Two works by Gareth Farr feature on two of the albums nominated for the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards ‘Best Classical’ album of 2011.

He Poroporoaki (Saying Goodbye), co-written by Farr and taonga puoro player Richard Nunns, features on the New Zealand String Quartet’s album Notes from a Journey, a diverse and fascinating collection of works for string quartet by New Zealand composers, released by Atoll Records. Farr and Nunns co-wrote this work for the 2008 Dawn Service Commemoration at Gallipoli, Turkey. This work features alongside works by John Psathas, Micheal Norris, Jack Body and Ross Harris.

Farr’s work Taheke also features on flautist Bridget Douglas and harpist Carolyn Mills’ debut album Flight, which showcases modern works for flute and harp. Taheke is the Maori word for waterfall and each movement of the work draws inspiration from a renowned New Zealand waterfall. The recording also includes works by New Zealanders Eve de Castro-Robinson and Jack Body, as well as works by Toru Takemitsu and Tan Dun.

Gareth Farr’s children’s opera Kia Ora Khalid, a production from Capital E National Theatre for Children (Wellington, New Zealand), was featured at the Taranaki Arts Festival in New Plymouth, New Zealand on 4-5 August 2011. Recently, it made its Australian debut at the Victoria Arts Centre, Melourne, Australia 26-28 October 2011. Farr created the opera with award-winning writer, Dave Armstrong.

This children’s opera tells stories about refugees and their migration to New Zealand. It is set in a New Zealand playground over a lunch hour and brings together the stories of four students: Tom, a Paheka New Zealander; Serena, a Samoan; Trang, a first generation Cambodian New Zealander; and Khalid, a Tampa refugee from Afghanistan. Local school children at both the New Plymouth and Melbourne performances joined the  four actors to sing in the chorus.

Kia Ora Khalid was well received at the Taranaki International Arts Festival with writer Jo Hills of the Taranaki Daily News describing it as ‘like a school lunch break, it’s only about an hour long, but it’s bursting with goodies and action.’

On 23rd September, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra gave the Australian premiere Gareth’s ‘The Nor’west Arch’ at the Brisbane Festival. The piece was commissioned by the Christchurch Arts Festival as a memorial to the victims of the February earthquake. It was originally scored for brass band and percussion, and performed by the Woolston Brass Band and Strike – the version for the QSO is an orchestral version, and was performed this time as a memorial to the Queensland floods.