Te Kōkī (a reference to the 'Dawn Chorus') was chosen as the School's Māori name.
The NZSM combined the strengths of the former Conservatorium of Music at Massey, and Victoria University's School of Music and as a limited liability company with two equal shareholders, was governed by a board of directors.
[3] Euan Murdoch, Chief Executive of Chamber Music New Zealand, was appointed as her replacement in 2015.
[4] On 1 July 2014, the School transitioned to full Victoria University of Wellington ownership.
[6] With a full tertiary programme and full range of degrees,[7] NZSM has strengths in historical research, allowing a representation of scholarly expertise across multiple fields including musicology, opera studies, jazz, ethnomusicology, music and film, baroque and classical performance practice, contemporary performance, music technology, and electronic music.