‘Talent must be fostered’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33965, 4 October 1975, Page 13

‘Talent must be fostered’

There is a great deal of musical potential in New Zealand, but it has not been developed to its full potential, according to Mr Simon Tipping, a Christchurch musician. Mr Tipping said that because there was no opportunity for musicians in New Zealand, they went overseas, and later found, as Michael Houstoun and Kiri Te Kanawa had, that when they wanted to return home there was no work for them. “We have to try to build up a climate in New Zealand where talent can be discovered and fostered much more than it is at the moment,” he said. Before Mr Tipping left Christchurch two years ago

for a work and study holiday he was the associate conductor of the Christchurch Harmonic Society, a composer of music for drama, a conductor of the University Chamber Orchestra, and a lecturer in music at Canterbury University. Last year he was awarded a Queen Eli2»beth II Arts Council bursary to study the use of music with drama. Mr Tipping welcomed the appointment of Mr William Southgate as conductor of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, saying it would help create an encouraging climate for potential musicians. “European musicians, quite unjustly, think that New Zealand is completely off the map. This however, is only through ignorance, because they do not know about New Zealand,” said Mr Tipping.

Mr Tipping is uncertain about his future in Christchurch. He has bought back a number of musical dramas, which he would like to stage, but it depends on his getting work. Mr Tipping studied music for drama in London, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-on-Avon, and in other English theatres and film studios. “It is a field that could be very useful. I was looking for musical works which 1 thought would be suitable for New Zealand, where there is a limited number of people to perform. I was also looking for modem music drama,” he said. In 1974 and 1975, Mr Tipping studied conducting with

Bernard Keeffe in London, and attended a conductors’ master class under Jean Foumet, run by the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation in Hilversum. He sang in the Bach Choir under David Willcocks. This year he received a second arts council award to study at two conductors’ master classes in Europe. The first, in Vienna, under Hans Swarowsky, w T as devoted to the interpretation of the Viennese classicists, and the second, in Siena, under Franco Ferrara, dealt with a much wider range of composers. Mr Upping believes he is now much more competent and disciplined as a conductor. He found the Vienna course the most interesting, learning that music should not always be interpreted as a conductor sees it, but as the writer created it.