Composer, performer, and educator Dr Andrew Faleatua has been announced as the 2024 Jazz Composer-in-Residence at the New Zealand School of Music. The prestigious six-month appointment comes with a salary and a research grant to develop a significant body of work.
During his residency, Andrew intends to go "full throttle into a fusion of traditional Samoan instruments with a jazz ensemble", a fusion of two very different genres that he has already been experimenting with for a few years. He speaks with Colin Peacock about how he discovered his love of jazz and its freedom of expression, and his journey to connect with his Samoan heritage.
Dr Andrew Faleatua Photo: supplied
