"Elegant Calamity features freshly-composed music that I wrote in pursuit of a sound that allows the personalities of the eclectic mix of musicians to shine through, all of whom represent different corners of the vibrant New Zealand art music scene, which I hope listeners around the globe will be able to appreciate through this album. What emerged is music that blends forward-facing boldness with a certain shade of cinematic nostalgia. This is a live album, and I thank trumpeter Michael Costeloe for providing a wonderful platform for the music’s performance as part of his groundbreaking Jazz Orchestra Composer Series. This was a very spirited, joyful process from beginning to end, and I hope people will enjoy listening to Elegant Calamity as much as we enjoyed playing it" - Oscar Lavën