Korean conductor makes NZSO debut in May for Tchaikovsky masterpiece

Acclaimed Korean conductor Han-Na Chang makes her NZSO debut in May with an outstanding programme, including one of Tchaikovsky’s most loved works: Symphony No. 5. 

Audiences in Auckland and Wellington will also experience Richard Strauss’ exuberant Don Quixote with NZSO Section Principal Cellist Andrew Joyce and NZSO Section Principal Violist Julia Joyce taking the spotlight as soloists. 

In addition, Tchaikovsky 5, presented in association with Summerset Retirement Villages, boasts the world premiere of I watched a shadow by one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s best composers, Leonie Holmes. 

Han-Na Chang has been lauded as “one of her generation’s most exciting conductors” (Lars Flydal, Vårtland) and 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, Han-Na Chang switched to conducting at 24 and has electrified audiences ever since. Seen and Heard heralded her first concert with the Scottish Symphony Orchestra in 2022 as a “terrific debut by this very talented conductor. Han-Na Chang is a major talent in the conducting world.”   

Jubilation features works by music giants and gifted young composers

The NZSO brings an unmissable concert programme to Wellington, Blenheim, Invercargill and Dunedin with Jubilation: Strauss & Shostakovich from 30 May. 

Jubilation, presented in association with Summerset Retirement Villages, features masterpieces by the two music giants alongside two stunning contemporary New Zealand works. 

NZSO Music Director Emeritus James Judd, who conducts Jubilation, says the Orchestra is elated to present two young New Zealand composers, both winners of the Todd Corporation Young Composer Awards.  

“Our programme begins with the exuberant Fanfare by Henry Meng whilst the second half of the concert kicks off with the whimsical fantasy world of Sai Natarajan in We Long for an Adventure,” he says. 

Jubilation is a rare opportunity to enjoy Richard Strauss’ Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme which Judd hails as “a theatrical feast of lively music and moods.” Originally written for a revival of the comic masterpiece of the same name by French playwright Molière, this exquisite work captures the spirit of the play while also expressing Strauss’ genius. 

Dimitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9, written to celebrate the Soviet victory at the end of the Second World War, was a significant departure from the big statements of his 7th and 8th symphonies. Jubilant, light and bursting with melodies, Judd says critics at the time misinterpreted it as support for Stalin’s regime.  

“Conductor Leonard Bernstein saw through the ruse and recognised that beneath the surface this music could be seen as ‘a great nose thumb against Stalin’. Under the surface lurks complexity, irony and sorrow.”  

Intimate concert boasts music’s biggest names and a rising star 

Get ready for an intimate and exciting concert experience from a quartet of NZSO string players in Carterton, Kāpiti, Nelson, Dunedin and Christchurch featuring works by music’s biggest names and a rising star. 

Reflections: Schubert & Beethoven is an unmissable performance featuring an immensely talented quartet of NZSO players – Assistant Principal violinist Jessica Oddie, Assistant Concertmaster Yuka Eguchi, Associate Principal violist Alexander McFarlane and Associate Principal cellist Ken Ichinose. 

Franz Schubert’s Quartettsatz will be a chance for audiences to immerse themselves in one of the composer’s best works for a string quartet and Beethoven’s radiant String Quartet No. 9, part of series of grand string quartets from the music giant.  

Reflections also features Baroque master Henry Purcell’s beautifully evocative Fantasia Upon One Note and contemporary American composer Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte, written specifically for a string quartet. 

Shaw, the youngest ever winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Music, is also known as violinist, singer and improviser, who works across music genres, including a high-profile collaboration with Kanye West. Shaw has written music for superstar cellist Yo-Yo Ma, acclaimed violinist Anne Sofie von Otter and renowned soprano Renée Fleming, among others, and her music features in films and television shows.

Setting Up Camp is back! 

Jubilation: Strauss & Shostakovich and Reflections: Schubert & Beethoven are part of the NZSO’s 2024 Setting Up Camp tour in May and June. 

Along with these unforgettable evening concerts, Setting Up Camp presents an exciting selection of free daytime performances and events for schools and communities in each centre where the NZSO plays. 

This year for schools we have The Firebird in Wellington, Blenheim, Invercargill and Dunedin with linked education workshops, as well as Side-by Side sessions in Blenheim, Invercargill and Dunedin, where local musicians have the chance to play alongside NZSO players. 

We also bring our very popular Relaxed Concerts to Blenheim on 05 June and Nelson on 07 June.  

Relaxed Concerts, presented with support from Autism NZ, are an opportunity for neurodivergent children and adults to enjoy the NZSO in a sensory-friendly environment. With a more relaxed approach to movement and noise during the performance, the aim is to minimise patrons’ anxiety and ensure they have a calm, enjoyable and safe concert experience. 

This year’s Setting Up Camp is extra special as our presenter is award-winning British music educator, composer and musician Rachel Leach.  

Rachel has worked within the education departments of most of the UK’s orchestras and opera companies. Much of her work is for the London Symphony and the London Philharmonic orchestras, including more than 20 pieces for LSO Discovery and 15 community operas. 

Rachel will present The Firebird concerts and workshops, and our Relaxed Concerts, which includes a Q&A Session with NZSO players. 

Relaxed Concerts are free, but booking is essential. 

The Royal NZ Ballet’s season of Swan Lake is on now in Wellington with the NZSO! 

The NZSO this week is enjoying every minute of performing Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake with the Royal New Zealand Ballet in Wellington.  

We have four performances left with the Ballet, tonight at 7.30pm, tomorrow (4 May) at 1.30pm and 7.30pm, and Sunday at 1.30pm.  

Led by RNZB Principal Conductor and NZSO Principal Conductor-in-Residence Hamish McKeich, Swan Lake is one of the greatest and loved ballets ever created.  

Swan Lake also tours to Auckland (with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra), Napier, Christchurch (with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra), Dunedin and Invercargill in May and June. 

2024 NZSO National Youth Orchestra Appeal 

This year we celebrate 65 years of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, thanks to the generosity of our supporters – including 25 years of support from The Adam Foundation.  

Our supporters have helped shape the NYO to become the integral training programme that it is today. Since its inception, the NYO has been dedicated to nurturing Aotearoa New Zealand’s best emerging musicians, providing unparalleled opportunities for personal growth and artistic expression, and a professional pathway. Our country’s orchestral landscape could not be without it. With your support, we can ensure that future generations of talented musicians have access to the same transformative experiences that have defined our Orchestra for more than six decades. 

Not only has the NYO been a springboard for NZSO musicians, but this anniversary year is also a testament to the success of the NYO in shaping future music leaders in our communities. The ripple effect of this is vast. By joining us in 2024 and investing in the NYO, you are also fostering a culture of creativity, well-being, collaboration, and excellence throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. 

This year we welcome Kiwi conductor Tianyi Lu who works with major orchestras and opera houses worldwide – including her debut this year’s Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. The programme features a new work by NYO Composer-in-Residence and Todd Young Composers alumnus Jessie Leov, as well as Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto performed by 14-year-old New Zealand soloist Shan Liu, culminating with Prokofiev’s lyrical and intense Fifth Symphony. 

This week we launch our 2024 NYO fundraising appeal and invite you to get involved by getting behind the next generation of professional musicians. Your support will afford a lifechanging and lasting experience for young musicians and future leaders and we hope you will join us to celebrate 65 years of this pivotal programme. 

Young Composer Awards applications close 11 June

The NZSO Todd Young Composer Awards celebrates its 20th year in 2024 – and the big deadline is looms for aspiring young composers. 

Applications close for the 2024 NZSO Todd Young Composer Awards on 11 June. 

This is an exciting opportunity for young New Zealanders to have their compositions workshopped and performed by the NZSO and recorded by RNZ Concert. 

Two expert composer mentors are selected to mentor up to eight young composers through the process to help ensure the highest level of success. The piece of music will be performed by the NZSO and led by Principal Conductor-in-Residence Hamish McKeich. 

The winner receives the NZSO Todd Young Composer Award and a cash prize of $1,000. The composer with the most votes from the NZSO players will receive the Orchestra’s Choice Award and a cash prize of $500. 

If selected, flights and accommodation will be provided for those who live outside of Wellington. 

NZSO’s Scheduling supremo wins prestigious SOUNZ commission 

By day Keith Moss is best known by his colleagues as the NZSO’s indefatigable Scheduling Executive who juggles venues and dates to ensure the Orchestra can bring music to audiences across the country. 

However, when not bringing great music to the nation, Keith also writes his own. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by the SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music which recently selected Keith for the 2024 SOUNZ Commission for Orchestra and Sistema Youth Orchestra. 

Keith will be working with Orchestra Wellington and Arohanui Strings – Sistema Hutt Valley on a new composition. He can’t wait to write an engaging piece for the youth of Arohanui Strings, enhanced by the Orchestra Wellington musicians. 

Claire Szabó, SOUNZ’s Chief Executive, says: “We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with Arohanui Strings and Orchestra Wellington on this very special project. The creation of this new work, in partnership with these two ensembles, exemplifies our mission to celebrate the rich and diverse music of Aotearoa New Zealand. We are eagerly anticipating the unfolding of this project with Keith for this year’s commission, which promises to be a highlight of the year.” 

“I'm delighted to accept this wonderful opportunity from SOUNZ to write a combined work for my hometown Orchestra Wellington featuring Arohanui Strings,” says Keith.  

“Arriving at this moment from a string teaching background, I look forward to meeting the young players of the Sistema Youth Orchestra and finding out what we can do together to write a new piece inspired by mythological narratives from my home country of South Africa.  

“Having this opportunity to share some of my cultural background with audiences in New Zealand is a fantastic platform, and initiatives like these, that continue to form connections between orchestra's, youth groups, composers and the community are essential to the lifeblood of art and culture in every country. These connections keep music alive and important.” 

The project, now in its seventh year, is a collaboration between SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music, Orchestra Wellington and Arohanui Strings – Sistema Hutt Valley. Orchestra Wellington and Arohanui Strings will perform the new commission as part of a concert at the Michael Fowler Centre in November.