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    • REQUIEM- SATURDAY 8 SEPTEMBER, 7.30PM MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE,...
      • REQUIEM -  SATURDAY 8 SEPTEMBER, 7.30PM  MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE, WELLINGTON — Orchestra Wellington and the Orpheus Choir are joining forces to perform one of the most thrilling pieces of music you’re ever likely to hear. Verdi’s mighty Requiem, his mass for the dead, is guaranteed to move anyone with even the slightest pulse. The musical depiction of the end of days, with offstage trumpets and thunderous hits from the orchestra’s bass drum, will leave you breathless. It’s more of an opera than a piece of church music, and if you think you don’t know it, just put “Dies Irae” into any internet search engine, and you’ll soon see it’s the soundtrack to dozens of adverts, sports trailers and movies, the most recent being Taika Waititi’s “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”. But between the drama passages, Verdi has written life-affirming music of the utmost tenderness. Conductor Marc Taddei has assembled a world-class cast of soloists for the performance on September 8th at the Michael Fowler Centre. Mexican tenor Diego Torre sang at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 2009 and 2010. Antoinette Halloran is one of Australia’s most accomplished sopranos. Fellow Aussie mezzo soprano Deborah Humble has performed Das Rheingold at the Hamburg Staatsoper for seven straight years, while Baritone James Clayton has been one of NZ Opera’s most outstanding singers in recent productions. “The Verdi Requiem is an absolutely remarkable piece of music that glorifies and extends the whole sense of the human experience,” says Orchestra Wellington’s music director, Marc Taddei. Yet this masterpiece was almost scrapped before it reached an audience. It was originally part of a collaboration of composers, to mourn the death of fellow Italian Maestro, Rossini, but the project fell apart at the last minute. But Verdi, wasn’t ready to give up on his contribution to the piece, and it eventually formed the basis of the complete Requiem we know and love today, as one of the most performed pieces of church music in the repertoire. Orchestra Wellington and the Orpheus Choir of Wellington’s Verdi Requiem on September 8th is not-to-be-missed. TO SECURE YOUR SEATS, HEAD TO TICKETMASTER HERE GIUSEPPE VERDI REQUIEM ANTOINETTE HALLORAN, SOPRANO DEBORAH HUMBLE, MEZZO SOPRANO DIEGO TORRE, TENOR JAMES CLAYTON, BARITONE ORPHEUS CHOIR OF WELLINGTON

    • REQUIEM- SATURDAY 8 SEPTEMBER, 7.30PM MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE,...
      • REQUIEM -  SATURDAY 8 SEPTEMBER, 7.30PM  MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE, WELLINGTON — Orchestra Wellington and the Orpheus Choir are joining forces to perform one of the most thrilling pieces of music you’re ever likely to hear. Verdi’s mighty Requiem, his mass for the dead, is guaranteed to move anyone with even the slightest pulse. The musical depiction of the end of days, with offstage trumpets and thunderous hits from the orchestra’s bass drum, will leave you breathless. It’s more of an opera than a piece of church music, and if you think you don’t know it, just put “Dies Irae” into any internet search engine, and you’ll soon see it’s the soundtrack to dozens of adverts, sports trailers and movies, the most recent being Taika Waititi’s “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”. But between the drama passages, Verdi has written life-affirming music of the utmost tenderness. Conductor Marc Taddei has assembled a world-class cast of soloists for the performance on September 8th at the Michael Fowler Centre. Mexican tenor Diego Torre sang at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 2009 and 2010. Antoinette Halloran is one of Australia’s most accomplished sopranos. Fellow Aussie mezzo soprano Deborah Humble has performed Das Rheingold at the Hamburg Staatsoper for seven straight years, while Baritone James Clayton has been one of NZ Opera’s most outstanding singers in recent productions. “The Verdi Requiem is an absolutely remarkable piece of music that glorifies and extends the whole sense of the human experience,” says Orchestra Wellington’s music director, Marc Taddei. Yet this masterpiece was almost scrapped before it reached an audience. It was originally part of a collaboration of composers, to mourn the death of fellow Italian Maestro, Rossini, but the project fell apart at the last minute. But Verdi, wasn’t ready to give up on his contribution to the piece, and it eventually formed the basis of the complete Requiem we know and love today, as one of the most performed pieces of church music in the repertoire. Orchestra Wellington and the Orpheus Choir of Wellington’s Verdi Requiem on September 8th is not-to-be-missed. TO SECURE YOUR SEATS, HEAD TO TICKETMASTER HERE GIUSEPPE VERDI REQUIEM ANTOINETTE HALLORAN, SOPRANO DEBORAH HUMBLE, MEZZO SOPRANO DIEGO TORRE, TENOR JAMES CLAYTON, BARITONE ORPHEUS CHOIR OF WELLINGTON

    • LONDON SYMPHONYSATURDAY 11 AUGUST, 7.30PMMICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE,...
      • LONDON SYMPHONY SATURDAY 11 AUGUST, 7.30PM MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE, WELLINGTON GAO PING WILD CHERRY TREE XIAO MA, COUNTERTENOR, AND ROGER WILSON, BASS – WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART PIANO CONCERTO NO 14 IN E-FLAT MAJOR MICHAEL HOUSTOUN, PIANO – ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK SYMPHONY NO.7 IN D MINOR — MARC TADDEI, CONDUCTOR National musical treasure Michael Houstoun is back with Orchestra Wellington next month. Houstoun, who hails from Feilding, brings sublime performances you don’t want to miss. He received standing ovations last season by playing two concertos in one night, by Mozart and Brahms. This season, he’s just doing one, but fans of his finesse and exquisite touch have plenty to look forward to in his interpretation of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 14 with Orchestra Wellington. The concert, ‘London Symphony’, on Saturday 11th August opens with, Wild Cherry Tree, featuring two singers, countertenor Xiao Ma and bass Roger Wilson. The composer, Gao Ping is a pianist-composer, born in Sichuan province, known for evocative textures and piano vocalization. He lived in New Zealand for six years teaching composition at Canterbury University where he met Marc Taddei who was the Christchurch Symphony’s music director. “Gao Ping’s music is absolutely extraordinary, beautiful and poetic,” says Orchestra Wellington music director Marc Taddei. “When I heard one of his recent works with the NZSQ I was blown away. I saw him after that concert and said ‘we need to do something together’”. That meeting has seen Gao Ping compose a five-movement symphony with songs telling the story of the Tibetan region of China. The orchestra is explored in many ways to produce sounds that relate feelings of love, desire and enlightenment. The singers are the makers of a song and tellers of a story, using their vocal range in both a singing and an instrumental capacity. Gao Ping is in demand worldwide while holding a professorship in composition at a conservatory in Beijing. When his music was premiered at the Aspen Music Festival, the San Francisco Chronicle called ‘The Mountain’ a “superb and often sweepingly beautiful work.” And the concert finishes with another of Dvorak’s symphonies, his powerful and dramatic seventh. Tickets from Ticketmaster.co.nz HERE

    • LONDON SYMPHONYSATURDAY 11 AUGUST, 7.30PMMICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE,...
      • LONDON SYMPHONY SATURDAY 11 AUGUST, 7.30PM MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE, WELLINGTON GAO PING WILD CHERRY TREE XIAO MA, COUNTERTENOR, AND ROGER WILSON, BASS – WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART PIANO CONCERTO NO 14 IN E-FLAT MAJOR MICHAEL HOUSTOUN, PIANO – ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK SYMPHONY NO.7 IN D MINOR — MARC TADDEI, CONDUCTOR National musical treasure Michael Houstoun is back with Orchestra Wellington next month. Houstoun, who hails from Feilding, brings sublime performances you don’t want to miss. He received standing ovations last season by playing two concertos in one night, by Mozart and Brahms. This season, he’s just doing one, but fans of his finesse and exquisite touch have plenty to look forward to in his interpretation of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 14 with Orchestra Wellington. The concert, ‘London Symphony’, on Saturday 11th August opens with, Wild Cherry Tree, featuring two singers, countertenor Xiao Ma and bass Roger Wilson. The composer, Gao Ping is a pianist-composer, born in Sichuan province, known for evocative textures and piano vocalization. He lived in New Zealand for six years teaching composition at Canterbury University where he met Marc Taddei who was the Christchurch Symphony’s music director. “Gao Ping’s music is absolutely extraordinary, beautiful and poetic,” says Orchestra Wellington music director Marc Taddei. “When I heard one of his recent works with the NZSQ I was blown away. I saw him after that concert and said ‘we need to do something together’”. That meeting has seen Gao Ping compose a five-movement symphony with songs telling the story of the Tibetan region of China. The orchestra is explored in many ways to produce sounds that relate feelings of love, desire and enlightenment. The singers are the makers of a song and tellers of a story, using their vocal range in both a singing and an instrumental capacity. Gao Ping is in demand worldwide while holding a professorship in composition at a conservatory in Beijing. When his music was premiered at the Aspen Music Festival, the San Francisco Chronicle called ‘The Mountain’ a “superb and often sweepingly beautiful work.” And the concert finishes with another of Dvorak’s symphonies, his powerful and dramatic seventh. Tickets from Ticketmaster.co.nz HERE

    • Concert master Amalia Hall tutoring Porirua teen Toloa Faraimo...
      • Concert master Amalia Hall tutoring Porirua teen Toloa Faraimo at Orchestra Wellington HQ as part of his internship.   He’ll be receiving a number of private lessons from Amalia as well as sitting in on Orchestra rehearsals. We first discovered Toloa’s immense talent last year performing with Porirua’s Virtuoso Strings Charitable Trust and we can’t wait to see what the future holds! 👏🏼🎻✨

    • Concert master Amalia Hall tutoring Porirua teen Toloa Faraimo...
      • Concert master Amalia Hall tutoring Porirua teen Toloa Faraimo at Orchestra Wellington HQ as part of his internship.   He’ll be receiving a number of private lessons from Amalia as well as sitting in on Orchestra rehearsals. We first discovered Toloa’s immense talent last year performing with Porirua’s Virtuoso Strings Charitable Trust and we can’t wait to see what the future holds! 👏🏼🎻✨

    • THE PROPHECYSATURDAY 7 JULY, 7.30PMMICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE,...
      • THE PROPHECY SATURDAY 7 JULY, 7.30PM MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE, WELLINGTON JANÁČEK TARAS BULBA - BRITTEN PIANO CONCERTO JIAN LIU, PIANO - DVOŘÁK SYMPHONY NO. 6 IN D MAJOR Orchestra Wellington ‘The Prophecy’ offers you a winter escape with the music of a Bohemian summer. Dvorak’s sunniest symphony is featured on July 7th at the Michael Fowler Centre with conductor Marc Taddei. The Czech composer’s Sixth Symphony is a musical expression of his love for life, full of dance rhythms and folk inspired melodies. Orchestra Wellington season’s Great and Noble theme is continued with Janácek’s Taras Bulba, loosely inspired by a novella by Gogol about a Cossack war leader. Janácek’s dramatic score matches the intensity, if not the narrative, of Gogol’s tale of love, betrayal, and the struggle for freedom. And in between the Bohemian rhapsodies, Wellington soloist, Jian Liu, a regular with Orchestra Wellington, brings the wit and polish of Benjamin Britten’s Piano Concerto. Liu has performed concertos by Grieg and Ravel in previous seasons with passionate, articulate, deeply expressive and wholly musical playing. He is Head of Piano Studies at the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University, while maintaining a busy solo career. Written in 1938, Britten’s concerto is a crowd favourite, full of sparkle and panache, with more than a hint of romantic lyricism. Orchestra Wellington’s The Prophecy is on at the Michael Fowler Centre on Saturday the 7th of July at 7:30pm. — Tickets from www.orchestrawellington.co.nz & Ticketmaster NZ

    • THE PROPHECYSATURDAY 7 JULY, 7.30PMMICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE,...
      • THE PROPHECY SATURDAY 7 JULY, 7.30PM MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE, WELLINGTON JANÁČEK TARAS BULBA - BRITTEN PIANO CONCERTO JIAN LIU, PIANO - DVOŘÁK SYMPHONY NO. 6 IN D MAJOR Orchestra Wellington ‘The Prophecy’ offers you a winter escape with the music of a Bohemian summer. Dvorak’s sunniest symphony is featured on July 7th at the Michael Fowler Centre with conductor Marc Taddei. The Czech composer’s Sixth Symphony is a musical expression of his love for life, full of dance rhythms and folk inspired melodies. Orchestra Wellington season’s Great and Noble theme is continued with Janácek’s Taras Bulba, loosely inspired by a novella by Gogol about a Cossack war leader. Janácek’s dramatic score matches the intensity, if not the narrative, of Gogol’s tale of love, betrayal, and the struggle for freedom. And in between the Bohemian rhapsodies, Wellington soloist, Jian Liu, a regular with Orchestra Wellington, brings the wit and polish of Benjamin Britten’s Piano Concerto. Liu has performed concertos by Grieg and Ravel in previous seasons with passionate, articulate, deeply expressive and wholly musical playing. He is Head of Piano Studies at the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University, while maintaining a busy solo career. Written in 1938, Britten’s concerto is a crowd favourite, full of sparkle and panache, with more than a hint of romantic lyricism. Orchestra Wellington’s The Prophecy is on at the Michael Fowler Centre on Saturday the 7th of July at 7:30pm. — Tickets from www.orchestrawellington.co.nz & Ticketmaster NZ

    • Orchestra Wellington celebrates its opening night with...
      • Orchestra Wellington celebrates its opening night with New Zealand star Amalia Hall in GOLDEN CITY 5: Golden City Saturday 9th July, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre Marc Taddei, music director Amalia Hall, violin Mozart  - Symphony No. 38 ‘Prague’ Bartok – Violin Concerto No. 2 Dvorak – Symphony No. 5 Orchestra Wellington’s season opener features a thrilling concerto performance by Amalia Hall. The orchestra brightens your midwinter night on June 9th, with two of the warmest pieces of music written – book-casing one of the great violin concertos of the 20th century. In between symphonies by Mozart and Dvorak, the orchestra’s very own Amalia Hall, performs Bartok’s second Violin Concerto, a piece which combines dazzling virtuosity with heartbreaking lyricism. Born and bred in New Zealand, Hall’s numerous competition successes include laureate prizes at the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition in Hannover, the International Violin Competition ‘Premio R. Lipizer’, the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians, Premio Citta di Padova International Competition for Soloists and Orchestra, and the Kloster Schöntal International Violin Competition. Orchestra Wellington music director Marc Taddei promised big things when Hall was appointed concertmaster in 2016 – two years on, she’s playing two concertos in the orchestra’s Great and Noble Season ’18. The upcoming performance on June 9th will be Hall’s first solo performance with the orchestra since she took over the reins as it’s leader last year, following her show stopping world premiere of Claire Cowen’s “Stark” concerto, which saw her changing costume between movements. The Hungarian, Bartok wrote his Violin Concerto No.2 in 1938 as the shadows of fascism loomed large over Europe. That tension finds plenty of expression on the music’s rapid twists and turns. But Bartok’s love of his own country’s folk melodies is never far away, expressed in romantic melodies, modernistic rhythms and sizzling virtuosity. The challenge for orchestra and soloist is tying everything together. Also on the playlist is a magnificent work by Mozart, his Prague Symphony. Mozart counted the day he presented this symphony to the public in 1787 as one of the happiest of his life. Orchestra Wellington is performing a cycle of Dvorak’s symphonies during its six concert season starting with Dvorak’s Fifth Symphony. The work opens with a fanfare scored for clarinets. The finale takes a dramatic theme reminiscent of Tchaikovsky. Orchestra Wellington presents Golden City Saturday 9th July, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre Marc Taddei, music director Amalia Hall, violin Mozart  - Symphony No. 38 ‘Prague’ Bartok – Violin Concerto No. 2 Dvorak – Symphony No. 5 For tickets head to TICKETMASTER HERE or www.orchestrawwellington.co.nz

    • Orchestra Wellington celebrates its opening night with...
      • Orchestra Wellington celebrates its opening night with New Zealand star Amalia Hall in GOLDEN CITY 5: Golden City Saturday 9th June, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre Marc Taddei, music director Amalia Hall, violin Mozart  - Symphony No. 38 ‘Prague’ Bartok – Violin Concerto No. 2 Dvorak – Symphony No. 5 Orchestra Wellington celebrates its opening night with New Zealand star Amalia Hall The orchestra brightens your midwinter night on 9th June with two of the warmest pieces of music written – book-casing one of the great violin concertos of the 20th century. In between symphonies by Mozart and Dvorak, the orchestra’s very own Amalia Hall performs Bartok’s second Violin Concerto, a piece which combines dazzling virtuosity with heartbreaking lyricism. Born and bred in New Zealand, Hall’s numerous competition successes include laureate prizes at the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition in Hannover, the International Violin Competition ‘Premio R. Lipizer’, the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians, Premio Citta di Padova International Competition for Soloists and Orchestra, and the Kloster Schöntal International Violin Competition. Orchestra Wellington Music Director Marc Taddei promised big things when Hall was appointed Concertmaster in 2016 – two years on, she’s playing two concertos in the orchestra’s Great and Noble Season ’18. The upcoming performance on 9th June will be Hall’s first solo performance with the orchestra since she took over the reins as its leader last year, following her show-stopping world premiere of Claire Cowan’s “Stark” concerto, which saw her changing costume between movements. The Hungarian, Bartok wrote his Violin Concerto No.2 in 1938 as the shadows of fascism loomed large over Europe. That tension finds plenty of expression in the music’s rapid twists and turns. But Bartok’s love of his own country’s folk melodies is never far away, expressed in romantic melodies, modernistic rhythms and sizzling virtuosity. The challenge for orchestra and soloist is tying everything together. Also on the playlist is a magnificent work by Mozart, his Prague Symphony. Mozart counted the day he presented this symphony to the public in 1787 as one of the happiest of his life. Orchestra Wellington is performing a cycle of Dvorak’s symphonies during its six concert season starting with Dvorak’s Fifth Symphony. The work opens with a fanfare scored for clarinets. The finale takes a dramatic theme reminiscent of Tchaikovsky. Orchestra Wellington presents Golden City Saturday 9th June, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre Marc Taddei, music director Amalia Hall, violin Mozart  - Symphony No. 38 ‘Prague’ Bartok – Violin Concerto No. 2 Dvorak – Symphony No. 5 For tickets head to TICKETMASTER HERE or www.orchestrawellington.co.nz

    • Symphony In the Hutt—Friday 18 May, 7pmWalter Nash...
      • Symphony In the Hutt — Friday 18 May, 7pm Walter Nash Stadium, Taita FREE ENTRY! (Tickets collected from the Walter Nash Stadium Reception from Monday 23rd April) — This gala FAMILY concert features music from Star Wars and Moana, along with Frank Sinatra, Nessun Dorma, the 1812 Overture & more.  Orchestra Wellington will join singers Ben Patterson, Pasquale Orchard, Lisa Tomlins and Declan Cudd (Hutt Valley) & conducted by Brent Stewart (Hutt Valley).  The evening will also feature our good friends Arohanui Strings - Sistema Hutt Valley, performing side by side with musicians from Orchestra Wellington.  Arohanui Strings is a groundbreaking programme based in the Hutt Valley, which creates social change through music, providing free violins and music lessons for children in underprivileged communities in Taita, Naenae and Pomare.   We will be performing the world premiere of Infinity Mirror, a new work by Wellington composer Simon Eastwood, which he has written specially for Orchestra Wellington and Arohanui Strings. TICKETS ARE FREE, and can be collected from the WALTER NASH STADIUM RECEPTION from Monday 23rd April In partnership with the Hutt City Council, Regional Amenities Fund

    • Symphony In the Hutt—Friday 18 May, 7pmWalter Nash...
      • Symphony In the Hutt — Friday 18 May, 7pm Walter Nash Stadium, Taita FREE ENTRY! (Tickets collected from the Walter Nash Stadium Reception from Monday 23rd April) — This gala FAMILY concert features music from Star Wars and Moana, along with Frank Sinatra, Nessun Dorma, the 1812 Overture & more.  Orchestra Wellington will join singers Ben Patterson, Pasquale Orchard, Lisa Tomlins and Declan Cudd (Hutt Valley) & conducted by Brent Stewart (Hutt Valley).  The evening will also feature our good friends Arohanui Strings - Sistema Hutt Valley, performing side by side with musicians from Orchestra Wellington.  Arohanui Strings is a groundbreaking programme based in the Hutt Valley, which creates social change through music, providing free violins and music lessons for children in underprivileged communities in Taita, Naenae and Pomare.   We will be performing the world premiere of Infinity Mirror, a new work by Wellington composer Simon Eastwood, which he has written specially for Orchestra Wellington and Arohanui Strings. The work was selected as the first ever SOUNZ Commission for Emerging Players, a new collaboration of SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music and Orchestra Wellington. TICKETS ARE FREE, and can be collected from the WALTER NASH STADIUM RECEPTION from Monday 23rd April In partnership with the Hutt City Council, Regional Amenities Fund

    • *2018 Auditions are now open*Come join us!Orchestra Wellington...
      • *2018 Auditions are now open* Come join us! Orchestra Wellington now invites applicants for our 2018 round of auditions.  Auditions will take place on Sunday 27th May for the following positions: ·         Rank & File Violins ·         3rd Viola and Rank & File ·         Section Principal Clarinet ·         Section Principal Horn and Second Horn ·         Second Trumpet ·         Casual list all instruments Applications close on Monday 21st May, and interested candidates can find everything they need on the auditions page of our website https://www.orchestrawellington.co.nz/about/vacancies/orchestral/ Please circulate this email to anyone who might be interested.

    • *2018 Auditions are now open*Come join us!Orchestra Wellington...
      • *2018 Auditions are now open* Come join us! Orchestra Wellington now invites applicants for our 2018 round of auditions.  Auditions will take place on Sunday 27th May for the following positions: ·         Rank & File Violins ·         3rd Viola and Rank & File ·         Section Principal Clarinet ·         Section Principal Horn and Second Horn ·         Second Trumpet ·         Casual list all instruments Applications close on Monday 21st May, and interested candidates can find everything they need on the auditions page of our website https://www.orchestrawellington.co.nz/about/vacancies/orchestral/ Please circulate this email to anyone who might be interested.

    • Orchestra Wellington and MIXT Create Groundbreaking Virtual...
      • Orchestra Wellington and MIXT Create Groundbreaking Virtual Reality Conductor Experience In a world first, Orchestra Wellington and Wellington interactivecompany MIXT are offering up the best seat in the house, although youwon’t want to sit down!The world premiere of the Virtual Conductor Experience is launching atthe CubaDupa Festival on Saturday 24th March from 12pm, open to thepublic and free of charge.If you stop by its shipping container installation on Leeds Street,the orchestra promises you a mind-blowing virtual arts experience,regardless of whether you’re eight or 80.Along with audio recorded by RNZ Concert, the 360° filming, editingand interactions were done by Wellington VR/AR specialists, MIXT, andputs the viewer at the centre of a symphony orchestra experience, andbrings all the emotion of a multi-sensory challenge.“The finished product immerses you into the world of the symphonyconductor, standing on the podium to lead a 90 piece orchestra as theyperform the powerful Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky in front of afull 2000 person live audience,” says Orchestra Wellington’s MarketingManager and project co-ordinator Marek Peszynski.Orchestra Wellington was an award winner in 2016 with its New Zealandmade 360° video. With MIXT’s help, Peszynski believes it’s gone onebetter with the world’s first virtual orchestra video with a full liveaudience.“We wanted to move away from the novelty factor of VR technology byplacing the user at the centre of a full live concert. That way theexperience really puts people in the moment and feels one hundredpercent real and unstaged."“More importantly we can visualise its use after the installation,with its applications in education and in accessibility of music. Butat CubaDupa we’re inviting everyone to step up and take the challenge,because once you’ve tried it you’re hooked."Following its CubaDupa release, the 360° virtual concert will launchfor free home use later this month and its makers believe its appealwill extend beyond the city’s many lounge-room conductors.

    • Orchestra Wellington and MIXT Create Groundbreaking Virtual...
      • Orchestra Wellington and MIXT Create Groundbreaking Virtual Reality Conductor Experience In a world first, Orchestra Wellington and Wellington interactive company MIXT are offering up the best seat in the house, although you won’t want to sit down!The world premiere of the Virtual Conductor Experience is launching at the CubaDupa Festival on Saturday 24th March from 12pm, open to the public and free of charge.If you stop by its shipping container installation on Leeds Street,the orchestra promises you a mind-blowing virtual arts experience,regardless of whether you’re eight or 80. Along with audio recorded by RNZ Concert, the 360° filming, editing and interactions were done by Wellington VR/AR specialists, MIXT, and puts the viewer at the centre of a symphony orchestra experience, and brings all the emotion of a multi-sensory challenge.“The finished product immerses you into the world of the symphony conductor, standing on the podium to lead a 90 piece orchestra as they perform the powerful Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky in front of a full 2000 person live audience,” says Orchestra Wellington’s Marketing Manager and project co-ordinator Marek Peszynski.Orchestra Wellington was an award winner in 2016 with its New Zealand made 360° video. With MIXT’s help, Peszynski believes it’s gone one better with the world’s first virtual orchestra video with a full live audience.“We wanted to move away from the novelty factor of VR technology by placing the user at the centre of a full live concert. That way the experience really puts people in the moment and feels one hundred percent real and unstaged."“More importantly we can visualise its use after the installation,with its applications in education and in accessibility of music. Butat CubaDupa we’re inviting everyone to step up and take the challenge,because once you’ve tried it you’re hooked."Following its CubaDupa release, the 360° virtual concert will launch for free home use later this month and its makers believe its appeal will extend beyond the city’s many lounge-room conductors.

    • Orchestra Wellington join SOL3 MIO at Porirua’sSymphony In the...
      • Orchestra Wellington join SOL3 MIO at Porirua’s Symphony In the Park 2018 Symphony in the Park w/ Sol3 Mio, Orchestra Wellington & Virtuoso Strings Presented by Porirua City Saturday 3rd March,  Porirua Park, Wellington Orchestra Wellington is teaming up with international singing sensations Sol3 Mio at a significant new summer gig next March. The country’s favourite opera trio will perform their signature mix of popular arias, traditional songs, and hits from their platinum and gold winning albums at Porirua’s Symphony in the Park . Not to be outdone, Orchestra Wellington will finish the night with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, complete with live cannons, to make sure the evening goes out with a bang. Porirua City is very excited to be hosting the world-class Symphony in the Park on Saturday 3rd March at 6pm. New Zealand’s favourite opera trio, Sol3 Mio consists of brothers Pene Pati and Amitai Pati and their cousin Moses Mackay.  The classically trained Pati brothers are operatic tenors and Mackay is a baritone. They’re coming off the back of a nationwide summer tour with Sol3 Mio. They’re also pursuing solo musical careers on the world stage in the footsteps of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Porirua’s homegrown talent is being celebrated with young  musicians from Virtuoso Strings performing side-by-side with Orchestra Wellington. This explosive musical climax features 17 cannons fired by the Wellington Cannon Society. General admission tickets are ONLY $15 with allocated seating in the covered grandstand tickets $20.  Service fees will apply to all tickets. Pre-show entertainment is by local groups. Food and drinks can be purchased at the venue. Guests can bring their own food but no alcohol is permitted. Tickets from TicketDirect www.ticketdirect.co.nz They can also be purchased from the Arena between these hours: Monday to Friday: 6:00am - 9:00pm Sat, Sun and Public holidays: 8:00am - 7:00pm For more information visit http://www.poriruacity.govt.nz/events http://www.pcc.govt.nz | http://www.terauparaha-arena.co.nz Transport: * Free shuttle buses available to and from the Porirua Railway Station. If postponed due to rain, the event will be held on Sunday 4th March.

    • Orchestra Wellington join SOL3 MIO at Porirua’sSymphony In the...
      • Orchestra Wellington join SOL3 MIO at Porirua’s Symphony In the Park 2018 Symphony in the Park w/ Sol3 Mio, Orchestra Wellington & Virtuoso Strings Presented by Porirua City Saturday 3rd March,  Porirua Park, Wellington Orchestra Wellington is teaming up with international singing sensations Sol3 Mio at a significant new summer gig next March. The country’s favourite opera trio will perform their signature mix of popular arias, traditional songs, and hits from their platinum and gold winning albums at Porirua’s Symphony in the Park . Not to be outdone, Orchestra Wellington will finish the night with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, complete with live cannons, to make sure the evening goes out with a bang. Porirua City is very excited to be hosting the world-class Symphony in the Park on Saturday 3rd March at 6pm. New Zealand’s favourite opera trio, Sol3 Mio consists of brothers Pene Pati and Amitai Pati and their cousin Moses Mackay.  The classically trained Pati brothers are operatic tenors and Mackay is a baritone. They’re coming off the back of a nationwide summer tour with Sol3 Mio. They’re also pursuing solo musical careers on the world stage in the footsteps of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Porirua’s homegrown talent is being celebrated with young  musicians from Virtuoso Strings performing side-by-side with Orchestra Wellington. This explosive musical climax features 17 cannons fired by the Wellington Cannon Society. General admission tickets are ONLY $15 with allocated seating in the covered grandstand tickets $20.  Service fees will apply to all tickets. Pre-show entertainment is by local groups. Food and drinks can be purchased at the venue. Guests can bring their own food but no alcohol is permitted. Tickets from TicketDirect www.ticketdirect.co.nz They can also be purchased from the Arena between these hours: Monday to Friday: 6:00am - 9:00pm Sat, Sun and Public holidays: 8:00am - 7:00pm For more information visit http://www.poriruacity.govt.nz/events http://www.pcc.govt.nz | http://www.terauparaha-arena.co.nz Transport: * Free shuttle buses available to and from the Porirua Railway Station. If postponed due to rain, the event will be held on Sunday 4th March.

    • SEASON 2018 - MEDIA RELEASE—December 4, 2017ORCHESTRA...
      • SEASON 2018 - MEDIA RELEASE — December 4, 2017 ORCHESTRA WELLINGTON ANNOUNCES SEASON ‘18 WITH SOLO PERFORMANCES BY CONCERTMASTER AMALIA HALL Orchestra Wellington Announces Season ’18 ‘Great And Noble’ With Solo Performances By Concertmaster Amalia Hall Two solo performances by virtuoso 28-year-old violinist Amalia Hall headline Orchestra Wellington’s Season ’18. Orchestra Wellington announces its ‘Great And Noble’ season of six ravishing concerts conducted by Marc Taddei at Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre and a one-off performance with Te Vaka of hit music from Disney’s Moana. Next year’s programme focuses on the symphonies of Antonin Dvorak, finishing with his ninth, and most popular, “New World” symphony. The extraordinary Czech composer’s music is inextricably linked with the music of his homeland, but his “New World” symphony, Dvorak, also drew on the three years he spent in the United States. The orchestra’s concertmaster Amalia Hall is playing musical chairs by taking up solo duties including the season opener on June 9th. This follows her stunning concerto debut last year with Orchestra Wellington and her appointment as the orchestra’s concertmaster last December when she became the youngest leader in the country of a professional orchestra. Hall’s sumptuous violin playing moves audiences with her inherent musicality and natural facility. Such was the case when she premiered Claire Cowan’s Stark Violin Concerto with Orchestra Wellington in 2016.  Here Hall performed an avant guard composition on a raised platform shimmering in the spotlight, leaving the audience wanting more. Hall has serious credentials as a prize-winning violinist on the world stage. She reached the semi-finals of the 15th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, in Poland in 2016.  Other prizes include the Postacchini International Violin Competition, the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition, the International Violin Competition “Premio R. Lipizer”, and the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. Hall will play Bartok’s Violin Concerto No. 2 on Saturday 9th June. She will wrap the series on December 1 premiering a new violin concerto by New Zealand composer Michael Norris. Norris is Orchestra Wellington’s composer-in-residence for 2018. Michael Houstoun performs Mozart Piano Concerto no. 14 on August 11. Fellow pianist Jian Liu plays Benjamin Britten’s Piano Concerto on July 7. Orchestra Wellington is introducing Christopher Park, a German-born pianist with Korean roots. He will play Bartok’s Piano Concerto on October 27. China’s first professional countertenor is coming to Wellington to sing Wild Cherry Tree, a new composition by Gao Ping. The five–movement symphony with songs is telling the story of a wanderer in the Tibetan region of China’s Sichuan province. Orchestra Wellington’s Gala Concert of Verdi’s Requiem is performed with the Orpheus Choir of Wellington on September 8. Acclaimed singers from across the Tasman, Antoinette Halloran, Soprano, Deborah Humble Mezzo Soprano, Diego Torre, Tenor, and Wellingtonian James Clayton, Bass, take the solo lines. Moana songwriter, Opetaia Foa’i is debuting with Orchestra Wellington in July to lead his band, Te Vaka, in its first live performance in the country of the soundtrack to Moana. With hit songs 'We Know The Way’ and 'How Far I’ll Go’, the show titled ‘Songs of Moana’ features the best movie soundtrack since the Lion King. ORCHESTRA WELLINGTON Season ’18 – ‘Great and Noble’ www.orchestrawellington.co.nz 5: GOLDEN CITY Saturday 9 June, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 38 in D, ‘Prague’ Béla Bartók Violin Concerto No. 2 Amalia Hall, violin Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 5 in F major 6: THE PROPHECY Saturday 7 July, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Leoš Janáček Taras Bulba Benjamin Britten Piano Concerto in D Major Jian Liu, Piano Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 6 in D major 7: LONDON SYMPHONY Saturday 11 August, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Gao Ping Wild Cherry Tree (Orchestra Wellington commission) Xiao Ma, Countertenor, and Roger Wilson, Bass Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No 14 in E-flat Major Michael Houstoun, piano Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 7 in D minor REQUIEM Saturday 8 September, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Giuseppe Verdi Requiem Antoinette Halloran, Soprano Deborah Humble Mezzo Soprano Diego Torre, Tenor James Clayton, Bass Orpheus Choir of Wellington 8: THE RIVER Saturday 27 October, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Bedřich Smetana The Moldau Béla Bartók Piano Concerto No. 1 in A Major Christopher Park, Piano Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 8 in G major 9: NEW WORLD Saturday 1 December, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Overture from Don Giovanni (arr. Busoni) Michael Norris Violin Concerto (OW commission) Amalia Hall, violin Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World” www.orchestrawellington.co.nz

    • SEASON 2018 - MEDIA RELEASE—December 4, 2017ORCHESTRA...
      • SEASON 2018 - MEDIA RELEASE — December 4, 2017 ORCHESTRA WELLINGTON ANNOUNCES SEASON ‘18 WITH SOLO PERFORMANCES BY CONCERTMASTER AMALIA HALL Orchestra Wellington Announces Season ’18 ‘Great And Noble’ With Solo Performances By Concertmaster Amalia Hall Two solo performances by virtuoso 28-year-old violinist Amalia Hall headline Orchestra Wellington’s Season ’18. Orchestra Wellington announces its ‘Great And Noble’ season of six ravishing concerts conducted by Marc Taddei at Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre and a one-off performance with Te Vaka of hit music from Disney’s Moana. Next year’s programme focuses on the symphonies of Antonin Dvorak, finishing with his ninth, and most popular, “New World” symphony. The extraordinary Czech composer’s music is inextricably linked with the music of his homeland, but his “New World” symphony, Dvorak, also drew on the three years he spent in the United States. The orchestra’s concertmaster Amalia Hall is playing musical chairs by taking up solo duties including the season opener on June 9th. This follows her stunning concerto debut last year with Orchestra Wellington and her appointment as the orchestra’s concertmaster last December when she became the youngest leader in the country of a professional orchestra. Hall’s sumptuous violin playing moves audiences with her inherent musicality and natural facility. Such was the case when she premiered Claire Cowan’s Stark Violin Concerto with Orchestra Wellington in 2016.  Here Hall performed an avant guard composition on a raised platform shimmering in the spotlight, leaving the audience wanting more. Hall has serious credentials as a prize-winning violinist on the world stage. She reached the semi-finals of the 15th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition, in Poland in 2016.  Other prizes include the Postacchini International Violin Competition, the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition, the International Violin Competition “Premio R. Lipizer”, and the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. Hall will play Bartok’s Violin Concerto No. 2 on Saturday 9th June. She will wrap the series on December 1 premiering a new violin concerto by New Zealand composer Michael Norris. Norris is Orchestra Wellington’s composer-in-residence for 2018. Michael Houstoun performs Mozart Piano Concerto no. 14 on August 11. Fellow pianist Jian Liu plays Benjamin Britten’s Piano Concerto on July 7. Orchestra Wellington is introducing Christopher Park, a German-born pianist with Korean roots. He will play Bartok’s Piano Concerto on October 27. China’s first professional countertenor is coming to Wellington to sing Wild Cherry Tree, a new composition by Gao Ping. The five–movement symphony with songs is telling the story of a wanderer in the Tibetan region of China’s Sichuan province. Orchestra Wellington’s Gala Concert of Verdi’s Requiem is performed with the Orpheus Choir of Wellington on September 8. Acclaimed singers from across the Tasman, Antoinette Halloran, Soprano, Deborah Humble Mezzo Soprano, Diego Torre, Tenor, and Wellingtonian James Clayton, Bass, take the solo lines. Moana songwriter, Opetaia Foa’i is debuting with Orchestra Wellington in July to lead his band, Te Vaka, in its first live performance in the country of the soundtrack to Moana. With hit songs 'We Know The Way’ and 'How Far I’ll Go’, the show titled ‘Songs of Moana’ features the best movie soundtrack since the Lion King. ORCHESTRA WELLINGTON Season ’18 – ‘Great and Noble’ www.orchestrawellington.co.nz 5: GOLDEN CITY Saturday 9 June, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 38 in D, ‘Prague’ Béla Bartók Violin Concerto No. 2 Amalia Hall, violin Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 5 in F major 6: THE PROPHECY Saturday 7 July, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Leoš Janáček Taras Bulba Benjamin Britten Piano Concerto in D Major Jian Liu, Piano Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 6 in D major 7: LONDON SYMPHONY Saturday 11 August, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Gao Ping Wild Cherry Tree (Orchestra Wellington commission) Xiao Ma, Countertenor, and Roger Wilson, Bass Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No 14 in E-flat Major Michael Houstoun, piano Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 7 in D minor REQUIEM Saturday 8 September, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Giuseppe Verdi Requiem Antoinette Halloran, Soprano Deborah Humble Mezzo Soprano Diego Torre, Tenor James Clayton, Bass Orpheus Choir of Wellington 8: THE RIVER Saturday 27 October, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Bedřich Smetana The Moldau Béla Bartók Piano Concerto No. 1 in A Major Christopher Park, Piano Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 8 in G major 9: NEW WORLD Saturday 1 December, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Overture from Don Giovanni (arr. Busoni) Michael Norris Violin Concerto (OW commission) Amalia Hall, violin Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World” www.orchestrawellington.co.nz

    • Great And Noble - Season ‘18 Full programme - In the words of...
      • Great And Noble - Season ‘18 Full programme - In the words of Music Director Marc Taddei Orchestra Wellington are proud to bring to you GREAT AND NOBLE Season ‘18 where we focus on an extraordinary composer whose music is inextricably linked with the music of his homeland, Antonín Dvořák Join Music director Marc Taddei as he runs through the full 2018 season programme and soloists.  5: GOLDEN CITYSaturday 9 June, 7.30 pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 38 in D, ‘Prague’  Béla Bartók Violin Concerto No. 2Amalia Hall, violin  Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 5 in F major — 6: THE PROPHECYSaturday 7 July, 7.30 pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  Leoš Janáček Taras Bulba   Benjamin Britten Piano Concerto in D Major Jian Liu, Piano  Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 6 in D major — 7: LONDON SYMPHONYSaturday 11 August, 7.30 pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  Gao Ping Wild Cherry Tree (Orchestra Wellington commission) Xiao Ma, Countertenor, and Roger Wilson, Bass  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No 14 in E-flat Major  Michael Houstoun, piano  Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 7 in D minor — REQUIEMSaturday 8 September, 7.30 pm  Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  Giuseppe Verdi Requiem Antoinette Halloran, Soprano Deborah Humble Mezzo Soprano Diego Torre, Tenor James Clayton, Bass Orpheus Choir of Wellington — 8: THE RIVERSaturday 27 October, 7.30 pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  Bedřich Smetana The Moldau  Béla Bartók Piano Concerto No. 1 in A Major Christopher Park, Piano  Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 8 in G major — 9: NEW WORLDSaturday 1 December, 7.30 pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Overture from Don Giovanni (arr. Busoni)  Michael Norris Violin Concerto (OW commission) Amalia Hall, violin  Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World” — To read more, see the full brochure and book head to our site HERE THANK TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO JOINING YOU IN 2018!

    • Great And Noble - Season ‘18 Full programme - In the words of...
      • Great And Noble - Season ‘18 Full programme - In the words of Music Director Marc Taddei Orchestra Wellington are proud to bring to you GREAT AND NOBLE Season ‘18 where we focus on an extraordinary composer whose music is inextricably linked with the music of his homeland, Antonín Dvořák Join Music director Marc Taddei as he runs through the full 2018 season programme and soloists.  5: GOLDEN CITY Saturday 9 June, 7.30 pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 38 in D, ‘Prague’  Béla Bartók Violin Concerto No. 2Amalia Hall, violin  Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 5 in F major — 6: THE PROPHECY Saturday 7 July, 7.30 pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  Leoš Janáček Taras Bulba   Benjamin Britten Piano Concerto in D Major Jian Liu, Piano  Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 6 in D major — 7: LONDON SYMPHONY Saturday 11 August, 7.30 pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  Gao Ping Wild Cherry Tree (Orchestra Wellington commission) Xiao Ma, Countertenor, and Roger Wilson, Bass  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No 14 in E-flat Major  Michael Houstoun, piano  Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 7 in D minor — REQUIEM Saturday 8 September, 7.30 pm  Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  Giuseppe Verdi Requiem Antoinette Halloran, Soprano Deborah Humble Mezzo Soprano Diego Torre, Tenor James Clayton, Bass Orpheus Choir of Wellington — 8: THE RIVER Saturday 27 October, 7.30 pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  Bedřich Smetana The Moldau  Béla Bartók Piano Concerto No. 1 in A Major Christopher Park, Piano  Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 8 in G major — 9: NEW WORLD Saturday 1 December, 7.30 pm Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Overture from Don Giovanni (arr. Busoni)  Michael Norris Violin Concerto (OW commission) Amalia Hall, violin  Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World” — To read more, see the full brochure and book head to our site HERE THANK TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO JOINING YOU IN 2018!

    • Orchestra Wellington presents RITE OF SPRINGTwo works that...
      • Orchestra Wellington presents RITE OF SPRING Two works that changed the course of musical history SATURDAY DECEMBER 2, 7:30PM MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE, WELLINGTON Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No 3 in E-flat Major, Op 55 “Eroica” Igor Stravinsky The Rite of Spring Marc Taddei, Conductor Orchestra Wellington’s 2017 season goes out with a bang, in a concert combining two of the greatest pieces of music ever written, conducted by music director Marc Taddei. First, Beethoven’s mighty Eroica Symphony features on Saturday 2nd December at the Michael Fowler Centre.  At the other end of the concert, the orchestra is performing the one work which can top Beethoven’s in terms of its impact, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. “I’m extraordinarily excited to present the defining works of the 19th and 20th century for our grand finale concert,” says conductor Marc Taddei. “Music would never be the same after the Eroica and The Rite of Spring. The sense of drive, power and rhythmic impulse connect these two monuments of Western civilisation.” Beethoven’s Eroica caused a sensation when it was first performed in 1803, a hundred years later, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring started a riot. Beethoven demanded the orchestra play a series of discords so shocking to audiences, many of them thought he had gone mad. No longer was music just for aristocrats, or the church, with the Eroica symphony, Beethoven created something to take on the world. The crowning work of his triad of ballet masterpieces, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, about a girl chosen to dance herself to death in a pagan sacrifice, sounds as fresh now, as it did a century ago. Paris audiences knew to expect the unexpected from Diagilev’s Ballets Russes, but the Rite was beyond anything they had imagined. With exotically primitive melodies, irregular rhythms and brutal harmonies, the orchestra is pushed to its technical limits. And despite the modern rhythms and harmonies, audiences find Stravinky’s music irresistible. The tentative, questioning woodwind fragments that open the work, the brutal asymmetric stomping rhythms of the first dance, the deep, grinding harmonies that seemed to come from the earth itself, and the virtuosic sacrificial dance at the end: all combine to make a music more carnal, primitive and instinctive than any ballet before. Now the Rite of Spring is one of the most popular ballets ever, and always a sensation whenever it is performed. This is Orchestra Wellington’s biggest concert of the year, and it also marks the full launch of its 2018 season. Music Director Marc Taddei has hinted at the programmes for next year, but at this concert, all will be revealed. To secure your seats head to TICKETEK.CO.NZ

    • Orchestra Wellington presents RITE OF SPRINGTwo works that...
      • Orchestra Wellington presents RITE OF SPRING Two works that changed the course of musical history SATURDAY DECEMBER 2, 7:30PM MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE, WELLINGTON Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No 3 in E-flat Major, Op 55 “Eroica” Igor Stravinsky The Rite of Spring Marc Taddei, Conductor Orchestra Wellington’s 2017 season goes out with a bang, in a concert combining two of the greatest pieces of music ever written, conducted by music director Marc Taddei. First, Beethoven’s mighty Eroica Symphony features on Saturday 2nd December at the Michael Fowler Centre.  At the other end of the concert, the orchestra is performing the one work which can top Beethoven’s in terms of its impact, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. “I’m extraordinarily excited to present the defining works of the 19th and 20th century for our grand finale concert,” says conductor Marc Taddei. “Music would never be the same after the Eroica and The Rite of Spring. The sense of drive, power and rhythmic impulse connect these two monuments of Western civilisation.” Beethoven’s Eroica caused a sensation when it was first performed in 1803, a hundred years later, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring started a riot. Beethoven demanded the orchestra play a series of discords so shocking to audiences, many of them thought he had gone mad. No longer was music just for aristocrats, or the church, with the Eroica symphony, Beethoven created something to take on the world. The crowning work of his triad of ballet masterpieces, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, about a girl chosen to dance herself to death in a pagan sacrifice, sounds as fresh now, as it did a century ago. Paris audiences knew to expect the unexpected from Diagilev’s Ballets Russes, but the Rite was beyond anything they had imagined. With exotically primitive melodies, irregular rhythms and brutal harmonies, the orchestra is pushed to its technical limits. And despite the modern rhythms and harmonies, audiences find Stravinky’s music irresistible. The tentative, questioning woodwind fragments that open the work, the brutal asymmetric stomping rhythms of the first dance, the deep, grinding harmonies that seemed to come from the earth itself, and the virtuosic sacrificial dance at the end: all combine to make a music more carnal, primitive and instinctive than any ballet before. Now the Rite of Spring is one of the most popular ballets ever, and always a sensation whenever it is performed. This is Orchestra Wellington’s biggest concert of the year, and it also marks the full launch of its 2018 season. Music Director Marc Taddei has hinted at the programmes for next year, but at this concert, all will be revealed. To secure your seats head to TICKETEK.CO.NZ

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