About
Nīkau Wi Neera is an award-winning composer based in Wellington, New Zealand. His music is daring and versatile, deftly mixing genre and idiom whilst maintaining a distinctive artistic voice. Nīkau is passionate about telling stories that matter, and both his film and concert works show a drive to push boundaries and pursue beauty in both conventional and unconventional places. Nīkau is Māori, of Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāpuhi, and Kāi Tahu descent.
As a film composer, Nīkau and his teams have won several film competitions, such as the 48hr Film Competition and the inaugural Spark Tall Shorts competition judged by Taika Waititi, taking home the grand prize for the latter. Nīkau is a two-time winner of the Roxy 5 Film Competition, claiming both the grand prize and best musical score in successive years. His films have screened internationally, at film festivals such as WINDA, Māoriland, imagiNATIVE, PlayBack Chicago, and DocEdge. Nīkau has also worked extensively in theatre, composing music for Running Into the Sun, and performing live accompaniment for Lynda Chanwai-Earle's Ka Shue, both of which received glowing reviews from critics.
Nīkau's current work strongly incorporates elements of Taonga Puoro (traditional Māori instruments), of which he is a journeyman performer, tutored by masters Tāmihana Kātene and Rob Thorne. Two of his recent projects, Tūī (2022), starring Lawrence Wharerau and Briar Grace-Smith, and Taiao, were produced in collaboration with young Māori directors and included soundscapes constructed with a fusion of indigenous and Western sound worlds. The films screened at the NZ International Film Festival and Māoriland Film Festival respectively.
Nīkau is a frequent collaborator with Mason Cade Packer, whom Nīkau met at high school. The two have maintained a fruitful and enjoyable collaborative partnership over the years, which continues to the present day. The pair's recently completed projects include Hades (2020), a chilling exploration of family life during a plague outbreak in Chicago and Sonata (2021), a drama about a tormented pianist. Both films were produced in partnership with Columbia College, one of the premier film academies in North America. Past work has included The Common Touch (2017), the feature Faint of Heart (2018), Safe/Sound (2024), along with a number of shorts.
Nīkau also has a significant body of art music works, much of which composed during his time at Te Kōkī, The New Zealand School of Music, Aotearoa's most prestigious music academy. Nīkau currently holds a Bachelor of Music, majoring in composition with a specialisation in film scoring, having studied under the expert guidance of Michael Norris and Ewan Clark.
As a film composer, Nīkau and his teams have won several film competitions, such as the 48hr Film Competition and the inaugural Spark Tall Shorts competition judged by Taika Waititi, taking home the grand prize for the latter. Nīkau is a two-time winner of the Roxy 5 Film Competition, claiming both the grand prize and best musical score in successive years. His films have screened internationally, at film festivals such as WINDA, Māoriland, imagiNATIVE, PlayBack Chicago, and DocEdge. Nīkau has also worked extensively in theatre, composing music for Running Into the Sun, and performing live accompaniment for Lynda Chanwai-Earle's Ka Shue, both of which received glowing reviews from critics.
Nīkau's current work strongly incorporates elements of Taonga Puoro (traditional Māori instruments), of which he is a journeyman performer, tutored by masters Tāmihana Kātene and Rob Thorne. Two of his recent projects, Tūī (2022), starring Lawrence Wharerau and Briar Grace-Smith, and Taiao, were produced in collaboration with young Māori directors and included soundscapes constructed with a fusion of indigenous and Western sound worlds. The films screened at the NZ International Film Festival and Māoriland Film Festival respectively.
Nīkau is a frequent collaborator with Mason Cade Packer, whom Nīkau met at high school. The two have maintained a fruitful and enjoyable collaborative partnership over the years, which continues to the present day. The pair's recently completed projects include Hades (2020), a chilling exploration of family life during a plague outbreak in Chicago and Sonata (2021), a drama about a tormented pianist. Both films were produced in partnership with Columbia College, one of the premier film academies in North America. Past work has included The Common Touch (2017), the feature Faint of Heart (2018), Safe/Sound (2024), along with a number of shorts.
Nīkau also has a significant body of art music works, much of which composed during his time at Te Kōkī, The New Zealand School of Music, Aotearoa's most prestigious music academy. Nīkau currently holds a Bachelor of Music, majoring in composition with a specialisation in film scoring, having studied under the expert guidance of Michael Norris and Ewan Clark.
Testimonials"Nikau’s ability to heighten the works of cinema with his always expanding sonic palette has transformed our friendship into a creative and professional powerhouse that produces mesmerising scores on inspiring new levels, all thanks to Nikau’s absolute raw talent and his ear for a good narrative."
-Mason Cade Packer, director "Nikau has a unique eye on the world that enables him to unify spirit and craft in his work at an amplified level, utilizing his pure genius to produce musicality in his narratives, colour and tone in his scores and clever wit in his comedy. His unstoppable drive is inspiring to collaborate with, generating an enthusiasm on every project we’ve worked together." -Awa Puna, director & producer "I can say with absolute certainty that anyone looking to work with him as a composer will find themselves in great hands. He has a great sense for enhancing a film's tone through music, he’s both receptive to direction and confident in his own creative sensibilities. His communication was clear and precise, we never felt in the dark about anything, and he was quick to break down any ambiguities regarding the process. He produced a rich and emotive choir track that was perfect for shaping the fine cut." -Louis Joblin, director |
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Selected Works
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Faint of Heart - Trailer / 2018
Trailer for the feature film Faint of Heart, dir. Free Chicken. E Whiti, E Tohu / 2020
A tribute to the great prophets of the Māori settlement of Parihaka, Te Whiti and Tohu Kākahi, this piece honours their resistance against the violence of the colonial government and their struggle for peace against overwhelming opposition. Edelweiß / 2019
A solo guitar arrangement filmed on a windy Spring day. The Common Touch / 2017
The incredible story of Christchurch Boys High School head boy Jake Bailey, who was diagnosed with cancer just days before his final graduation. Told without treatment that he would only have 3 weeks to live, Jake delivered a speech that went viral, touched the hearts of millions around the world, and changed his life forever.
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Suite for Cello & Beatboxer / 2021
A baroque-style cello suite with beatboxer accompaniment. Taiao / 2022
Silent documentary dir. Micah Winiata. Microsleeps / 2020
'Microsleeps' fuses driving math rock rhythm and form with classical harmony and timbre. Ishmael - Main Theme / 2023
Main theme from Ishmael dir. Louis Joblin Hades - Main Theme / 2020
Main theme from HADES dir. Mason Cade Packer. Dust - Yshran's Theme 3 / 2019
Theme from Dust, a short video game made for a 48hr Game Jam. |