Arjuna Oakes x Gallery Orchestra live album

We need your support this music month to help us make this amazing collaboration a reality.

In June 2023, composer and performer Arjuna Oakes will be collaborating with Gallery Orchestra, to record an album. Blending jazz, soul, classical and contemporary music, Arjuna and the Gallery Orchestra are hoping to capture the nostalgia, loss and joy of beginning a new chapter in your 20s. Our project blends strings, woodwinds, bass, keys, guitar, Arjuna’s voice and trumpet to create a new multi-genre sound. 

Arjuna and Leah met while working for the Classical on Cuba festival (managed by Creative Capital Arts Trust) in July 2022. Since then, they have become creative collaborators and good mates. Since embarking on this classical crossover adventure together, they have been fundraising to cover the costs of recording and releasing their project - including a session for Wellington-based music series Pōneke Sessions.

ABOUT GALLERY ORCHESTRA AND ARJUNA OAKES

Arjuna Oakes is a singer/songwriter, composer and producer, based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa. Following the release of his debut EP The Watcher - EP in 2019, Arjuna has released another three projects all to widespread acclaim, 2020’s Recovery, Pt. 1, 2021’s First Nights and 2022's Recovery, Pt. 2. 

Gallery Orchestra is a newly established classical music ensemble for freelancing and graduate classical musicians in Te Whanganui-a-tara. Gallery Orchestra has commissioned and recorded work with taonga pūoro du and collaborated with the Other Futures Big Band Ensemble for the Fringe Festival where they were nominated for four Fringe Awards (including Best of Fringe).

ABOUT THE PROJECT

This project innovates and challenges aspects of a traditional music-making a by bringing classical musicians in to a more contemporary space. The live album project with Arjuna Oakes will be Gallery Orchestra’s first full album project.

The principal benefit of this project is that it brings together young artists of different musical backgrounds to create new original music recorded at a professional level in a high quality facility.

WHAT YOUR SUPPORT WILL HELP FUND

We believe it is incredibly important that freelancing musicians, regardless of their age, are paid equitably and fairly for their time. By supporting this project you will help us cover performers fees and other associated costs in the recording of this album.

We are also looking to fund a professional video recording of the session at Stella Marris, from the extemely talented local Studio Halfgrey.

And by donating to our project you will help fund the amazing work of sound engineer John Neill.