Samuel Holloway

Samuel Holloway (born 1981) is an Auckland-based composer of contemporary music and an educator. Early life and education From 2000 Holloway studied music and philosophy at the University of Auckland where he was taught by Eve de Castro-Robinson. He graduated in 2005 with a Masters degree in Music and Composition. Music career Soon after graduation Holloway’s work Stapes was performed by the NZTrio in the University of Auckland’s Music Theatre and has since been published in printed form by the Wai-te-ata Music Press. It was the first in a series of three works under the title Middle Ear and indicates Holloway’s early interest in the foundations of sound. The other two parts are Malleus and Incus. Stapes itself is named after the ear’s smallest bone that transmits to the inner ear the vibrations that make up sound. Fellow composer and music commentator Hermione Johnson noted that in Stapes Holloway was able to create a ‘microtonal sound from the piano by combining it with quarter tones from the violin and cello’. Music critic William Dart later credited Stapes as marking the beginning of Holloway’s ‘international success.’ Stapes went on to be awarded First Prize in the Asian Compo