Australia-born music teacher and composer Nikolai Valov, who moved to Oamaru late last year to teach at Waitaki Boys’ High School, has won the Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand (CANZ) Trust Compose Aotearoa open category with his choral work Invictus.
He was also appointed CANZ Composer in Residence.
Valov’s piece sets William Henley’s poem of the same name, which he says embodies hope, resilience and defiance in the face of adversity and feels increasingly relevant today.
He learned of the award during the school’s senior prizegiving last year and said the news came as a surprise.
‘‘I thought I had written a decent piece of music and I thought I might get a commendation or some helpful feedback from the judges ... it’s very exciting,’’ he said.
Valov, 32, grew up in Perth and studied composition at the University of Oregon after moving to the United States with his family at 18.
After experiencing burnout in the competitive US music world, he and his wife — also a music teacher — moved to Japan, where he taught music and English for five years and discovered a love of teaching.
He later returned to the US to work as a school choir director while completing a Master of Arts in Teaching.
He described composing as rewarding but often challenging, particularly in developing musical ideas beyond the first inspiration.
As Composer in Residence, he plans to connect with national choirs and has been impressed by the strong sense of musical community in New Zealand.
A recent workshop with singers from the New Zealand Youth Choir and Voices New Zealand gave him the chance to hear Invictus performed and to meet former Voices NZ director Dr Karen Grylls.
Valov hopes the work will enter the choral repertoire and looks forward to inspiring WBHS students, particularly in composition and music technology.
He replaces previous music teacher Stephen Hinds, who retired last year, after 38 years.
