About Stroma FilmWorks

Stroma FilmWorks is New Zealand’s premiere studio ensemble for film, TV, game and exhibition soundtracks. We draw our core players from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) and other local professional musicians, many of whom have performed with the ensemble for nearly 20 years under the direction of conductor Hamish McKeich, also Principal Conductor in Residence of the NZSO. We collaborate with top professionals from the Wellington film and audio industry to bring the highest levels of recording quality to your project.

Services

Based in Wellington — New Zealand’s filmmaking and creative capital — Stroma FilmWorks can provide the best players from a large pool of professional musicians to meet your specific needs. This flexibility is a major drawcard for the industry, providing versatility, efficiency and high-quality recordings at a reasonable cost.

Stroma FilmWorks can provide the following instruments:

Orchestral woodwinds (including alto/bass flute, cor anglais, bass clarinet, saxophones, contrabassoon)
Jazz saxophones
Orchestral and jazz brass
Orchestral and jazz percussion
Harp, piano, celeste, and other keyboards
Orchestral strings
Other instruments by negotiation

Stroma FilmWorks delivers:

polished, professional performances from the leading musicians in New Zealand
technical mastery of the most challenging contemporary repertoire
a flexible group of musicians to meet the scale and needs of each project
a rich sound and texture at a lower cost than a full orchestra
the assured, efficient leadership of conductor Hamish McKeich.

Stroma FilmWorks supports Stroma’s driving force – to foster and champion the music of today and to exhilarate audiences with bold musical experiences of the highest standard.

Personnel

Hamish McKeich
(conductor)

Hamish is currently Principal Conductor in Residence of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He has an impressive international conducting career, having conducted the Sydney Symphony, Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana, Adelaide Symphony, Armenian Philharmonic, Melbourne Symphony, Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensland Symphony, West Australian Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia, Christchurch Symphony, and the Dunedin Symphony.

John Neill
(sound engineer)

John is Director of Sound Engineering and Park Road Post Production. He has 45 years experience as a recording engineer. Since the late 1980s, John has been recording and score mix engineer on many film projects, including Heavenly Creatures and Mortal Engines. Full list of credits available on IMDB

Graham Kennedy
(score recording engineer)

Graham Kennedy is one of New Zealand’s most experienced score mixer/recording engineers. He has worked on the musical scores for numerous films and TV series, including The Luminaries, The Dead Lands, Mortal Engines, The Hobbit, Krampus, Mr. Pip and The Lovely Bones. He has also recorded and mixed a number of album projects for a range of artists. A full list of credits can be found at Graham’s IMDB page.

Stephen Gallagher
(music editor)

Stephen is a music editor for film and television. He has worked with Peter Jackson, Brian Eno, Ed Sheeran, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Joe Trapanese and Junkie XL. His full list of credits is available on IMDB.

Film Credits

Stroma FilmWorks has performed on the following soundtracks:

The Luminaries (2020), music by David Long
A Quiet Divide, an album release concert in Michael Fowler Centre (2018), music by Rhian Sheehan
Magicians – The Show (2017), music by Tane Upjohn-Beatson
McLaren (2017), dir. Roger Donaldson, music by David Long
Doubt: The Scott Watson Case (2016), dir. Yvonne MacKay, music by Ewan Clark
Shmeat (2015), dir. Matasila Freshwater, music by Ewan Clark
We Are Stars: Planetarium Dome Show (2015), dir. Max Crow, music by Rhian Sheehan
Space Trash Men (2013), dir. Ben Childs, music by Ewan Clark
Beyond the Edge (2013), dir. Leanne Pooley, music by David Long
Back to the Moon for Good: Planetarium Dome Show (2013), dir. Max Crow, music by Rhian Sheehan
Antarctica: A Year on Ice (2013), dir. Anthony Powell, music by Plan 9

Testimonials

I couldn’t be as ambitious in scoring if I didn’t have Stroma FilmWorks around. As well as being beautiful players they are supportive and make recording fun. I have never had a bad experience with them. They are thoroughly professional but also creative. The last time I worked with them on The Luminaries we tried all sorts of approaches and techniques on various cues and I think I ended up using all the things we played with.
David Long (composer, The Luminaries)

Stroma FilmWorks are my go-to ensemble for classical recording — they approach everything from traditional sessions to experimental textures and sampling with the same efficiency and exquisite musicianship.
Tane Upjohn-Beatson (Composer/Sound Designer)

I’ve been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to work with Stroma FilmWorks on many commercial and personal projects over the past few years. They consistently deliver powerful world-class performances with incredible, highly experienced players.
Rhian Sheehan (music producer and screen composer)