Friday 1 November 2024, 6pm to 7pm
Taiwhanga Kauhau — Auditorium, (lower ground) National Library Wellington. Entrance on Aitken Street.
The 2024 Lilburn Lecture will be given by arts commentator Elizabeth Kerr. She will consider the role of music critic in the Aotearoa New Zealand — looking back to Douglas Lilburn’s experiences of music critics, how the role has changed, and what its future might be.
The ever-changing role of the music critic
The Lilburn Trust, in association with the Alexander Turnbull Library invites, you to the 2024 Lilburn Lecture.
This year music critic and commentator, Elizabeth Kerr, will consider the role of music critic in the Aotearoa arts ecosystem. She will talk about Lilburn’s experiences under the harsh pen of critics, recalling feisty New Zealand music writers from last century, outline her own journey in a media landscape where arts coverage is demonstrably shrinking, and conclude by offering some ideas for restoration of a species in danger of extinction.
The annual Lilburn Lectures are a collaboration between the Lilburn Trust and the Alexander Turnbull Library. This year’s Lilburn Lecture will be the 11th in this series of open public talks.
Refreshments will be served following the lecture.
RSVP required
Seats are limited, so book your seat now by emailing atlcentenary@dia.govt.nz.
The Lilburn Trust
Fifty years ago, in 1974 the late composer Douglas Lilburn helped establish the Archive of New Zealand Music, which is part of the Turnbull Library’s collections. He donated his own collection of scores, papers and recordings, and served as an honorary curator. Lilburn also established the Lilburn Trust in 1984, which is administered by Alexander Turnbull Library.
The Lilburn Trust supports many New Zealand music projects including the annual Lilburn Lecture. The Lecture has been held since 2013. Previous speakers include Nick Bollinger, Ross Harris, Karyn Hay, Gillian Whitehead, Eve de Castro-Robinson, Charles Royal, Jenny McLeod, Chris Bourke, William Dart, and Philip Norman.
About the speaker
Elizabeth Kerr is a New Zealand-based freelance music critic and commentator and has worked in music and the arts for many years as a broadcaster, writer, university lecturer and arts leader. A firm believer that critical writing is always important to the health of music as an art form. Elizabeth writes articles about classical music for the NZ Listener, as well as on her website Five Lines.
More information can be found here.