CALL FOR SCORES: Trickier Tunes for Tamariki
OpportunityCall for Scores.
Wellington Branch IRMTNZ. Trickier Tunes for Tamariki.
Wellington Branch IRMTNZ invites submissions of scores for grades 3-5 level violin and cello students
For eligibility, guidelines, terms and conditions, and the link to the submission form, click HERE.
Wellington Branch IRMTNZ is planning to publish Trickier Tunes for Tamariki, a collection of original pieces for violin and for cello submitted by composers from Aotearoa New Zealand. The music is to be appropriate for pupils from grade 3-5 level, duo strings OR solo string with a simple piano accompaniment.
There is a shortage of published solo music for grades 3-5 level by Aotearoa New Zealand composers for instruments other than piano. This project aims to provide more pieces for intermediate level violin or cello students by Aotearoa New Zealand composers.
A payment is available for the composers of the selected pieces, thanks to the generosity of The Stout Trust. We are also grateful to Sunrise Music Trust for funding the final stages of publishing the books.
New deadline for receipt of scores: 11.59 pm (NZT), 19 April 2024
Full details eligibility, guidelines, terms and conditions etc are available HERE.
Comfortable Classical: A Concert without the Rules!
ConcertA concert without the rules!
Enjoy the sounds of an orchestra up close and personal in this relaxed and cosy concert, guided by our fabulous host. Fun for the young and young at heart!
Move to the music, relax on a cushion, or maybe draw what you hear? With familiar tunes and fun new sounds, Comfortable Classical is for first-time concert goers, regular listeners, whānau and anyone who wants to experience classical music in a friendly and relaxed environment.
Everyone is welcome in our specially curated environment with breakout rooms, cushions and a warm atmosphere for the ultimate classical chill out. Music will include lots of relaxing classics and fun upbeat numbers, with a chance to see and hear the instruments of the orchestra up close. Check out our playlist www.orchestras.org.nz/comfortable-classical, and find out more about the music! Including music by New Zealand composer Gillian Whitehead.
If you have any questions about what to expect, take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions below, or get in touch on support@orchestras.org.nz - we're happy to hear from you.
What to expect at Comfortable Classical? Sometimes at a Classical concert it’s easy to feel like there are a lot of unspoken ‘rules’ and that the music should be enjoyed in a certain way. Our Comfortable Classical experience is all about creating a welcoming and laid-back atmosphere for anyone and everyone of all ages and stages to enjoy. Let’s throw out the rule book!
If you feel like getting up and dancing – that's great! If you need to leave the room for any reason, we encourage you to take the time out you need. You can hum, sing, dance, draw, or respond to the music in whatever way feels right in the moment – our friendly host and guide will encourage it! And don’t worry about disrupting the musicians, they want you to enjoy the music and experience as much as they love performing for you.
NZSO | Mahler 5 (Wellington)
ConcertSalina Fisher | Kintsugi
Adam Schoenberg | Losing Earth (New Zealand Premiere)
Mahler | Symphony No. 5
Salina Fisher’s Kintsugi was inspired by the Japanese tradition of mending broken pottery with golden seams of lacquer – a fine metaphor for “embracing ‘brokenness’ and imperfection.”
American composer Adam Schoenberg was inspired by both the climate catastrophe threatening our natural world and the ancient use of percussion in storytelling. From this, his percussion concerto Losing Earth was born. We welcome its dedicatee, San Francisco Symphony’s Principal Percussionist, Jacob Nissly, as the work’s brilliant soloist.
Just as Losing Earth addresses a turning point in our natural world, so, too, does Mahler’s Fifth Symphony address a turning point in Mahler’s personal world. His Fifth was written in the wake of not only suffering a serious hemorrhage but also meeting his eventual wife, Alma. It is for her the symphony’s famous Adagietto was written: an orchestral love song for the ages.
Additional performances:
Auckland (6 April)NZSO | Mahler 5 (Auckland)
ConcertSalina Fisher | Kintsugi
Adam Schoenberg | Losing Earth (New Zealand Premiere)
Mahler | Symphony No. 5
Salina Fisher’s Kintsugi was inspired by the Japanese tradition of mending broken pottery with golden seams of lacquer – a fine metaphor for “embracing ‘brokenness’ and imperfection.”
American composer Adam Schoenberg was inspired by both the climate catastrophe threatening our natural world and the ancient use of percussion in storytelling. From this, his percussion concerto Losing Earth was born. We welcome its dedicatee, San Francisco Symphony’s Principal Percussionist, Jacob Nissly, as the work’s brilliant soloist.
Just as Losing Earth addresses a turning point in our natural world, so, too, does Mahler’s Fifth Symphony address a turning point in Mahler’s personal world. His Fifth was written in the wake of not only suffering a serious hemorrhage but also meeting his eventual wife, Alma. It is for her the symphony’s famous Adagietto was written: an orchestral love song for the ages.
Additional performances:
Wellington (5 April)NZSO | Testimony (Wellington)
ConcertLilburn | Diversions for String Orchestra
Bruckner | String Quintet, Adagio
Rautavaara | Pelimannit
Tchaikovsky | Andante cantabile, TH63
Shostakovich | Chamber Symphony
Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony is an arrangement of his Eighth String Quartet, written after he saw the aftermath of the apocalyptic 1945 bombing of Dresden. Though he dedicated the Quartet to “victims of fascism and war,” in his later memoir, Testimony, Shostakovich said that the Quartet actually described himself.
The Adagio of Bruckner’s String Quintet was lauded as “the pearl of the quintet […] one of the noblest, most enlightened, tenderest and most beautiful in sound.” Tchaikovsky’s Andante cantabile is similarly a movement from a string chamber work, which Tchaikovsky arranged for cello and string orchestra.
Rautavaara and Lilburn hail from opposite sides of the globe -- and you can tell from their music. Pelimannit is Rautavaara’s suite of fantasies on Finnish fiddle music, while Lilburn’s Diversions overflow with Lilburn’s love for the Kiwi countryside.
Additional performances:
Nelson (13 April)Napier (16 April)
Tauranga (18 April)
Hamilton (19 April)
Auckland (20 April)
NZSO | Testimony (Nelson)
ConcertLilburn | Diversions for String Orchestra
Bruckner | String Quintet, Adagio
Rautavaara | Pelimannit
Tchaikovsky | Andante cantabile, TH63
Shostakovich | Chamber Symphony
Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony is an arrangement of his Eighth String Quartet, written after he saw the aftermath of the apocalyptic 1945 bombing of Dresden. Though he dedicated the Quartet to “victims of fascism and war,” in his later memoir, Testimony, Shostakovich said that the Quartet actually described himself.
The Adagio of Bruckner’s String Quintet was lauded as “the pearl of the quintet […] one of the noblest, most enlightened, tenderest and most beautiful in sound.” Tchaikovsky’s Andante cantabile is similarly a movement from a string chamber work, which Tchaikovsky arranged for cello and string orchestra.
Rautavaara and Lilburn hail from opposite sides of the globe -- and you can tell from their music. Pelimannit is Rautavaara’s suite of fantasies on Finnish fiddle music, while Lilburn’s Diversions overflow with Lilburn’s love for the Kiwi countryside.
Additional performances:
Wellington (12 April)Napier (16 April)
Tauranga (18 April)
Hamilton (19 April)
Auckland (20 April)
NZSO | Testimony (Napier)
ConcertLilburn | Diversions for String Orchestra
Bruckner | String Quintet, Adagio
Rautavaara | Pelimannit
Tchaikovsky | Andante cantabile, TH63
Shostakovich | Chamber Symphony
Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony is an arrangement of his Eighth String Quartet, written after he saw the aftermath of the apocalyptic 1945 bombing of Dresden. Though he dedicated the Quartet to “victims of fascism and war,” in his later memoir, Testimony, Shostakovich said that the Quartet actually described himself.
The Adagio of Bruckner’s String Quintet was lauded as “the pearl of the quintet […] one of the noblest, most enlightened, tenderest and most beautiful in sound.” Tchaikovsky’s Andante cantabile is similarly a movement from a string chamber work, which Tchaikovsky arranged for cello and string orchestra.
Rautavaara and Lilburn hail from opposite sides of the globe -- and you can tell from their music. Pelimannit is Rautavaara’s suite of fantasies on Finnish fiddle music, while Lilburn’s Diversions overflow with Lilburn’s love for the Kiwi countryside.
Additional performances:
Wellington (12 April)Nelson (13 April)
Tauranga (18 April)
Hamilton (19 April)
Auckland (20 April)
NZSO | Testimony (Tauranga)
ConcertLilburn | Diversions for String Orchestra
Bruckner | String Quintet, Adagio
Rautavaara | Pelimannit
Tchaikovsky | Andante cantabile, TH63
Shostakovich | Chamber Symphony
Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony is an arrangement of his Eighth String Quartet, written after he saw the aftermath of the apocalyptic 1945 bombing of Dresden. Though he dedicated the Quartet to “victims of fascism and war,” in his later memoir, Testimony, Shostakovich said that the Quartet actually described himself.
The Adagio of Bruckner’s String Quintet was lauded as “the pearl of the quintet […] one of the noblest, most enlightened, tenderest and most beautiful in sound.” Tchaikovsky’s Andante cantabile is similarly a movement from a string chamber work, which Tchaikovsky arranged for cello and string orchestra.
Rautavaara and Lilburn hail from opposite sides of the globe -- and you can tell from their music. Pelimannit is Rautavaara’s suite of fantasies on Finnish fiddle music, while Lilburn’s Diversions overflow with Lilburn’s love for the Kiwi countryside.
Additional performances:
Wellington (12 April)Nelson (13 April)
Napier (16 April)
Hamilton (19 April)
Auckland (20 April)
NZSO | Testimony (Hamilton)
ConcertLilburn | Diversions for String Orchestra
Bruckner | String Quintet, Adagio
Rautavaara | Pelimannit
Tchaikovsky | Andante cantabile, TH63
Shostakovich | Chamber Symphony
Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony is an arrangement of his Eighth String Quartet, written after he saw the aftermath of the apocalyptic 1945 bombing of Dresden. Though he dedicated the Quartet to “victims of fascism and war,” in his later memoir, Testimony, Shostakovich said that the Quartet actually described himself.
The Adagio of Bruckner’s String Quintet was lauded as “the pearl of the quintet […] one of the noblest, most enlightened, tenderest and most beautiful in sound.” Tchaikovsky’s Andante cantabile is similarly a movement from a string chamber work, which Tchaikovsky arranged for cello and string orchestra.
Rautavaara and Lilburn hail from opposite sides of the globe -- and you can tell from their music. Pelimannit is Rautavaara’s suite of fantasies on Finnish fiddle music, while Lilburn’s Diversions overflow with Lilburn’s love for the Kiwi countryside.
Second performance in Hamilton at 7:30pm on 19 April.
Additional performances:
Wellington (12 April)Nelson (13 April)
Napier (16 April)
Tauranga (18 April)
Auckland (20 April)
NZSO | Testimony (Auckland)
ConcertLilburn | Diversions for String Orchestra
Bruckner | String Quintet, Adagio
Rautavaara | Pelimannit
Tchaikovsky | Andante cantabile, TH63
Shostakovich | Chamber Symphony
Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony is an arrangement of his Eighth String Quartet, written after he saw the aftermath of the apocalyptic 1945 bombing of Dresden. Though he dedicated the Quartet to “victims of fascism and war,” in his later memoir, Testimony, Shostakovich said that the Quartet actually described himself.
The Adagio of Bruckner’s String Quintet was lauded as “the pearl of the quintet […] one of the noblest, most enlightened, tenderest and most beautiful in sound.” Tchaikovsky’s Andante cantabile is similarly a movement from a string chamber work, which Tchaikovsky arranged for cello and string orchestra.
Rautavaara and Lilburn hail from opposite sides of the globe -- and you can tell from their music. Pelimannit is Rautavaara’s suite of fantasies on Finnish fiddle music, while Lilburn’s Diversions overflow with Lilburn’s love for the Kiwi countryside.
Additional performances:
Wellington (12 April)Nelson (13 April)
Napier (16 April)
Tauranga (18 April)
Hamilton (19 April)
NZSO | Tchaikovsky 5 (Auckland)
ConcertLeonie Holmes | I watched a shadow (World Premiere)
Richard Strauss | Don Quixote
Tchaikovsky | Symphony No. 5
NZSO Principal Cellist Andrew Joyce, Principal Violist Julia Joyce and conductor Han-Na Chang lead a concert of great romantics.
Korean conductor Han-Na Chang is “one of her generation’s most exciting conductors” (Lars Flydal, Vårtland), capable of making an orchestra “play in a way I did not know they were capable of” (Magnus Andersson, Klassekampe). A cello prodigy who won First Prize at the Rostropovich International Cello Competition at just 11 years old, she switched to conducting at 24 and has electrified audiences ever since. Who better to conduct a performance of Richard Strauss’s tone poem for cello and orchestra, Don Quixote? Principal Cellist Andrew Joyce steps into the spotlight to give voice to the love-mad protagonist of Cervantes’s novel.
We are delighted to premiere a new work by Kiwi composer Leonie Holmes, whose evocative style echoes the Impressionism of last century. We then conclude with a milestone work, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. The first movement’s implacable main theme, balanced by the horn’s irresistibly moving second movement melody, embodies the big bold emotions of the Romantic era.
Additional performances:
Wellington (18 May)NZSO | Tchaikovsky 5 (Wellington)
ConcertLeonie Holmes | I watched a shadow (World Premiere)
Richard Strauss | Don Quixote
Tchaikovsky | Symphony No. 5
NZSO Principal Cellist Andrew Joyce, Principal Violist Julia Joyce and conductor Han-Na Chang lead a concert of great romantics.
Korean conductor Han-Na Chang is “one of her generation’s most exciting conductors” (Lars Flydal, Vårtland), capable of making an orchestra “play in a way I did not know they were capable of” (Magnus Andersson, Klassekampe). A cello prodigy who won First Prize at the Rostropovich International Cello Competition at just 11 years old, she switched to conducting at 24 and has electrified audiences ever since. Who better to conduct a performance of Richard Strauss’s tone poem for cello and orchestra, Don Quixote? Principal Cellist Andrew Joyce steps into the spotlight to give voice to the love-mad protagonist of Cervantes’s novel.
We are delighted to premiere a new work by Kiwi composer Leonie Holmes, whose evocative style echoes the Impressionism of last century. We then conclude with a milestone work, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. The first movement’s implacable main theme, balanced by the horn’s irresistibly moving second movement melody, embodies the big bold emotions of the Romantic era.
Additional performances:
Auckland (17 May)NZSO | Jubilation (Wellington)
ConcertHenry Meng | Fanfare
Richard Strauss | Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
Sai Natarajan | We Long For An Adventure
Shostakovich | Symphony No. 9
NZSO’s Music Director Emeritus James Judd is a familiar face to audiences after his eight year stint as the Orchestra’s Music Director. During that time, he lifted the Orchestra’s profile internationally, leading the NZSO on tours to Japan, Korea and Europe and conducting them in acclaimed recordings. He returns to conduct Strauss’s orchestral suite Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, from the Seventeenth-century play about a man's attempts to appear as someone he is not, and the foolish reality of who he is. Its jolly atmosphere is well matched by Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony. Though its iconic fourth-movement bassoon solo provides an oasis of deeply swelling anguish, overall, the Ninth is Shostakovich at his wittiest and most entertaining. Finally, Judd shows his characteristic generosity and support of Kiwi music by conducting two works by young Kiwi composers. Henry Meng and Sai Natarajan were both 2022/2023 TODD Composer Awards finalists, and their respective pieces are celebrations of both youth and the spirit of adventure.
Additional performances:
Blenheim (6 June)Invercargill (11 June)
Dunedin (13 June)
NZSO | Jubilation (Blenheim)
ConcertHenry Meng | Fanfare
Richard Strauss | Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
Sai Natarajan | We Long For An Adventure
Shostakovich | Symphony No. 9
NZSO’s Music Director Emeritus James Judd is a familiar face to audiences after his eight year stint as the Orchestra’s Music Director. During that time, he lifted the Orchestra’s profile internationally, leading the NZSO on tours to Japan, Korea and Europe and conducting them in acclaimed recordings. He returns to conduct Strauss’s orchestral suite Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, from the Seventeenth-century play about a man's attempts to appear as someone he is not, and the foolish reality of who he is. Its jolly atmosphere is well matched by Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony. Though its iconic fourth-movement bassoon solo provides an oasis of deeply swelling anguish, overall, the Ninth is Shostakovich at his wittiest and most entertaining. Finally, Judd shows his characteristic generosity and support of Kiwi music by conducting two works by young Kiwi composers. Henry Meng and Sai Natarajan were both 2022/2023 TODD Composer Awards finalists, and their respective pieces are celebrations of both youth and the spirit of adventure.
Additional performances:
Wellington (30 May)Invercargill (11 June)
Dunedin (13 June)
NZSO | Jubilation (Invercargill)
ConcertHenry Meng | Fanfare
Richard Strauss | Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
Sai Natarajan | We Long For An Adventure
Shostakovich | Symphony No. 9
NZSO’s Music Director Emeritus James Judd is a familiar face to audiences after his eight year stint as the Orchestra’s Music Director. During that time, he lifted the Orchestra’s profile internationally, leading the NZSO on tours to Japan, Korea and Europe and conducting them in acclaimed recordings. He returns to conduct Strauss’s orchestral suite Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, from the Seventeenth-century play about a man's attempts to appear as someone he is not, and the foolish reality of who he is. Its jolly atmosphere is well matched by Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony. Though its iconic fourth-movement bassoon solo provides an oasis of deeply swelling anguish, overall, the Ninth is Shostakovich at his wittiest and most entertaining. Finally, Judd shows his characteristic generosity and support of Kiwi music by conducting two works by young Kiwi composers. Henry Meng and Sai Natarajan were both 2022/2023 TODD Composer Awards finalists, and their respective pieces are celebrations of both youth and the spirit of adventure.
Additional performances:
Wellington (30 May)Blenheim (6 June)
Dunedin (13 June)
NZSO | Jubilation (Dunedin)
ConcertHenry Meng | Fanfare
Richard Strauss | Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
Sai Natarajan | We Long For An Adventure
Shostakovich | Symphony No. 9
NZSO’s Music Director Emeritus James Judd is a familiar face to audiences after his eight year stint as the Orchestra’s Music Director. During that time, he lifted the Orchestra’s profile internationally, leading the NZSO on tours to Japan, Korea and Europe and conducting them in acclaimed recordings. He returns to conduct Strauss’s orchestral suite Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, from the Seventeenth-century play about a man's attempts to appear as someone he is not, and the foolish reality of who he is. Its jolly atmosphere is well matched by Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony. Though its iconic fourth-movement bassoon solo provides an oasis of deeply swelling anguish, overall, the Ninth is Shostakovich at his wittiest and most entertaining. Finally, Judd shows his characteristic generosity and support of Kiwi music by conducting two works by young Kiwi composers. Henry Meng and Sai Natarajan were both 2022/2023 TODD Composer Awards finalists, and their respective pieces are celebrations of both youth and the spirit of adventure.
Additional performances:
Wellington (30 May)Blenheim (6 June)
Invercargill (11 June)
NYO | Victory (Wellington)
ConcertJessie Leov | NYO Composer-in-Residence work
Khachaturian | Piano Concerto
Prokofiev | Symphony No. 5
Tianyi Lu is a Kiwi conductor on the rise. Her deep love for music is matched by her burgeoning career, from being a Dudamel Fellow with the LA Philharmonic to becoming the first Female Conductor-in-Residence for the Welsh National Opera. Lu will bring “her exquisite calligraphic musical pictorialism” (LA Times) to Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony, Prokofiev’s “hymn to free and happy Man.”
We are pleased to introduce Shan Liu to more NZ audiences, following his success in the 2023 NZSO Young Artists’ Showcase. His already impressive resume belies his mere 13 years, having recently picked up first prizes in the Netherlands and Macao, and performing in Australia, Germany and the USA. He will perform Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto, the work that first introduced Khachaturian to Western audiences. We are also excited to premiere a work from another homegrown talent, Jessie Leov, the 2024 NYO Composer-in-Residence.
This year, we also celebrate the 25th year of the visionary support of Verna and the late Denis Adam through the Adam Foundation. This association has allowed generations of young New Zealanders to work with the finest musicians from here and overseas in a full-size symphony orchestra.
Additional performances:
Palmerston North (6 July)NYO | Victory (Palmerston North)
ConcertJessie Leov | NYO Composer-in-Residence work
Khachaturian | Piano Concerto
Prokofiev | Symphony No. 5
Tianyi Lu is a Kiwi conductor on the rise. Her deep love for music is matched by her burgeoning career, from being a Dudamel Fellow with the LA Philharmonic to becoming the first Female Conductor-in-Residence for the Welsh National Opera. Lu will bring “her exquisite calligraphic musical pictorialism” (LA Times) to Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony, Prokofiev’s “hymn to free and happy Man.”
We are pleased to introduce Shan Liu to more NZ audiences, following his success in the 2023 NZSO Young Artists’ Showcase. His already impressive resume belies his mere 13 years, having recently picked up first prizes in the Netherlands and Macao, and performing in Australia, Germany and the USA. He will perform Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto, the work that first introduced Khachaturian to Western audiences. We are also excited to premiere a work from another homegrown talent, Jessie Leov, the 2024 NYO Composer-in-Residence.
This year, we also celebrate the 25th year of the visionary support of Verna and the late Denis Adam through the Adam Foundation. This association has allowed generations of young New Zealanders to work with the finest musicians from here and overseas in a full-size symphony orchestra.
Additional performances:
Wellington (5 July)Submit NZ music events