Your Generosity in Action: Create New Musical Legacy

Bridging Inspiration with Legacy

Orchestra Wellington premieres Hour of Lead by 2024 Composer-in-Residence Eve de Castro-Robinson. Photo credit: Andy Best.

Great orchestras don’t just preserve our musical
heritage. They create the next chapter.

Every new composition begins with a blank page. Bringing it to life takes artistic vision, exceptional musicians and, importantly, the confidence to invest in something that has never been heard before.

In 2024, Orchestra Wellington Foundation funded Orchestra Wellington’s Composer in Residence programme, the longest running programme of its kind in New Zealand. Foundation support enabled acclaimed New Zealand composer Eve de Castro Robinson to create Hour of Lead, a powerful new work inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem of the same name.

“Eve is one of New Zealand’s senior composers, and her music draws deeply from our shared contemporary experience.”

– Marc Taddei, Music Director, Orchestra Wellington

Portrait of 2024 Orchestra Wellington Composer-in-Residence Eve de Castro-Robinson.

Premiered as part of Orchestra Wellington’s A Modern Hero concert, Hour of Lead explores themes of pain, resilience and the fragility of life through a distinctly contemporary New Zealand voice.

The true success of a new commission, however, is that it does not end with its premiere. Following its debut with Orchestra Wellington, Hour of Lead was selected for performance by Christchurch Symphony Orchestra alongside Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. For a newly commissioned work by a regional orchestra to be embraced by another professional orchestra is a rare and significant achievement. It reflects both the quality of the composition and the value of investing in New Zealand’s creative talent.

Ready to help bridge worlds?

Choose a pathway that is right for you. A gift today begins making a difference immediately.