Tristan Carter

Tristan (he/him) is a Wellington based violinist, composer and field recordist and holds a Masters in Composition and Bachelors in Performance from the New Zealand School of Music. He has a keen interest in cross-cultural collaboration and has had his music played in Taiwan, India, the Netherlands, Japan, Australia and Scotland. Alongside session work and free improvisation he plays in a variety of ensembles including jazz bands The Troubles and The Noveltones, Indian/Jazz crossover project Shades of Shakti, Balkan band Bazurka, and Paul Bosauder’s Tierra y Mar Flamenco Project. He is a popular collaborator for theatre,dance and film/TV in New Zealand, with recent projects including featuring on the David Long’s soundtrack to the BBC Series The Luminaries, and playing in the live band for Agaram Productions’ The Mourning After. Since 2015 he has worked as a composer and performer oneight different shows with Sacha Copland’s Java Dance Theatre, touring New Zealand extensively as well as performing in arts festivals in Australia, China and the Edinburgh Fringe. Recent highlights include: being selected to perform a free improvisation at the International Society of Contemporary Music ISCM World Music Days Estonia 2019; performing with Shades of Shakti at the New Zealand Festival 2020; receiving an Asia New Zealand Foundation commission to create Rasafrom field recordings made in India; and collaborating on Plan 9’s album The Bewilderness, winner of the 2021 APRA Silver Scroll Contemporary Music Award.

With Trick of the Light Theatre he performs live score and foley for The Griegol.