Richard Nunns

Richard Anthony Nunns (7 December 1945 – 7 June 2021) was a Māori traditional instrumentalist of Pākehā heritage. He was particularly known for playing taonga pūoro and his collaboration with fellow Māori instrumentalist Hirini Melbourne. After Melbourne's death, he was regarded as the world's foremost authority on Māori instruments.

Early life and family Nunns was born on 7 December 1945 in Napier. and was born into a musical family. After studying at Matamata College, he did teacher training at Canterbury University. As a teacher in his late 20s living in the Waikato, he helped build a marae, which fuelled his interest in Māori culture. At the time, he was a jazz musician. Nunns was married to writer Rachel Bush and had two daughters and five grandchildren.

Professional life

For many years, Nunns performed with Hirini Melbourne (1949–2003), playing traditional Māori instruments. Together, they researched these instruments, which had not been played for over a century, as their use went out of tradition in the 1900s. For many of the instruments, which were still on display in museums, it wasn't even known what technique was used to play them. They are credited with reviving this part of Māori culture. After Melbourne's death, Nunns was regarded as the world's foremost authority on Māori instruments. King Kapisi, Nunns was the subject of a tribute concert in his honour held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in 2013.

Honours and awards Nunns held an honorary life membership of the New Zealand Flute Association. Later that year he and Melbourne were jointly inducted in the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. Later in the same year, he received a Laureate Award from the Arts Foundation of New Zealand.