the timpani being the Kauri trees.