Latest news with #NewZealandSymphonyOrchestra
Scoop
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
NZSO And Wairea Company To Headline Aronui Arts Festival 2025
Press Release – New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Following the success of Aronuis Matariki Drone Show, which drew over 35,000 people across two nights, the festival returns with a curated programme that focused on high-impact, deeply grounded works that highlight Indigenous storytelling and creativity. Rotorua-based Wairea Company, in collaboration with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, will headline Aronui Arts Festival 2025 this September with their bold new work Atua Wahine. An ode to the revival of Atua Wahine stories through contemporary dance, classical orchestration and traditional Māori instruments. Following the success of Aronui's Matariki Drone Show, which drew over 35,000 people across two nights, the festival returns with a curated programme that focused on high-impact, deeply grounded works that highlight Indigenous storytelling and creativity. Atua Wahine is part of a wider offering from Aronui Arts Festival. The festival will showcase an inspiring lineup of live music, performance art, and solo works. Aronui Creative Director and Founder, Cian Elyse White says, 'It's an honour to announce the 2025 festival lineup headlined by the NZSO and Wairea, who are delving into a new work seeded at last year's festival. Arts are an essential service, and after the success of the ARONUI Matariki programme, including our drone show, we are stoked to bring our September festival back to the community.' Created and directed by acclaimed artist Rangipo Ihakara, Atua Wahine breathes life into the stories of Māori goddesses through an immersive performance that features wāhine of all ages. The production blends contemporary dance, taonga puoro, and the orchestral power of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. 'Atua Wahine is an offering. A coming together of wāhine across generations to embody the essence of our ancient Māori goddesses through movement, sound, and spirit,' says Ihakara. 'Through Māori contemporary dance, classical music and taonga puoro, we allow the audience to feel and sense their way through the piece. To foster a space where they are able to tap into their own consciousness to create, to add their own intentions, to have conversations, to get uncomfortable, and to be comforted.' This piece is the second phase of Wairea's exploration into Atua Wahine, following their debut collaboration with Heipūkarea – an event that celebrated wāhine Māori creatives across disciplines and supported the launch of Hana Tapiata's book Atua Wahine – The Ancient wisdom of the Maori goddesses. The experience inspired the company to go deeper, reconnecting with Atua through movement, music, and story. 'In te ao Māori and Indigenous cultures, feeling, sensing, and language are vital forms of communication and connection. Concepts such as mahi a te wairua (spiritual work), te mauri o te tangata (the life force of a person), and te reo me ngā tikanga (language and customs) are foundational to this performance. By embracing wairua (spirit) and mauri (life force), we navigate the creative process – crafting an Indigenous musical that resonates with all audiences,' says Ihakara. Aronui Arts Festival will be held from 11 – 21 September at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre and Thurston Theatre. Atua Wahine will run from 11 – 13 September in Sir Owen Glenn Theatre/Matangi Rau in the Sir Howard Morrison Centre. For tickets and more information, visit About Wairea Company: Wairea Company is dedicated to presenting innovative and culturally significant performances highlighting Indigenous narratives and fostering community collaboration. They aim to inspire and empower audiences by showcasing the richness of Māori and other Indigenous cultures. About Aronui Arts Festival: The Aronui Arts Festival celebrates indigenous cultures' diversity and creativity through various artistic expressions, including music, dance, theatre, and visual arts. The festival aims to foster understanding and appreciation of cultural heritage while providing a platform for artists to share their stories and talents.
Scoop
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
NZSO Conjures Sorcerers, Spiders & Bret McKenzie
Press Release – NZSO Andre de Ridder with NZSO (c – Phoebe Tuxford) Bret McKenzie (Photo/Supplied) From The Sorcerer's Apprentice and The Lark Ascending to Carnival of the Animals and an assortment of creepy-crawlies, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra presents a spellbinding three-concert winter festival in August. Led by the NZSO's Music Director Designate, acclaimed German conductor André de Ridder, the Rumakina Immerse Festival features Oscar-winner Bret McKenzie, NZSO Concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppänen and Grammy Award-winning taonga pūroro player and composer Jerome Kavanagh Poutama in Wellington (8-10 Aug) and Auckland (15-17 Aug). The festival promises an unforgettable musical journey through enchantment, aspiration, and the natural world. Maestro de Ridder, NZSO Music Director from 2027, brings his visionary artistry to all three performances. For Enchanted: Stravinsky, Dukas & Mussorgsky audiences will experience the magic of music with Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain and Paul Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice, both immortalised in Disney's Fantasia. The concert culminates with Igor Stravinsky's dazzling ballet score Petrushka, a tale of puppets brought to life through vibrant orchestration and irresistible rhythms. Ascension: Schumann & Vaughan Williams celebrates the natural world with Papatūānuku, a powerful collaboration between Aotearoa New Zealand composer Salina Fisher and Kavanagh Poutama. The concert continues with Ralph Vaughan Williams' beloved The Lark Ascending, featuring Leppänen as solo violinist. Vaughan Williams' masterpiece regularly makes the top five listener favourites, including RNZ Concert (No.3 in 2024) and the UK's Classic FM (No.3 in 2025). Ascension concludes with the joyful renewal of spring in Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 1. Perfect for whānau, the Sunday matinee concert Creepy-Crawly Carnival: Saint-Saëns & Roussel opens with Albert Roussel's The Spider's Feast, a musical exploration of garden insects and native Aotearoa creatures, including giant wētā and huhu grubs. The musical menagerie continues with Camille Saint-Saëns' timeless Carnival of the Animals, narrated by songwriter and comedian McKenzie, returning to the stage with the NZSO after his hit 2018 Muppets collaboration The Jim Henson Retrospectacle. Known for bringing humour and heart to every performance, McKenzie will guide audiences through a symphonic safari filled with hopping kangaroos, stately swans, and bumbling elephants. The suite, a cornerstone of children's classical repertoire, becomes a laugh-out-loud journey with McKenzie's storytelling magic at the helm. During the concert, acclaimed illustrator Stephen Templer will draw live, using the music as his muse to craft a series of whimsical and captivating artworks—each created from scratch and projected in real time on a giant screen. The Rumakina Immerse Festival offers something for everyone—from classical aficionados to curious newcomers and young listeners. Join the NZSO over two weekends for this extraordinary celebration of music, nature, and imagination. Maestro de Ridder appears with support from The Diessl Family. COMING UP Firebird: Ravel & Stravinsky – conductor Emilia Hoving, piano Javier Perianes. Wellington (17 July), Christchurch (19 July). Mana Moana – conductor Brent Stewart, Signature Choir. Wellington (24-25 July) Content Sourced from Original url
Scoop
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
NZSO Conjures Sorcerers, Spiders & Bret McKenzie
From The Sorcerer's Apprentice and The Lark Ascending to Carnival of the Animals and an assortment of creepy-crawlies, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra presents a spellbinding three-concert winter festival in August. Led by the NZSO's Music Director Designate, acclaimed German conductor André de Ridder, the Rumakina Immerse Festival features Oscar-winner Bret McKenzie, NZSO Concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppänen and Grammy Award-winning taonga pūroro player and composer Jerome Kavanagh Poutama in Wellington (8-10 Aug) and Auckland (15-17 Aug). The festival promises an unforgettable musical journey through enchantment, aspiration, and the natural world. Maestro de Ridder, NZSO Music Director from 2027, brings his visionary artistry to all three performances. For Enchanted: Stravinsky, Dukas & Mussorgsky audiences will experience the magic of music with Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain and Paul Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice, both immortalised in Disney's Fantasia. The concert culminates with Igor Stravinsky's dazzling ballet score Petrushk a, a tale of puppets brought to life through vibrant orchestration and irresistible rhythms. Ascension: Schumann & Vaughan Williams celebrates the natural world with Papatūānuku, a powerful collaboration between Aotearoa New Zealand composer Salina Fisher and Kavanagh Poutama. The concert continues with Ralph Vaughan Williams' beloved The Lark Ascending, featuring Leppänen as solo violinist. Vaughan Williams' masterpiece regularly makes the top five listener favourites, including RNZ Concert (No.3 in 2024) and the UK's Classic FM (No.3 in 2025). Ascension concludes with the joyful renewal of spring in Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 1. Perfect for whānau, the Sunday matinee concert Creepy-Crawly Carnival: Saint-Saëns & Roussel opens with Albert Roussel's The Spider's Feast, a musical exploration of garden insects and native Aotearoa creatures, including giant wētā and huhu grubs. The musical menagerie continues with Camille Saint-Saëns' timeless Carnival of the Animals, narrated by songwriter and comedian McKenzie, returning to the stage with the NZSO after his hit 2018 Muppets collaboration The Jim Henson Retrospectacle. Known for bringing humour and heart to every performance, McKenzie will guide audiences through a symphonic safari filled with hopping kangaroos, stately swans, and bumbling elephants. The suite, a cornerstone of children's classical repertoire, becomes a laugh-out-loud journey with McKenzie's storytelling magic at the helm. During the concert, acclaimed illustrator Stephen Templer will draw live, using the music as his muse to craft a series of whimsical and captivating artworks—each created from scratch and projected in real time on a giant screen. The Rumakina Immerse Festival offers something for everyone—from classical aficionados to curious newcomers and young listeners. Join the NZSO over two weekends for this extraordinary celebration of music, nature, and imagination. Maestro de Ridder appears with support from The Diessl Family.
Otago Daily Times
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Oboist joins DSO for matinee series
NZSO principal oboe Robert Orr will head south to perform Mozart's Oboe Concerto with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra in its two "Sublime Schubert" matinee concerts this weekend. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Lovers of woodwind are in for a treat this weekend, when leading New Zealand oboe player Robert Orr joins the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra for its "Sublime Schubert" matinee series concerts. Wellington-based Orr, the principal oboe with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, will perform as soloist in Mozart's much-loved Oboe Concerto — renowned for its achingly beautiful melodies and light-hearted, lively passages. The Mozart Oboe Concerto will feature alongside two other great works of the Classical era — Handel's Royal Fireworks Music and Schubert's Symphony No. 4 "Tragic" in the matinee concerts, to be held on Saturday at 5pm and Sunday at 3pm, at the King's & Queen's Performing Arts Centre. The concerts will be conducted by acclaimed Australian conductor Benjamin Bayl, making his first appearance with the DSO, and bringing fresh energy to these important works. Although nicknamed "Tragic", Schubert's fourth symphony is filled with bubbly vitality and sublime melodies. Schubert's composing career lasted fewer than 20 years, but he produced an enormous number of compositions. However, due to Beethoven's prominence at the time, Schubert's fourth symphony, completed in 1816, didn't receive a public premiere until 1849, more than two decades after the composer's death.
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Sensational Spanish Pianist Warms Up Winter With Fiery NZSO Debut
AI-generated content may be incorrect.'> Acclaimed Spanish pianist Javier Perianes makes his New Zealand Symphony Orchestra debut in Wellington and Christchurch in July. Joining him will be the Aotearoa New Zealand debut of exciting young Finnish conductor Emilia Hoving. in Wellington (17 July) and Christchurch (19 July) promises a thrilling evening of musical storytelling. Celebrated for his ability to make the piano 'sing and glitter with alert, polished brilliance' (Sydney Morning Herald), Perianes takes the stage for two dazzling works: Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G, a lively fusion of jazz-infused rhythms and echoes of the composer's Spanish Basque heritage, and Manuel de Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain, a dramatic and seductive portrait of Andalusian Spain. 'Music isn't a profession, it's a way of understanding life,' Perianes has said. 'You're not a musician from 8am to 3pm and then close up shop. As a great master used to say: 'Music attacks you at any time.' It's a passion that you carry inside, and you can't disconnect.' When Hoving – winner of the Finnish Critics' Prize for Best Newcomer in the Arts (2021) – performed in Australia, Limelight Magazine hailed the evening as 'a scintillating performance, memorable for its passion and drama… authoritative conducting, which drew out all the character and charm of each work and encouraged the best performances from the players.' With a conducting style praised as both precise and powerful, Hoving leads the NZSO through an exhilarating programme. From 1950s Christchurch with Kiwi composer John Ritchies' Papanui Road, where the bustling energy of this busy thoroughfare and the clanging of tram bells come vividly to life; to the fiery magic of Igor Stravinsky's Firebird, a masterpiece that shimmers with the legend of the glowing bird of Russian myth, this is an evening that's not to be missed. Stravinsky himself famously conducted the NZSO performing Firebird in Wellington in 1961.
