Carolyn Mills: Leaving on her own terms

RNZ News

13 hours ago

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NZSO harpist Carolyn Mills
Photo:
Stephen A'Court Photography
When Carolyn Mills looked at the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra programme for 2025 she knew which gig she'd bow out on.
And so it transpired that the orchestra's 17 July performance of Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite", Dukas' "Sorcerer's Apprentice", Ravel's "Piano Concerto in G", and John Ritchie's "Papanui Road" in Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre would be Mills' last as the ensemble's Principal Harp.
She says three of the pieces are personal favourites, and all have great harp parts.
Mills sat down with RNZ Concert host Bryan Crump to look back on her more than three decades with the orchestra, and a lifetime with one of the most recognisable orchestral instruments.
It all started as a child in Memphis who saw a woman playing the harp on TV.
Mills told her parents that's what she wanted to do.
It took them a while to save up the money, but their support of their daughter's dream has never been in doubt.
Nor has her decision in 1989 to travel from one end of the Pacific to the other to play with the NZSO - Mills loves New Zealand.
Still prominent despite being at the back of the strings: Carolyn Mills (left) with the NZSO.
Photo:
supplied
Mills talked to Crump about some of her favourite concerts, which included
JS Bach's Goldberg Variations
with an exquisite but terribly tricky harp part playing music usually given to a keyboard player.
She also has very fond memories of playing
"Harold in Italy"
, which is half a viola concerto, half a symphonic poem by Berlioz. The viola soloist Antoine Tamestit wandered down to the back of the string section to play alongside her, giving Mills the thrill of hearing and seeing him play his Stradivarius viola up close.
Mills also nominated some of her favourite pieces, such as the Adagietto from Mahler's 5th Symphony.
She's still unsure what her future plans are, but they will certainly involve playing the harp.
Mills continues to play "therapeutic harp" for people in hospices, something she and Crump discussed
last time she joined Three to Seven.
There are definitely travel plans, and some of that travel will most likely involve her favourite place in the world, Fiordland.
As for that final concert back in July; it all went very smoothly until she "burst into tears" after the final chord.
We're all a little sad you're retiring, Carolyn, but we're very grateful for the time you spent make music with our national orchestra.
Fiordland, a happy place for at least one harpist.
Photo:
123RF