New Zealand Musicological Society

About the NZMS

The New Zealand Musicological Society was formed in 1981, an initiative of Assoc. Prof. Warren Drake of Auckland University, with the aim of advancing musicological study and research in New Zealand, and encouraging and assisting cooperation between institutions interested in musicology. It holds regular conferences and symposia which provide a forum for its members to meet, report on their research and discuss current issues.

Major events in the Society's recent history have been joint conferences with the Musicological Society of Australia (MSA) in Auckland (1994), Sydney (2000), Wellington (2003), Brisbane (2007), Hamilton (2008) (including a Lilburn Symposium), Dunedin (2010), Brisbane (2013), Auckland (2017), and Hamilton (2025), which have attracted scholars from New Zealand, Australia, Asia, the Pacific, the United States and Europe.

The Society has sought a broad profile and accordingly has welcomed researchers with a wide range of backgrounds and interests. This is always reflected in the wide range of topics covered in conference papers. Society members are engaged in musical research, whether historical, bibliographical, analytical or ethnomusicological. Although many are academics, others are librarians, music therapists, composers, performers, private scholars or individuals with a scholarly interest in music.

Students of music are particularly welcome. They will be given the opportunity to gain experience by reporting on and discussing their work in a stimulating and supportive environment. Travel grants are available to student members who present papers at Society conferences. Please contact the Treasurer for further information about travel grants. ​ Being a member of the Society ensures that you are kept informed of the NZMS's activities, of other members' interests, forthcoming NZMS annual conferences and conferences held in conjunction with the Musicological Society of Australia.

Brief history

The New Zealand Musicological Society was a seminar arranged by Peter Walls in Wellington on 22–23 August 1981, at which the late Howard Mayer Brown was the guest speaker. With the gracious permission of the then Turnbull librarian, Mr. Jim Traue, the seminar was held in the agreeable surroundings of the old Turnbull library building on the Terrace, and the society continued to meet there until 1985. Contributors to that initial seminar were Howard Mayer Brown ("Eighteenth-century vocal cadenzas"), John Steele ("The realisation of basso continuo in the motets of Peter Philips"), Fiona McAlpine (“Trouvère chanson"), Bruce Haynes (“Early double reeds"), Ross Harvey (“Henry Playford”), Allan Badley ("Leopold Hoffmann"), Jeremy Commons ("A few personal problems in nineteenth-century musicology"), and Gerald Seaman (Eighteenth-century musical journalism”). The seminar was followed by a “meeting to discuss the future of the New Zealand chapter of the Musicological Society of Australia” in response to an invitation from the Australian society to consider such a move. The meeting unanimously rejected the idea, and instead resolved to create a New Zealand society. An interim executive (Warren Drake, Fiona McAlpine, Peter Walls, John Steele) was elected, and charged with the organisation of the society and of a conference to be held the following year. The first annual general meeting of the society was held following that conference on 15 August 1982, and the rules of the society were adopted at the AGM on 13 May 1984. A complete list of those present at the 1981 seminar has not survived, but those present (or who sent apologies) at the first AGM in 1982 were Jack Body, Jeremy Commons, Peter Crowe, Warren Drake, Ross Harvey, Elizabeth Kerr, Heath Lees, Fiona McAlpine, Jill Palmer, Rosemary Quinn, Gerald Seaman, David Sell, Martin Setchell, John Steele, John Thomson, Peter Walls, and Frances Warrington. After the Turnbull ceased to be available, it was decided to rotate conferences around the main centres, and the first meeting outside of Wellington took place in Auckland in August 1987. Annual conferences and general meetings ceased after that year, a result of leading members being on leave or taking on onerous academic administrative positions. However the IMS symposium held in Dunedin in the Mozart year, 1991, was the catalyst for a revitalisation of the society. A special general meeting was held on 12 September 1991, and the executive structure which has remained in place was set up, with President, Secretary-Treasurer and regional co-ordinators in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Later Hamilton was added. At the same meeting it was resolved to establish a research chronicle to share information about members’ current research activities, recent publications, university theses, conference abstracts, etc. In 1994 this was expanded to include articles, and under editors Robert Hoskins and Allan Badley adopted a more professional format. Unfortunately this did not prove to be sustainable, and the publication lapsed after 1999.

The society's most ambitious project to date has been the Festschrift for the late John Steele. This was published by Pendragon Press in New York, and presented to John during the 1997 conference. Contributors included several society members and some international scholars who had personal connections with John, including Howard Mayer Brown.

Rules of the NZMS

  1. The name of the society shall be the New Zealand Musicological Society.
  2. The purpose of the society shall be
    1. to advance musicological study and research.
    2. to encourage and assist co-operation between institutions interested in musicology.
    3. to organise meetings, seminars and conferences on themes appropriate to musicology.
    4. to undertake such other activities as the society at its general meetings may from time to time determine.
  3. The Society shall be a non-profit organization. Members may be reimbursed for expenditure incurred, or be paid reasonable remuneration for services rendered, but no individual may obtain any pecuniary gain from the activities of the Society.
  4. Membership of the society shall be open to all persons who are interested in the purposes of the society. Categories of membership shall be as follows:
    1. ordinary member
    2. student member (Student members shall be persons engaged in full or part-time study in a tertiary institution, and certified as such by a staff member of that institution)
    3. unwaged/retired member
  5. The year for membership purposes shall begin on April 1 and end on March 31 of the following year. Members who remain unfinancial for more than thirty months from the beginning of a membership year shall be considered to have terminated their membership of the Society.
  6. Annual membership fees may be charged for each membership category, the amount being decided at the annual general meeting. Notice shall be given to all financial members of the society at least thirty days before the date of such meeting.
  7. The society shall hold an annual general meeting each calendar year, and not more than eighteen months after the preceding general meeting. Notice shall be given to all financial members of the society at least thirty days before the date of such meeting.
  8. The affairs of the society shall be managed by an executive committee consisting of the President, the Secretary-Treasurer, regional co-ordinators, and the editor of the society's Research Chronicle. The President and Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected, and the regional co-ordinators and Research Chronicle editor confirmed at the annual general meeting.
  9. At all meetings of the society whether general or committee the President, or in his absence such person as the meeting may decide, shall occupy the chair. Every question shall be decided by a majority vote, every member having one vote. In the event of equality of votes for and against the Chairman may cast a deciding vote.
  10. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a full record of all correspondence and other matters concerning the management of the society. S/he shall also keep minutes of all meetings. S/he shall have the care, custody and control of the monies of the society, and shall open a bank account in the name of the society. All cheques and bills drawn on such account shall be signed by two members of the committee.
  11. These rules may be added to, repealed or amended by a two-thirds majority resolution at any general meeting of the society, provided that there is no change to the non-profit character of the Society as defined under Rule 3, and no change to the provision for disposal of remaining funds defined in Rule 12.
  12. If the society shall by a two-thirds majority resolution at any general meeting so decide, the society may be dissolved and after dissolution any funds remaining shall be paid to any non-profit association as the society may decide having objects similar to the society or being generally of an educational nature.
  13. These rules shall come into force on 1 May 1997, replacing those adopted on 13 May 1984 and amended on 12 September 1991 and 8 July 1994.