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Is the music critic an endangered species in Aotearoa New Zealand?

Music critic and commentator, Elizabeth Kerr recalls feisty New Zealand music writers from last century, outlines her journey in a media landscape where arts coverage is shrinking, and offers some ideas for the restoration of music criticism for the 2024 Lilburn Lecture. Video, Audio

Music critic and commentator Elizabeth Kerr presents the 2024 Lilburn Lecture at the National Library of New Zealand, 1 November 2024. Photo: Mark Beatty for National Library of New Zealand (CC by 4.0)

The 2024 Lilburn Lecture at the National Library of New Zealand is by music critic and commentator, Elizabeth Kerr. Elizabeth speaks about the role of music critic in the Aotearoa arts ecosystem. She talks about composer Douglas Lilburn's experiences under the harsh pen of critics, recalls feisty New Zealand music writers from last century, outlines her own journey in a media landscape where arts coverage is demonstrably shrinking, and concludes by offering some ideas for restoration of a species in danger of extinction.

You can listen and watch the lecture here, and read along below:

This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

The Lilburn Lecture is presented by the Lilburn Trust and the National Library of New Zealand.

Video by SOUNZ Film. Audio by RNZ Concert.