Richard Nunns

Richard Anthony Nunns QSM (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.

[5] As a teacher in his late 20s living in the Waikato, he helped build a marae, which fuelled his interest in Māori culture.

[7] For many years, Nunns performed with Hirini Melbourne (1949–2003), playing traditional Māori instruments.

[1] Nunns worked with composers Gareth Farr, Gillian Whitehead, and John Purser, and contributed to the soundtracks for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and Whale Rider.

[2] Nunns was the subject of a tribute concert in his honour held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in 2013.

Richard Nunns playing a flute