"Forget what you have heard about modern composition/art music being a tuneless music, this is music bursting with life: joyous, demanding, exploratory, perplexing, occasionally irritating and phenomenally generous in its rewards."

Martin Osborne of the Capital Times reviewing 175 East in Wellington 19/08/06

175 East is Auckland's only professional contemporary music ensemble, founded in 1996 by James Gardner.

The group has two main objectives. First, to provide a platform for high quality professional performances of works by young, emerging and established New Zealand composers. Second, to present new and challenging works from overseas to New Zealand audiences.

The ensemble has also commissioned and premièred new works by New Zealand composers such as Helen Bowater, Chris Cree Brown, Phil Brownlee, Rachel Clement, Lyell Cresswell, Phil Dadson, James Gardner, Neville Hall, Ross Harris, Samuel Holloway, Dorothy Ker, Dylan Lardelli, Michael Norris, John Psathas, John Rimmer, Jeroen Speak and Chris Watson.

In 2003, 175 East was awarded the CANZ/KBB Citation for Services to New Zealand Music.