Two composers from Aotearoa are included in the 11 recipients of the 2025 Art Music Fund, awarded $AUD7,500 grants for new projects.
Dylan Lardelli and Tatiana Riabinkina are the Aotearoa recipients, with exciting projects in development alongside the Australian recipients: Biddy Connor, Cayn Borthwick, Katy Abbott, Leah Curtis, Mace Francis, Megan Alice Clune, Phoebe Bognar, Rafael Karlen, and Thomas Meadowcroft.
The Art Music Fund is a partnership of APRA AMCOS, the Australian Music Centre and SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music.
Eleven composers from Australia and Aotearoa are the recipients of the Art Music Fund, with each receiving a $AUD7,500 grant towards the commission of a proposed work.
The Art Music Fund, celebrating its ninth funding round, is an initiative of APRA AMCOS, in partnership with the Australian Music Centre and SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music.
Dylan Lardelli and Tatiana Riabinkina are the Aotearoa recipients, with exciting projects in development alongside the Australian recipients: Biddy Connor, Cayn Borthwick, Katy Abbott, Leah Curtis, Mace Francis, Megan Alice Clune, Phoebe Bognar, Rafael Karlen, and Thomas Meadowcroft.
This year's total funding allocation will support a range of fascinating new projects both personal and global in scale. The range of works being supported by this year’s fund include song cycles, string quartets and jazz orchestras that explore a range of themes from climate change to cancer treatment and a celebration of the unique cultural diversity of Aotearoa.
The Art Music Fund was launched in 2016 in recognition of the limited opportunities for art music composers to have new works performed. It commissions new work, providing winning composers with professional support to grow their repertoire in a sustainable way. To date, it has provided over half a million dollars in funding to over 100 projects.
This year's recipients join an impressive list of composers to benefit from the fund including Maree Sheehan, Riki Neihana Gooch, Salina Fisher, Nadia Freeman, Mindy Meng Wang, Celeste Oram, Eve de Castro Robinson, Nathaniel Otley, and Samuel Holloway.
The successful applicants’ compositions demonstrate the high level of creativity, innovation and collaboration across disciplines, genres and formats, while working in a challenging funding landscape.
2025 Art Music Fund recipient Dylan Lardelli:
Dylan Lardelli has held artistic residencies in Tokyo, Vienna, and Ōtepoti. Their music has been performed throughout the world by musicians including Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Musikfabrik, the New Zealand String Quartet, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Ensemble Vortex, and the Forbidden City Chamber Orchestra, Beijing.
"This grant will provide me with invaluable space to reflect on my artistic concerns, undertake points of research, and create my work uninterrupted. It will permit me to engage with the fine performers involved in interpreting my work, allowing for a score that is idiomatic while still containing the elements of exploration that I value."
"This fund is vital as it encourages the production of a growing body of work that embrace exploration and
experimentation from Australian and New Zealand musical creators. It enables our voices to have a presence in the world, and for the growth of the individual artists involved. [...] I’m honoured to be chosen for 2025’s APRA Art Music Fund to enable the creation of my work."
2025 Art Music Fund recipient Tatiana Riabinkina:
Tatiana has changed many professions on her way from being a prison surgeon in Yekaterinburg, Russia, to a composer, bass player and teacher in Christchurch. Currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Canterbury, Tatiana is researching the role of contemporary music in international cultural relations, particularly in response to the modern Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Her compositions reflect a deep interest in cross-cultural collaboration. With a commitment to innovation, storytelling, and cultural engagement, Tatiana continues to expand the boundaries of contemporary music in New Zealand and beyond.
Tatiana's proposed work, Two New Years of Aotearoa, is an orchestral work celebrating New Zealand’s cultural diversity through taonga pūoro and cello soloists. Reflecting Matariki and the European New Year, the piece explores dialogue, respect, and unity between Māori and Pākehā traditions, culminating in a shared musical journey of friendship and collaboration.
"The grant will allow me to dedicate time and resources to the composition process, particularly the collaborative work with taonga pūoro performer Mahina-Ina Kingi-Kaui. It also supports the development of a culturally respectful and technically cohesive orchestral score, ensuring both solo voices are meaningfully integrated."
"The Art Music Fund plays a vital role in enabling composers to take creative risks and develop ambitious new work that might not otherwise be possible. It supports the creation of a diverse, high-quality repertoire that reflects our evolving cultural landscape."
Hannah Darroch - Chief Executive, SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music | Toi te Arapūoru
SOUNZ is delighted to be able to collaborate with APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre. This opportunity is of huge value to our composers in Aotearoa, and it's wonderful to be able to support artistry and creative career sustainability through the Art Music Fund. Congratulations to all eleven recipients - what a huge range of innovative projects - and we look forward to hearing the musical results!
Chris O’Neill - Director of Creative Programs, APRA AMCOS
The calibre of entries for this year’s Art Music Fund was incredible, and we’re thrilled to be able to announce such an impressive line-up of recipients for 2025. The Fund is a vital opportunity for established composers to get their works commissioned on a large scale and create longevity and exposure for a long time to come.
Catherine Haridy - CEO, Australian Music Centre
The Art Music Fund provides meaningful and lasting professional support for creators to explore bold artistic ideas and transform them into imaginative and impactful new works. The AMC is proud to be a partner of the Art Music Fund, and we warmly congratulate all 11 recipients for 2025.
Art Music Fund applications were assessed on the viability of the proposed project, the quality of the work, and the strategy for the life and reach of the work.