Eve de Castro-Robinson facts for kids

Eve de Castro-Robinson was born in London, England, on November 9, 1956. She is a talented New Zealand composer, a professor, and a graphic designer.

Eve creates many different types of music. Her works include pieces for orchestras, singers, and small groups of instruments. She also makes music using electronic sounds.

She studied at the University of Auckland. In 1991, she made history there. She was the first person to earn a DMus degree from the university. This is a very high degree in music. Today, she is an Associate Professor of Composition at the University of Auckland. This means she teaches students how to compose music.

Eve is very active in the music world. In 2004, a special concert called "de Castro-Robinson Portrait" was held. It was part of the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts in Wellington. In 2006, another concert celebrated her 50th birthday. This event took place at the University of Auckland.

Besides teaching and composing, Eve also writes about music. She gives talks and broadcasts about music on the radio. She has also published articles about music. Eve is a member of the SOUNZ board of trustees. SOUNZ helps promote New Zealand music. She has also been a leader for other music groups. She used to be the Secretary of the Composers Association of New Zealand. She also led the Nelson Composers’ Workshop. Currently, she directs the Karlheinz Company. This is a group at the University of Auckland that plays modern music.

Awards and Achievements

Eve de Castro-Robinson has received many special awards for her music. These awards show how important her work is.

• Philip Neill Memorial Prize in 1987 and 1993.
• She was the Composer in Residence for the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in 1991. This meant she worked closely with the orchestra.
• She won the SOUNZ Contemporary Award in 1998 and 2007. She was also a finalist for this award in 2006.
• She received the CANZ Trust Fund Award in 2000.
• In 2018, she won Best Classical Artist. This was at the Aotearoa Music Awards, also known as the Vodafone NZ Music Awards. She won for her album The Gristle of Knuckles.

Musical Creations

Eve de Castro-Robinson has composed many different pieces of music. Here are some of her well-known works:

• Chaos of Delight (1998) for a small group of instruments.
• Other Echoes (2000) for a full orchestra.
• a pink-lit phase for flute, viola, and harp.
• Chaos of Delight III (2006) for women's voices.
• Five Responses for women's voices, a male speaker, and a mixed group of instruments.
• Len Songs for a mezzo-soprano singer, clarinet, violin, and piano.
• Noah's Ark for a large group of instruments.
• Other echoes (2001), a fanfare for orchestra.
• Releasing the Angel (2011), for cello and orchestra.
• Len Lye (2012), a 90-minute opera with five acts.
• Split the Lark for violin and piano.
• Triple Clarinet Concerto for three different clarinets and orchestra.
• Tumbling Strains for violin and cello.
• Hour of Lead (2024) for orchestra.

Some of her music scores have been published by Waiteata Press in Wellington.

Music Albums

Eve de Castro-Robinson's music has been released on several albums. You can listen to her compositions on these recordings:

• 2018: The Gristle of Knuckles (Rattle Records RAT-D078).
• 2016: I Stayed A Minute (Rattle Records RAT-D063).
• 2013: Other echoes (Atoll Records ACD300).
• 2011: Releasing the Angel (Atoll Records ACD141). This album was a finalist for Best Classical Album in the 2012 NZ Music Awards.
• 1998: Chaos of Delight (Atoll Records A9806).