Briar (1992) is an award-winning composer who holds a Master of Musical Arts in Composition from the New Zealand School of Music. A Greek–New Zealand composer and vocal performer, Briar is renowned for her diverse musical output across film, orchestral works, theatre music, songwriting, and production, alongside a distinctive vocal style that blends cultural richness and complexity. She is also an active vocalist, performing both locally and internationally with a wide range of ensembles as well as through her own compositions.

Her musical journey is deeply rooted in a lifelong passion for exploring music from many cultures, with a particular affinity for Greek music, which forms a core part of her identity. Briar’s work often explores dark, romantic, and folkloric themes, driven by a love of rich harmonic textures, ethereal timbres, and rhythmic depth.

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Some of her most notable achievements include her 2023 appointment as Composer in Residence at the New Zealand School of Music, where she completed a major body of work at the Douglas Lilburn Residence. That year saw the world premiere of her first orchestral work, Akri, with Orchestra Wellington, which was later performed in 2025 by the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra. She also arranged her song White Red Black (originally for Twinn Ethyr) for Orchestra Wellington, performing it as vocalist alongside John Psathas, and composed Pegasus for the Bay of Plenty Symphonia Orchestra. During this highly productive year, she also wrote the original score for Circa Theatre’s 2023 production of Prima Facie, further demonstrating her versatility across orchestral and theatre music.

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In 2024, Briar was awarded the Fellowship Fund from Creative New Zealand, embarking on another major portfolio of work. This included composing the soundtrack for Circa Theatre’s production of HOPE, releasing her debut album Strange Clouds for the Twinn Ethyr project, and arranging and performing a nominated song at the APRA Silver Scroll Awards. She was also awarded the Tarling Trust Orchestral Commission, resulting in her orchestral work The Garden, which was premiered by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

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Alongside her compositional work, Briar is an active songwriter and producer. Her music has appeared on collaborative albums and EPs including It’s Already Tomorrow and Last Days of March, curated by her long-time mentor John Psathas, and her song Only Time was selected as a finalist for Serj Tankian’s 7-Note Challenge album. She has released original electronic music under her own name, including the album Blue Anima, and leads the genre-blurring project Twinn Ethyr, which she developed in collaboration with the Moth Quartet. The project was presented in 2024 at the Classical Valley Chamber Music Festival in Kelowna, Canada, and resulted in the 2024 album Strange Clouds (Whatnot Records).