Te Rōpū Kaitito Puoro o Aotearoa/The Composers Association of New Zealand is a non-profit organisation of mostly professional and amateur composers, as well as other supportive institutions. We are a charity and incorporated society. CANZ maintains contact with organisations such as SOUNZ, APOA, RNZ, CNZ, APRA, and the Government. CANZ is the New Zealand Section of two international new music networks: the Asian Composers League and the International Society for Contemporary Music. In this way we provide opportunities for international exposure to our members, and we ensure that there is a New Zealand presence at the festivals run by these organisations.

In 2022, CANZ is hosting the double international festival of both the Asian Composers League (first time since 2007) and the ISCM World New Music Days (for the first time, and in the ISCM’s Centenary Year)

CANZ runs the Nelson Composers Workshop, an annual opportunity for composers to present and receive feedback on new pieces. We publish Canzonetta, a bi-monthly newsletter, which includes news, events, features and opportunities that relate to New Zealand composers. We also present two awards every year: the Citation for Services to New Zealand Music, and the CANZ Trust Fund Award.

We make contributions to the composition community through our “behind-the-scenes” work, such as writing letters of support for various projects, representing composers in the industry, and making submissions on items of policy, such as music curricula, arts programming, and industry funding. We provide a network of contacts for getting involved in the New Zealand composition community, as well as the wider international community of composers.