Te Raekaihau and other works

Te Raekaihau, "the forehead that eats the wind", is the Maori name of a windy, rugged headland in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In Maori culture, wind and breath have a very important spiritual meaning. Through collaboration with renowned players of Taonga puoro, the traditional Maori instruments, like Richard Nunns and Horomona Horo, the author focuses on the combination of Taonga puoro and European Orchestra tradition. Unique instruments like the Putorino (mixture of flute and trumpet) or the Purerehua (bullroarer) became part of Te Raekaihau, which was premiered by the famous orchestra Staatskapelle Weimar featuring Horomona Horo, directed by Roland Kluttig. The other works, Colours and Schattenspiel, represent the research of the composer concerning space and sound: the audience is surrounded by the musicians. In Colours, traditional Javanese and European instruments mix and create a new, experimental soundscape. This intercultural, artistic dialogue is based on the collaboration with the Indonesian musician Dody Satya Ekagustdiman.