Salina Fisher (b.1993) is an award-winning New Zealand composer gaining global recognition for her distinctive musical voice. She became the youngest-ever recipient of the SOUNZ Contemporary Award in 2016 and 2017, and her works are frequently performed worldwide by leading musicians and ensembles. Drawing from her background as a multi-instrumentalist of mixed Japanese heritage, her highly evocative music often involves collaborations, notably with taonga pūoro practitioners. She finds lyricism in unusual timbres and extended tonalities, and is noted for her "extraordinary sense of colour and texture” (New Zealand Herald).
Her growing catalogue includes solo, chamber, vocal, and orchestral works. Recent highlights include Papatūānuku (2023), a collaborative work with Jerome Kavanagh for taonga pūoro and orchestra commissioned by Auckland Philharmonia, Hikari (2023) for violinist Alexi Kenney, Toroa (2022) commissioned by Forest & Bird for their centenary, string trio Mata-Au (2021) written for the inaugural At the World’s Edge Festival, Heal (2020) for Marmen Quartet, and Kintsugi (2020) commissioned by NZTrio.
Her music has been presented by renowned ensembles and venues across the globe, including performances at Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Philharmonie Berlin, Boulez Saal, and Wigmore Hall. Her works have been
featured on concerts by the New York Philharmonic, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, International Contemporary Ensemble, A Far Cry, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, Brodsky Quartet, Dallas Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Lands End Ensemble, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra (USA), Melbourne Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Shanghai Symphony, Stavanger Symphony, and Ulster Orchestras, including with conductors Gemma New and Tianyi Lu.
After studying composition and violin at New Zealand School of Music – Te Kōkī, Salina received a Fulbright scholarship to study at New York’s Manhattan School of Music where she was awarded the Carl Kanter Prize for Orchestral Composition. She has since been Composer-in-Residence at New Zealand School of Music (2019–2020), At the World’s Edge Festival (2021), and University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra (2023). She is the recipient of awards from The Arts Foundation (New Generation Award), Edwin Carr Foundation, Composers Association of New Zealand, APRA Art Music Fund, Canberra International Film Festival (Best Score - International Category), and NZSO Todd Young Composers Award (2013, 2014).
Salina particularly enjoys collaborating with other artists, including practitioners of taonga pūoro, Japanese instruments, ceramics, poetry, and film. She frequently performed as a casual violinist in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in 2012–2016 and has collaborated across genres as an orchestrator and/or violinist with local artists including Alien Weaponry, Ria Hall, and Grayson Gilmour. Salina enjoys performing and improvising on violin and koto, including as a member of Ao with Jerome Kavanagh (taonga pūoro) and Neil MacLeod (electronics), and as part of Wellington’s Moth Quartet. She lectured in composition and orchestration as Teaching Fellow in Composition at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music – Victoria University of Wellington (2020–2023) and has additionally mentored emerging composers through NZSO National Youth Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, and At the World’s Edge Festival.
Short bio (150 words)
Salina Fisher (b.1993) is an award-winning New Zealand composer gaining global recognition for her distinctive musical voice. Drawing from her background as a multi-instrumentalist of mixed Japanese heritage, her highly evocative music often involves collaborations, notably with taonga pūoro practitioners. Her works have been featured on concerts by New York Philharmonic, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, International Contemporary Ensemble, A Far Cry, Helsinki Philharmonic, Brodsky Quartet, Auckland Philharmonia, Dallas Symphony, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, including with conductors Gemma New and Tianyi Lu. She became the youngest-ever recipient of the SOUNZ Contemporary Award in 2016 and 2017, and has received awards from Fulbright, The Arts Foundation, Creative NZ, and CANZ. She is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music, New York, and New Zealand School of Music – Te Kōkī, Victoria University of Wellington, where she was appointed Composer-in-Residence (2019-2020) and Teaching Fellow in Composition.
March 2024