John Psathas is known for his bold, genre-spanning compositions and large-scale collaborations — his music’s been performed on all seven continents, including Antarctica, and he was a driving force behind the music of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games opening ceremony.
Previous composers-in-residence were Eve de Castro-Robinson, Victoria Kelly, Gareth Farr and Salina Fisher, each of whom contributed new works to the festival, now in its fifth year.
Renowned for his versatility and creativity, Psathas has worked with artists such as Salman Rushdie, on an e-book scoring collaboration, and System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian on a Billboard classical chart-topping album, and is known for blending live performance with cinematic soundscapes, video and text to create powerful musical narratives.
As part of his AWE residency, Psathas has been commissioned to compose two new works, which will premiere during the spring festival.
His works from across the decades will feature throughout the festival programme and audiences will have the chance to hear him in conversation, discussing his compositions and inspirations.
AWE festival director Justine Cormack is delighted by his appointment, and notes audiences are "in for a treat".
"Having performed and commissioned a lot of John’s music over the years, I couldn’t be more thrilled for him to be joining us for this year’s fifth anniversary festival.
"I’m looking forward to premiering his two new commissions for AWE 2025, as well as sharing a raft of his other chamber works.
"His music is powerful and so utterly moving on the deepest and most meaningful levels, and we look forward to celebrating him and all his creativity throughout the festival."
Ahead of this year’s festival — which runs from October 4 to 12 — Psathas will also mentor the festival’s emerging composer, as part of AWE’s commitment to supporting New Zealand’s next generations of musicians.
This year’s festival will include performances in Queenstown, Wānaka, Cromwell and Bannockburn — for more info see worldsedgefestival.com; tickets go on sale in May.
