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Ryan Smith

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Ryan Smith spent his early years in Otahuhu, South Auckland, then later lived just a two-minute walk from the beach on the Pōhutukawa Coast, where he spent a lot of time looking under rocks on the beach and in rock pools being endlessly fascinated by all the creatures there.

The spirit of discovery has remained core to Ryan’s interests and work. He got into classical music in his mid-twenties through minimalist composers, especially Steve Reich, and film composition was a big way into classical music for him too – he remains a big fan of Angelo Badalamenti’s music (including the scores for David Lynch films and Twin Peaks). Ryan writes articles for the AudioCulture website about New Zealand film music, including a decade-by-decade overview from its early beginnings onwards called Film Music Aotearoa.

Ryan joined RNZ Concert in 2006, after he completed his music degree. He has two roles with the station - presenting ambient music from both overseas and Aotearoa with listeners on New Music Dreams, and producing Sound Lounge. As producer Ryan has to choose from all the fantastic contemporary classical and experimental music that composers and performers from Aotearoa and overseas have to offer for Clarissa Dunn to present on air.

Ryan’s favourite composers range across a number of genres from experimental artists Aphex Twin and Steve Reich to Stravinsky. He’s always excited when contemporary composers Katie Gately and

Missy Mazzoli release something new, and says he has too many Kiwi favourites to mention.

He has a number of favourite live concert memories:

“Seeing Autechre live at a bar in Osaka was a memorable gig for me. And watching Italian prog-rock band Goblin playing their Suspiria score live to the film at the Civic Theatre in Auckland in 2013 was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Stroma Mechanical Ballet concert at the New Zealand Festival of the Arts where pre-programmed robotics performed percussion instruments alongside human performers was also incredible.”

Outside of work, Ryan loves animals and spends a lot of time at Zealandia. He says that every time he’s there one creature or another manages to do something that surprises him.

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