David Downes

5 Jul

New Zealand

David Downes is a Wellington-based composer and moving image artist who has pursued an individual path of creative work, most of it using electronic technology and frequently linked with dance and film.

As a composer Downes's work has been commissioned and performed by ensembles such as The New Zealand Chamber Orchestra, NZTrio, Stroma, Strike, Defying Gravity (Australia) and BackBeat (UK). Since 1988 he has also made a considerable contribution to modern choreographic work in New Zealand with his contemporary dance scores including several major collaborations with Michael Parmenter. During 2012-13 he was the Jack C Richards, Creative New Zealand, Composer in Residence at the New Zealand School of Music.

As a moving image artist Downes has explored experimental video, animation, and computer generated imagery. With a particular focus on the expression of music through the moving image he has produced several international award winning films including the 2000 musical feature 'A Small Life' with Michael Heath, and the 2004 animated short film 'Generation'. In 2014 he was invited to present a concert of his music-based films at the Beijing Modern Music Festival. In recent years he has been commissioned to produce several large scale video pieces to accompany the performance of new orchestral works by New Zealand composers.

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