Michael Williams is a prominent figure in New Zealand composition and Associate Professor in Music at the University of Waikato Conservatorium of Music. He is widely recognized for his contributions to contemporary music. He has received commissions from many of the country’s leading musical institutions, including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO), New Zealand Opera, and Chamber Music New Zealand. His works are frequently broadcast on Radio New Zealand and Concert and Internationally. His music has been recorded by Atoll Records and Rattle Records.
Michael’s compositional output spans a broad spectrum of genres, including chamber music, orchestral works, concerti, and opera. His polystylistic approach draws on diverse influences—from Gregorian chant to pitch class set theory—and he maintains a strong interest in the digital manipulation of acoustic instruments, a feature evident in many of his compositions. Recent works incorporate elements of Persian, Middle Eastern and Indian musical language, blending these with Western traditions to create a unique and evocative sound world.
This fusion is particularly evident in his current operatic project, Du’a (Prayer) for Broken Shelter, scheduled for performance in 2026 by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and members of the Simurgh Ensemble—a Christchurch-based group specializing in instruments from Persia, the Middle East, Central Asia, and North India. Michael is collaborating with award-winning author and librettist Tracey Slaughter and Nida Fiazi on this work, which addresses the global refugee crisis.
Recent premieres and commissions include:
- Stone, River, Sky Flame for the Mascarade Trio in Florence
- Ascension for the Jade String Quartet, premiered in 2025 and recorded by Rattle Records
- Two songs from the cycle Where Everything is Music—In My Soul and Rabia—performed in Paris in 2024 by contralto Kristin Darragh and acclaimed Parisian guitarist Arnaud Dumond
- Nga Wha Moana (2019), for guitar, taonga pūoro, and digital FX, performed and recorded by Spanish guitarist Marcelo de Puebla and taonga pūoro specialist Horomona Horo
Other notable works include:
- Equinox, performed and recorded by the New Zealand Guitar Quartet in 2024
- Arteria Meridionale, a set of piano pieces premiered by Italian pianist Alessandro Vena in New York (2021)
- Spirit Flies, Sun Rises, a piano trio premiered in Wellington and toured nationally to critical acclaim (2019)
- Surah Al Ma’dah, for soprano and piano, written in memoriam of the Christchurch massacre victims and premiered by soprano Ayse Shanal in Sydney (2019)
Michael’s Symphony No. 1: Letters from the Front, commissioned for the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign, was premiered in dual concerts by the NZSO and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House. It was recorded by Atoll Records in 2017, featuring soprano Madeleine Pierard and conductor Benjamin Northey.
His opera The Juniper Passion, based on the WWII battle of Monte Cassino, premiered in 2013 at the amphitheatre in Cassino, Italy, followed by performances in Rome and Nemi. It was the first New Zealand opera ever staged in Italy and was warmly received by Italian audiences.
In 2020, his violin and piano piece Song for Emily was premiered at the prestigious Tchaikovsky Festival in St. Petersburg, where he was a special guest composer.
While continuing to receive commissions internationally—from Europe, Asia, and the USA—Michael’s primary focus is currently the completion of Du’a for Broken Shelter. He is also the co-founder and artistic director of Okta, the University of Waikato’s contemporary performance ensemble.
At the University of Waikato, Michael teaches across a range of subjects including composition, orchestration, computer music, aesthetics, harmony, and counterpoint.