Internationally renowned Māori anthropologist, taonga pūoro musician, and award-winning composer, Rob Thorne (Ngāti Tumutumu, Tainui) has been at the forefront of the revival and renaissance of traditional Māori instruments for over 25 years.

His inaugural solo album on Rattle Records, Whāia Te Māramatanga (2013) is a deeply felt and highly concentrated conversation between the past and the present - a musical passage of identity and connection - and marked the start of a prolific recording and performance career spanning fifteen countries and six albums across eleven years.

Blending tradition with innovation, Thorne’s work crosses orchestral, electronic, jazz, and free improvisation, leading to solo and collaborative performances around the world.

Continuing to push sonic and cultural boundaries, Thorne’s performances offer a transcendent aural experience that touches the soul with timeless beauty, deeply rooted in heritage yet strikingly contemporary.

"Thorne has successfully re-imagined and reconstructed traditional Māori instrumental music for the 21st Century"

- NZ Musician