12 May 2025

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NEWS

Sophia Acheson with Ariana Tikao
Sophia Acheson (viola) with Ariana Tikao (taonga puoro) at St Peter’s Church in Wellington. Video still. Image supplied.

The repertoire and appetite for viola and taonga puoro (traditional Māori instruments) has expanded thanks to a musical collaboration by viola player Sophia Acheson (Ngā Puhi) and taonga puoro artist Ariana Tikao (Kāi Tahu).

The collaboration began with Sophia’s application to attend the 49th International Viola Congress in Campinas, Brazil in July 2024. The theme for the congress was fusion of cultures. 

Sophia was inspired by other composers and musicians who have explored the possibilities of taonga puoro with classical instruments. Her first idea was a simple one. 

“Initially I thought, I’ll do a programme of any music that has something to do with te ao Māori, or te reo […] anything I could get my hands on,” Sophia says.  

That idea was abandoned, and Sophia approached Ariana as a collaborator, and got a positive response.  

“Meeting Sophia and getting a chance to collaborate was a drawcard for me. I really appreciated that Sophia’s concept was opening up the repertoire for taonga puoro in that space with viola,” Ariana says.

Sophia had funding from Creative New Zealand that enabled her to commission some works for the collaboration. The pair worked with composers Jean-Baptiste Jossa, Elliot Vaughan and Luka Venter. The resulting compositions massively increase the repertoire for viola and taonga puoro.

Ariana’s enthusiasm for the collaboration was also motivated by her knowledge of what it is like for Māori musicians in the classical world. 

“Sophia has whakapapa Māori and that can be quite a lonely experience in the classical world, being Māori in that space, and I was keen to tautoko the project for that reason too.” 

The congress presentation drew on their whakapapa, with opening and closing karakia and explanations of each piece and the role of music in te ao Māori. The presentation marked the first anniversary of the death of Sophia’s sister Helen, a mezzo soprano who had sung with her at the 2017 congress in Wellington. They closed with Gareth Farr’s He Poroporoaki, a piece fitting to remember Helen.

The audience response was positive. Reviewer Kristofer Skaug wrote:

It held a full hour of captivating soundscapes – a feast for the eyes and the ears. I lack the language to properly describe what I saw, heard and felt – but it was overwhelmingly beautiful! 

The idea of fusion of cultures includes the approach each woman has to performance. 

Sophia has been immersed in classical traditions since she was a small child.  

“I started learning violin at 5 years old. When I was about 14, I wanted to quit. My teacher gave me a viola and the following week I came back and said I wanted to be a professional viola player,” Sophia says.

The traditions of western musical notation are second nature to her, so the more fluid approach of taonga puoro was an adjustment.

Ariana also had to adjust, because she mostly plays by ear. 

“There’s a lot of communication that happens during performance and through rehearsals, to get it embedded in the body, to learn it well enough. Learning cues for when I’m starting and finishing a section is important too” Ariana says.  

Ariana came to taonga puoro through her songwriting and university studies.

“I started songwriting first and was only just starting to realise that taonga puoro existed around that time in the early 90s. I was doing Māori Studies at University and started writing songs about identity through that. I heard my first recording of taonga puoro at that time, and shortly after met Richard Nunns. A decade later he started playing with me on my solo albums. And when I started playing, he mentored me. I hadn’t really anticipated being in this sphere of classical music, but through Richard the opportunity arose. I started off a little out of my comfort zone.”

Both women have gained from the experience of working together. Sophia describes Ariana as ‘a bit of mentor’ and definitely a collaborative partner. 

Speaking directly to her collaborator, she says “You are a really powerful performer, I had a few comments from people using the word powerful and I think it’s because of the connection you have to your music and how you play puoro Māori. It has definitely influenced the way I think about my practise.”

For Ariana the collaboration has been a chance to see taonga puoro in an international setting and see how other people perceive them.

“To hear people’s reactions has been beautiful and humbling, I think because we are so used to the oro or sounds of the taonga now. Audience members told us how the sounds were felt within their bodies – that people were moved in a deep way, physically and spiritually. That has not changed the way I play but has changed the way I view them [taonga puoro] and allowed me to see more potential for international collaborations,” Ariana says. “In fact, I will be playing two of the pieces in London in July, with a local violist, Dominic Stokes. We’ll be playing Auroko (arranged by Sophia) and pūāwai by Luka Venter”.

The works the pair played at the 49th International Viola Congress were:

  • Auroko by Ariana Tikao and Bob Bickerton
  • Te Rerenga a Hihi by Jean-Baptiste Jossa
  • Fish in Pink Gelatin: 5 - Song Through Sand by Elliot Vaughan
  • puāwai by Luka Venter
  • He Poroporoaki by Gareth Farr

Sophia Acheson received funding through the Creative Impact Fund to support her presentation of a lecture recital.

May is Music Month and Creative New Zealand is marking it with music stories on our website every Monday.