Alfred Hill

Full biography Alfred Hill

Alfred Francis Hill was an Australian-New Zealand composer, conductor, and music teacher. He was born on December 16, 1869, in Melbourne, Australia, and lived until October 30, 1960. He is best known for composing the popular song 'Waiata Poi', as well as thirteen symphonies , seven concertos, seven operas, and string quartets, among other compositions.

Hill trained in Leipzig, Germany, where he studied under renowned composers such as Brahms, Grieg, and Tchaikovsky. He was invited to play second violin with the Gewandhaus Orchestra and played under the conductorship of those same composers. Hill traveled extensively throughout his career, performing and conducting in many countries throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

While Hill composed in a wide range of musical styles, including classical, chamber, and vocal music, he is particularly recognized for his contributions to the development of music in New Zealand. Hill was a prolific composer who helped to establish orchestral music in New Zealand, which had previously been dominated by brass bands. In 1906, he founded the Auckland Choral Society, which is still active today.

Despite the many contributions that Hill made to music during his lifetime, much of his work is not well known today. However, his legacy lives on, and his compositions continue to be performed and studied by musicians and music enthusiasts around the world.