During the fall semester of Blake’s final year of undergraduate studies, he studied abroad at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. After the semester ended, he joined a few friends on a road trip around the south island and composed Matara while traveling. The south island of New Zealand is known worldwide for its scenic beauty. Living in a country so far from home and hiking, climbing, and camping across the wild and fantastic terrain of the south island were formative to the substance of this piece.

Matara is a word from the Maori language (the Maori are the native people of New Zealand). It has several meanings, including “to be distant” and “to be untangled”. This is a fitting commingling of ideas in relation to Blake’s experiences in New Zealand, while the word itself is tied to the place which allowed for its creation.

Matara was selected as the winner of the 2020 Whitworth University Concerto Competition in the composition area. The performance recording on this page was made at the piece’s premiere, which was possible thanks to the Whitworth University Music Department, Philip Baldwin, and the Whitworth Orchestra.