DSO - Brahms and Mataatua: A Journey in Music
From a deceptively benign opening with a lone horn melody, the movements in turn evoke grace and turmoil, leading to an exhilarating climax.
Acclaimed Wellington pianist Jian Liu returns to deliver the dazzling technique and musical depth this great work calls for.
We celebrate Matariki with The Journey of Mataatua Whare, a newly commissioned work by Dame Gillian Whitehead which commemorates 100 years since the Mataatua Wharenui returned to NZ.
The work tells the Wharenui's story: from the carved meeting house's creation in Whakatāne, the loss of Ngāti Awa control over it, its travels and mistreatment, its return to NZ for Dunedin/Ōtepoti's 1925 Great Exhibition and then Tūhura Otago Museum, and its final return to Ngāti Awa in Whakatāne.
Three distinguished NZ singers and a selected chorus will join DSO's Principal Guest Conductor James Judd on stage for this very special event.
For more information please visit | Brahms and Mataatua a Journey in Music
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
8 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Museum hosts exhibition blending arcade gaming, te ao Māori
''Arca Arcade: Round One'' exhibition designer Preston McNeil amid a colourful array of arcade machine-inspired art at Tūhura Otago Museum. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Space Invaders, Pac Man, Asteroids, Donkey Kong - if you were a child in the 1980s or '90s, the warm glow of a spacies machine at the local fish and chip shop or dairy was alluring, almost intoxicating. Now, that atmosphere is being reimagined through the lens of contemporary design and te ao Māori in a new exhibition at Tūhura Otago Museum, titled "Arca Arcade: Round One". Exhibition designer Preston McNeil, of Wellington, said it was a bold fusion of industrial design, retro technology and cultural storytelling. It featured custom-built, wall-mounted machines, adorned with original artwork from some of New Zealand's top contemporary artists, including Gina Kiel, Flox, Otis Frizzell, Joe Sheehan and Otis Chamberlain. Visitors can play the games housed inside each uniquely designed cabinet, making it as interactive as it is artistic. Mr McNeil said the exhibition was believed to be a world first in arcade machine design because it integrated carved pounamu and whakairo-inspired design elements. He had wanted to create something that honoured the history of arcade gaming and the richness of contemporary New Zealand art. The result was a powerful collision of classic video game culture with te ao Māori - a celebration of play that was deeply rooted in place and identity, he said. "These machines are a love letter to every kid who dropped their last 20cents into a game they knew they couldn't win, but tried anyway. "Blending those memories with the depth and craft of Māori design has created something I never imagined I'd be able to build. "And it's amazing to finally bring it to the South Island." The exhibition opens at the museum tonight, and it is the first time it has been held in the South Island. Tūhura Otago Museum exhibitions and design head Craig Scott said the museum partnered with the Centre of Digital Excellence (Code) to present the exhibition, in the hope of showing young people what was possible when design, technology and culture collided. "This is about inspiring, as much as it is about fun nostalgia." Mr McNeil will give a free public talk at the museum tonight, sharing insights into the creative process, the challenges of building playable art, and how he collaborated with the artists to bring each machine to life. The exhibition runs from July 19 to September 21.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Fine concert an antidote to winter chill
DUNEDIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS "SUBLIME SCHUBERT" Sunday, July 20 King's & Queen's PAC A crowd-pleasing showcase of music by some of the world's greatest Baroque and Classical era composers delighted a capacity audience at Sunday's second Dunedin Symphony Orchestra "Sublime Schubert" concert. Last weekend's pair of DSO matinee series concerts were both very popular, showing that this relaxed approach to midwinter music remains a hit with local audiences. Sunday's concert began with Handel's famous Music for the Royal Fireworks, an exuberant Baroque celebration featuring a substantial overture and several dance-like movements, which the orchestra tackled with spirited aplomb led by visiting conductor Benjamin Bayl. Then, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra principal oboe Robert Orr joined the DSO as soloist in Mozart's lively Oboe Concerto in C major. Filled with brilliant, virtuosic passages and including a series of spectacular soloist cadenzas, the concerto was given a masterful performance by Orr, with sterling support from the orchestra. Both soloist and ensemble worked beautifully together to bring this lyrical and playful piece to life. The concert's second half featured Schubert's dramatic, high-energy Symphony No 4 in C minor — dubbed "Tragic" by the 19 year-old composer. Filled with Schubert's signature beautiful melodies and rhythmic interplay, the piece gave the orchestra's various sections ample chances to shine, which they made the most of. Particularly worthy of note was the superb performance by the woodwind section. All in all, Sunday's matinee concert was a wonderful musical treat, and a delightful antidote to the winter chill.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Exhibition blends arcade games, Māori design
Tūhura Otago Museum pasifika engagement co-ordinator Leota Meredith tries her hand at one of the reimagined video games featured in the "Arca Arcade: Round One" exhibition. PHOTO: CHARLIE BUCHAN Contemporary design and cultural storytelling come together in a unique exhibition now open at Tūhura Otago Museum. "Arca Arcade: Round One" is a display of fully playable retro gaming machines created by designer Preston McNeil, of Wellington. Mr McNeil said he wanted to create something that honoured both the history of arcade gaming and the richness of contemporary Aotearoa art. "These machines are a love letter to every kid who dropped their last 20 cents into a game they knew they could not win, but tried anyway. "Blending those memories with the depth and craft of Māori design has created something I never imagined I would be able to build." "Arca Arcade" integrates te ao Māori, whakairo (carving) and worked pounamu with classic video game culture. The machines are adorned with original artwork from contemporary artists including Gina Kiel, Flox, Otis Frizzell, Joe Sheehan and Otis Chamberlain. Visitors to the exhibition are encouraged to play the games housed inside each uniquely designed cabinet. Tūhura Otago Museum pasifika engagement co-ordinator Leota Meredith said playing the games brought back memories. "Back in my prime, we used to call these games 'choice'. It was all about challenging your mates. "You would only find them at the local dairy and playing felt like a special occasion." Players once had to pay 20 cents, which was a significant amount then, so every game mattered. "It's great to play them again; it brings back so many memories. And having them free now? Even better." Tūhura Otago Museum head of exhibitions and design Craig Scott said Dunedin was already a hub for digital innovation and home to creative gaming talent. "We are proud to partner with Code, the Centre of Digital Excellence, to present this exhibition and show young people what is possible when design, technology and culture collide. "This is about inspiring as much as it is fun nostalgia." • "Arca Arcade: Round One" runs until September 21 in the Beautiful Science Gallery.
