Interview with Nicholas Denton Protsack
by Patricia Tao, CMK Artistic Director (January, 2026)
PT: You were recently named a winner of one of four composition prizes awarded by the Azrieli
Foundation. What a great honour! What was the process in applying for this prestigious award?
NDP: It was quite extensive: I had to submit a portfolio of creative work (including both scores and
recordings) and information on my artistic background, education, and other qualifications. The
biggest part of the application, however, was that I had to write an extensive proposal for the
work I am now composing. This included coming up with a conceptual framework, describing
the instrumentation in detail, and finally how the piece would constitute a valuable contribution,
specifically, to “Canadian Music” (I was awarded the Azrieli commission for Canadian Music).
The latter of these proved to be quite challenging as Canadian music can mean many different
things to many different people.
PT: Can you give me more details on both the work you are writing and when the performance will
take place?
NDP: Height of Land is the name of the work. It is for orchestra, chorus, and solo cello. It will be
premiered on October 13th, 2026, by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony
Chorus, and Ariel Barnes will be playing the solo cello part.
The broad concept behind the piece is one that is concerned with environments and
ecosystems in Canada. Part of this involves reimagining the orchestra and chorus as not a
musical ensemble, but as a ‘sonic ecosystem’, where the audience members are not a group of
passive observers, but active participants in that ecosystem. Similarly, the solo cello will not be
a soloistic ‘main character’ of the work, but a supporting character that uses its voice to affirm
that the environment is in fact the main character. Without giving too much away, this will be
achieved by restaging the orchestra and choir such that portions of it are interspersed within the
audience, utilising percussion instruments derived from natural or everyday materials one might
encounter in their environment, and calling upon the ensemble and audience to consider the
work not as a depiction of Canadian environment.
PT: Now that you are finished with your doctorate, what are you up to? How do you spend your time
in New Zealand?
NDP: My work in New Zealand, lately, has revolved around commissioned composition work (I was
also the composer in residence for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada in 2025) and, yes,
there has been some freelance work as well as other, bigger projects involving my cello playing.
These include two albums, Partial Forms (which I composed, performed, and recorded in
collaboration with New Zealand Composer, Michael Norris), and most recently Tundra , which I
created and recorded with my group, Moth Quartet: a string quartet of composer-performers,
comprised of Salina Fisher, Tristan Carter, Elliot Vaughan, and myself. Both of these were
released under my label, Whatnot Records.
Recently, my wife and I moved to Sydney, Australia for work, but I still have a number of projects
on the go in NZ and will continue to maintain a creative a presence there for the foreseeable
future.
PT: Thanks for taking the time to tell us about this exciting award and opportunity for you.