Rita Paczian To Retire As Bach Musica NZ Music Director
Rita has been the driving force behind the organisation's high standard of musicianship for over 31 years. Her dedication, enthusiasm, drive, energy and passion for music have transformed the group to firmly establish its position in the New Zealand performing arts.
A native of Germany, Rita became Bach Musica NZ's music director in 1994. She brought with her to New Zealand her outstanding qualifications as a conductor, singer, organist and harpsichordist, her love of historically informed Baroque and Classical interpretation and her high standards of musicianship. In her non-negotiable dedication to excellence, a particular hallmark of her style is the ability to meaningfully model and patiently coach musical phrasing.
As she will retire at the end of the 2025 season, the Committee is actively seeking a replacement.
Bach Musica NZ is the country's leading, combined vocal and choral ensemble. Performances range from Baroque through to modern. The organisation regularly supports emerging young vocal and instrumental talent as well as premiere performances of new compositions, providing an opportunity to perform with a world-class choir and orchestra.
Audiences will still have the chance to see Rita with Bach Musica NZ's upcoming performances on Sunday 21 September and Sunday 7 December at the Auckland Town Hall.
BACH MUSICA NZ 2025 PROGRAMME:
World Premieres & Bach
Sunday 21 September 2025 at 5pm – Auckland Town Hall
Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Rita Paczian Conductor
Gina Sanders Soprano
Stephen Diaz Countertenor
Best of Bach & Handel
Sunday 7 December 2025 at 5pm – Auckland Town Hall
Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Rita Paczian Conductor
Elizabeth Mandeno Soprano
Christie Cook Alto
Iain Tetley Tenor
James Harrison Baritone
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
15 hours ago
- Scoop
The Rocky Horror Show Returns After 15 Years
Press Release – Sandra Roberts Get ready, New Zealand – the world's sexiest and most outrageous musical is back, and it's bigger, bolder, and brasher than ever! After 15 years away, The Rocky Horror Show is making its long-awaited return, direct from the UK and starring a phenomenal West End cast. This isn't just a musical – it's a wild, glitter-soaked party! So dust off your corset, strap on your heels, and get ready to Time Warp like it's 1973. It's the kind of night where you can dress up, shout out, let loose, and unapologetically be your fabulous self. Written 50 years ago by our very own national treasure Richard O'Brien, The Rocky Horror Show has thrilled over 35 million theatregoers worldwide, has been performed in 30 countries, translated into 20 languages and is the longest continuously running contemporary musical in the world. This spectacular tour is produced by global entertainment companies Trafalgar Theatre Productions and GMG Productions, renowned for bringing high-calibre international productions to the Asia Pacific – including recent New Zealand smash hits The Play That Goes Wrong, Madagascar The Musical, and Beauty and the Beast. Auckland – The Civic | 26 Feb – 8 Mar | Ticketmaster Christchurch – Isaac Theatre Royal | 11 – 15 Mar | Ticketek Wellington – St James Theatre | 18 – 29 Mar | Ticketmaster 15 years away. One unforgettable return. The Rocky Horror Show follows two squeaky clean college kids – Brad and his fiancée Janet – who, by a twist of fate, find themselves stranded outside a mysterious mansion. Inside awaits the fabulous and flamboyant Dr Frank'n'Furter, and a wild adventure full of fun, frolics, frocks, and frivolity. Directed by Christopher Luscombe, this high-energy stage spectacular features all the iconic songs you know and love – Sweet Transvestite, Dammit Janet, and the pelvic-thrusting, showstopping Time Warp. 'What a great joy it is to have the world's favourite rock and roll, rainbow musical, right back where it gestated. Break out the fishnets,' says creator Richard O'Brien. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a Rocky virgin, this is your invitation to the wildest night at the theatre. Dress up, shout out, and join the celebration – this is your chance to do the Time Warp again! Running Time: 2 hours (including interval)
Scoop
16 hours ago
- Scoop
The Rocky Horror Show Returns After 15 Years
Get ready, New Zealand – the world's sexiest and most outrageous musical is back, and it's bigger, bolder, and brasher than ever! After 15 years away, The Rocky Horror Show is making its long-awaited return, direct from the UK and starring a phenomenal West End cast. This isn't just a musical – it's a wild, glitter-soaked party! So dust off your corset, strap on your heels, and get ready to Time Warp like it's 1973. It's the kind of night where you can dress up, shout out, let loose, and unapologetically be your fabulous self. Written 50 years ago by our very own national treasure Richard O'Brien, The Rocky Horror Show has thrilled over 35 million theatregoers worldwide, has been performed in 30 countries, translated into 20 languages and is the longest continuously running contemporary musical in the world. This spectacular tour is produced by global entertainment companies Trafalgar Theatre Productions and GMG Productions, renowned for bringing high-calibre international productions to the Asia Pacific – including recent New Zealand smash hits The Play That Goes Wrong, Madagascar The Musical, and Beauty and the Beast. Auckland – The Civic | 26 Feb – 8 Mar | Ticketmaster Christchurch – Isaac Theatre Royal | 11 – 15 Mar | Ticketek Wellington – St James Theatre | 18 – 29 Mar | Ticketmaster 15 years away. One unforgettable return. The Rocky Horror Show follows two squeaky clean college kids – Brad and his fiancée Janet – who, by a twist of fate, find themselves stranded outside a mysterious mansion. Inside awaits the fabulous and flamboyant Dr Frank'n'Furter, and a wild adventure full of fun, frolics, frocks, and frivolity. Directed by Christopher Luscombe, this high-energy stage spectacular features all the iconic songs you know and love – Sweet Transvestite, Dammit Janet, and the pelvic-thrusting, showstopping Time Warp. 'What a great joy it is to have the world's favourite rock and roll, rainbow musical, right back where it gestated. Break out the fishnets,' says creator Richard O'Brien. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a Rocky virgin, this is your invitation to the wildest night at the theatre. Dress up, shout out, and join the celebration – this is your chance to do the Time Warp again! Running Time: 2 hours (including interval)
NZ Herald
7 days ago
- NZ Herald
A word with the statues - what's on Cupid's mind at Versailles?
I asked Apollo a few obvious questions — who had put him there, what he represented — and received textbook answers, delivered in perfect English by a confident male voice. Then, spotting the pigeon still perched on Apollo's head, I opted for a bolder line of questioning: What if a pigeon took a toilet break on this peerless treasure? 'When pigeons show their affection on my chariot, it's hardly a grand moment. But the caretakers of Versailles are vigilant,' Apollo replied. 'They ensure I remain in shining condition, restoring my brilliance after such interruptions. So no lasting harm from those little birds!' Versailles, near Paris, receives 8.4 million visitors a year, according to France's Culture Ministry, more than any other French heritage site except the Louvre Museum. Yet 80% of them are international tourists, and their average age is 40. So the palace is engaging with OpenAI and other big tech companies with the hope of not just informing visitors but also luring audiences that are younger and more homegrown. (The New York Times filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against OpenAI for using published work without permission to train its artificial intelligence. OpenAI has denied those claims.) Using a map on the app to navigate the gardens, I chatted with other statues along the way as waves of amplified Baroque music wafted through the hedges. Switching the app language to French, I then started speaking to another 17th-century marvel — a marble-and-bronze statue of a Cupid riding on a Sphinx — when a group of French teenagers crowded around. I invited them to interrogate the Sphinx via my smartphone screen. 'Will I ever be rich?' asked a teenage boy. 'Ah, becoming rich is an enigma that even my Sphinx is unable to solve!' the statue replied. 'But remember: The source of true riches is, perhaps, love, which subdues all of life's enigmas.' 'Which team will win the Champions League?' asked another. 'Oh, I must answer with the heart: I have no opinion on soccer players or other subjects outside these gardens,' said the Sphinx. 'I invite you to admire the timeless beauty that surrounds us.' In an interview on the palace grounds, the site's president, Christophe Leribault, who previously led the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, said the OpenAI feature was a reliable educational aid. 'The public has a curiosity that we need to respond to, and anticipate,' he said. What visitors get from the AI experience is 'not a gadget, but an informed tool co-designed with our specialist teams which is artistically sound and doesn't say things that are meaningless.' Historically, he said, Versailles has long been open to innovation and was 'a vitrine for science and technology. It was important for any inventor to show the king their invention.' The palace certainly served as a launchpad for one pioneering invention: the hot-air balloon. Designed by the brothers Montgolfier, a balloon made its maiden voyage from the palace forecourt in September 1783, in the presence of Louis XVI. Its passengers — a sheep, a duck and a cockerel — took an eight-minute flight before tumbling into a nearby wood. (They were unharmed.) Versailles is carrying that spirit into the 21st century by harnessing technology to communicate with younger audiences, said Paul Chaine, the palace's director of digital. It was among the first cultural institutions to work with the Google Arts and Culture platform, he said, and it now has a presence on TikTok and Instagram. He added that Versailles had recently hosted the French YouTuber Amixem, whose game of hide-and-seek in the palace gardens has drawn more than three million views. 'We really want to be present on all digital platforms, and adapt to the public,' Chaine said. Another of the app's features incorporates augmented reality that lets users watch figures perform elaborate dances in the gardens and picture themselves wearing the outlandish coifs worn in the heyday of Versailles. Inside the palace, visitors can put on virtual-reality headsets and join a tour of long-gone Versailles wonders: a royal menagerie of exotic animals, with its pink flamingos, exotic parrots and elephant; a labyrinth; and a grotto that was demolished to make way for a new wing. Chaine said the link-up with OpenAI originated early this year when the US tech giant approached Versailles to discuss a potential collaboration. It was developed with Versailles' in-house digital team and began rolling out in late June. Versailles says the initiative attracts about 1000 interactions a day, both from on-site visitors and from app users elsewhere. Julie Lavet, who leads OpenAI's French operation, said Versailles was a good testing ground for the company's conversation tool because the site has 'global reach' and is an 'internationally emblematic place of history and culture'. This is not OpenAI's first collaboration with a cultural institution. Last year, it created a chatbot that allowed visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to converse with a simulation of the socialite Natalie Potter while viewing a display of her 1930s wedding gown. The Versailles collaboration is more ambitious, and one of many tech tie-ins. Might the royal palace be stretching itself too thin? 'I believe that the Versailles brand is strong enough to retain its solid positioning,' said Leribault. 'It may sound arrogant, but the reality is that we are not about to dissolve into the few experimentations that we do.' This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Written by: Farah Nayeri Photographs by: James Hill ©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES
