Artistic Directors
Michael Norris
Artistic Co-Director
Michael Norris is a composer, software developer and music theorist. He teaches composition at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and directs Stroma New Music Ensemble. He is the recipient of the 2001 Mozart Fellowship, the 2003 Douglas Lilburn Prize, the 2012 CANZ Trust Fund Award, and won the SOUNZ Contemporary Award four times, in 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2020. He has had works performed at festivals such as Donaueschinger Musiktage, and received premieres by performers including the Hilversum Radio Chamber Orchestra, Peter Eötvös, Ensemble Nikel, Soundinitiative, Roberto Fabbriciani, the NZSO, DSO, CSO, NZSQ, NZTrio, the Viennese Saxophonic Orchestra, Ensemble Offspring, Ensemble Reconsil, and the Ensemble Pierrot Lunaire Wien.
In 2023, Michael’s work Waipounamu for solo violin and electronics was performed by the 16 semifinalists of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition, and in 2025, his piano trio The Spaces In Between, a commission from the Asian Composers League, was premiered in Tokyo. Michael’s audio software SoundMagic Spectral and Spindrift is widely used in both industry and academia worldwide, by artists such as Aphex Twin and Brian Eno. Michael is also deeply committed to developing the musical ecosystems of Aotearoa: in addition to being co-founder/co-director of Stroma, he also fundraises for and manages the NZSM Composer-in-Residence schemes, serves on the board of SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music, and is the Editor of Wai-te-ata Music Press. Michael’s debut CD Rerenga featuring his prize-winning works from the last 10 years will be released on the Rattle Records label in late 2025.
Hamish McKeich
Conductor/Co-Director
New Zealand-born conductor Hamish McKeich has forged an impressive international conducting career alongside a passionate loyalty for developing the repertoire of contemporary and experimental music. He has established an acclaimed partnership with the NZSO and is currently their Principal Conductor in Residence. In 2019 Hamish McKeich was also appointed Principal Conductor of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. McKeich has performed in New Zealand, Australia, China, the Netherlands, Italy, England, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Armenia and Lebanon. Working regularly in Europe, and with all the major orchestras in New Zealand and Australia, he has given over 100 world premieres of new works and is also chief conductor of the contemporary ensemble Stroma. He has worked with many orchestras and chamber ensembles, including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Asko Ensemble of Holland, Metropole Orkest, Tasmanian Symphony, Stroma Ensemble, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana, Adelaide Symphony, Armenian Philharmonic, Melbourne Symphony, Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensland Symphony, West Australian Symphony, 175 East, Elision Ensemble, Auckland Philharmonia, Christchurch Symphony, Dunedin Symphony and the EX Orchestra, amongst others.
McKeich studied conducting with legendary teacher and pedagogue Professor Ilya Musin and also prominent conductors Valery Gergiev, Sian Edwards and Peter Eötvös. McKeich was a finalist of the Gergiev Festival Conductors Masterclass, under the guidance of Professor Ilya Musin and Valery Gergiev. He started his career as bassoonist and at aged 19 became Associate Principal Bassoon with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and thereafter working with orchestra’s in Britain and Holland. In 2012 Hamish McKeich was awarded a Douglas Lilburn Trust citation for services to New Zealand music.
