In 2015 Suyeon Kang became the first Australian to win the coveted Michael Hill International Violin Competition; also taking home the Audience Prize.
New Zealand pianist Stephen De Pledge joins Suyeon Kang on her NZ tour, with a programme showcasing the many facets of the violin.
They'll interweave works by Mozart, Ravel, Schubert and Stravinsky with a delightful work for solo violin by New Zealand composer Kenneth Young.
"…at times playing with a delicate sensitivity and at others with a passionate intensity." - National Business Review
Programme:
Mozart | Sonata in Eb D380
Ravel | Sonata No. 1 in A minor 'Posthume'
Schubert | Sonatina in G minor
Kenneth Young | Gone
Stravinsky | Divertimento
Presented in association with Michael Hill International Violin Competition.
Maureen Nelson, violin
Ken Hamao, violin
Melissa Reardon, viola
Richard Belcher, cello
The New York-based Enso String Quartet return to New Zealand following their successful 2012 tour, with an exciting series of concerts. One of the United States' most accomplished and inventive young ensembles, they received a Grammy nomination for their recording of the Ginastera quintets.
They are bringing their energetic Ginastera interpretations to local audiences, performing his Quartet No. 2 Op. 26. It is paired with Haydn's 'Sun' Quartet and Sibelius' Quartet in D minor Op. 56.
The concert also features an exquisite miniature from Auckland-based composer Alex Taylor - a new commission written especially for this Enso String Quartet tour.
"Enso played it with full-throated dramatic intensity" - Washington Post
Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Uri Caine uses classical music as a springboard for jazz improvisation.
Caine's collaborations extend from the Beaux Arts Trio to John Zorn, and from the Woody Herman Band to the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. The New York-based musician studied composition with George Crumb and George Rochberg, and is lauded for his albums of improvisations on works by Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Mahler and Schumann.
This exciting solo appearance includes improvisations on works by Scarlatti, Mozart, Mahler and Albéniz. Caine will also perform some jazz standards, along with his own original compositions.
"The easy, unforced energy of the playing was a delight." - The Telegraph
Beautiful borrowings, ceaseless invention, wit and expertise.
"These performances are, quite simply, stunning" BBC Music Magazine
Capturing the spirit of chamber music, the Vienna Piano Trio is a polished gem steeped in the grand Central European musical tradition. Ensemble-in-residence at Vienna's Konzerthaus and with regular performances at the Wigmore Hall, their sophisticated artistic expression has been charming audiences around the world for more than a quarter of a century. The Trio's recordings have earned the highest acclaim including Gramophone Editor's Choice, BBC Radio 3 Record of the Month, The Times Classical Album of the Year and, in July 2010, an ECHO-Klassik for their release of HaydnPiano Trios.
Exploring the diverse flavours of Vienna, the programme features Beethoven's Opus 70 No 2 which followed the completion of his sixth symphony; here the lyrical lines and harmonic exploration are the hallmarks of his maturing style.
"A Trio by Schubert passed across the musical world like some angry comet in the sky", wrote Robert Schumann.
The dramatic musical battle lines of Schubert's final piano trio simmer with constant transformations of passion and pathos.
Be transported to Vienna, the home of chamber music, for a captivating musical experience.
Presented by Chamber Music New Zealand
Chamber Music New Zealand presents INSPIRED BY BACH: Michael Houstoun (piano)
"Harmony, polyphony, rhythmic pulsation and vitality, music as testament of faith, of all this JS Bach is the supreme master and his legacy is infinite." Michael Houstoun
Discover the musical influence of Johann Sebastian Bach in the form of piano transcriptions, homages and a brand new work by Ross Harris. Transcribing for an instrument that did not exist during Bach's time leaves space for interpretation from each composer - hear how they redesign his music to explore their own musical expression.
Known and loved by New Zealand audiences, and praised around the world for his intense and incisive interpretations, Michael Houstoun is a glorious jewel in the crown of New Zealand music. In 2014 Michael gave his brilliant debut at the Edinburgh International Festival in a recital of music including Lilburn's Chaconne and masterpieces by Ravel and Rachmaninov. He now brings the Chaconne to this programme in celebration of the composer's centenary.
"To play across a wide spectrum of repertoire is to encounter JS Bach at every turn. Learning a Prelude and Fugue is really the beginning of a pianist's musical education." - Michael Houstoun
A sublime musical journey through time with New Zealand's most revered pianist.
Emerging stars and youthful ambassadors with a worldly vision.
Committed to representing New Zealand in the arts, CLiK share a Kiwi musical upbringing, and trace their love of chamber music back to the NZCT Chamber Music Contest, with wins in 2001 (John Chen) and 2005 (Natalie Lin, Edward King). They each bring diverse experience and international acclaim to the Trio: John remains the youngest ever winner (at 18 years) of the prestigious Sydney International Piano Competition, Natalie's prize wins include the Audience Prize at the 2013 Michael Hill International Violin Competition and in the same year Edward won a special Lutostawski prize at the Witold Lutostawski International Cello Competition. The programme is a showcase collection of solos and duos, crowned with Schubert's first piano trio. This good natured and lyrical late Schubert work simultaneously mixes power and the intimacy of expression.
John Chen on being part of the Contest..."I learned to love chamber music, and I learned how much I love chamber music."
Edward King on being part of CLiK..."For me it's a great honour and pleasure to play with such good musicians and friends. I have a vivid memory of listening to the radio broadcast of John's Sydney Competition performances and being in total awe of his playing; likewise with Natalie, who I've known since we were in primary school. Since then, we've all moved to different continents. But that is the beauty of chamber music - that it gives us the opportunity to become reacquainted as friends and musicians."
Natalie Lin on what makes the Contest so special...The fact that it is an event the whole nation gets involved in, and any high school student across the country has the chance to participate. It makes the NZ music scene a smaller place and a very supportive community."
Chamber Music New Zealand presents TURNOVSKY JUBILEE ENSEMBLE
Led by charismatic violinist Wilma Smith, this stellar ensemble of Contest Alumni takes to the road.
There is no better way to celebrate the 50th Jubilee of the NZCT Chamber Music Contest than with this fabulous alumni ensemble made up of Contest winners spanning 25 years.
This programme reflects a youthful focus, with Mendelssohn's exuberant Octet, written when he was only 16, and the colourful Simple Symphony by Britten, based on his own piano tunes and composed when he was aged between nine and twelve. Add in some well-loved Bach and our own Douglas Lilburn in his centenary year and you have a recipe guaranteed to delight. Keep an eye out for local players who may join in along the way too.
Wilma Smith says..."Wonderful musical friends from way back together with incredible young musicians I've admired from afar, playing music we all love for a celebration that means so much to all of us - that's a recipe for some serious chemistry!"
Justine Cormack says..."Everyone in this project has a profound love for chamber music. We will be representing the 50 years of music making in the Contest. What a fabulous challenge and incredible honour. I won't be taking that challenge lightly!!"
Ashley Brown says... "The Mendelssohn is a really rich work packed with thrills - it'll be a privilege to perform, and a unique experience for people to witness."
Celebrate the 50th Jubilee of the Contest with this all-star ensemble.
This tour is generously supported by the Turnovsky Endowment Trust.
Presented by Chamber Music New Zealand
"We are utterly thrilled with the unique and dramatic concept that the composers have come up with. We have no doubt that audiences will be totally captivated through this musical journey." NZTrio
Celebrate our musical cultural heritage with a journey of discovery through collaboration, innovation and inspiration. Witness the special connection between composer and performer and the evolving process of composition through to performance.
As part of Chamber Music New Zealand's Our Music Composer Connections tour during New Zealand Music Month this concert features NZTrio performing a programme specially curated by New Zealand composers with the ensemble in mind, showcasing music that deeply influences them in their work.
Composers Alex Taylor, Karlo Margetic and Claire Cowan on collaborating...
"This programme draws together a range of threads that connect us as New Zealand composers. We have built an overall framework rich with contemporary resonances, within which each New Zealand work has its own mini-programme and narrative arc, packing the concert full of energy and stimulation."
"The players gave unstintingly of their passion and energies, playing with a spirit so transformational you felt they were actually improving the world." The Strad, October 2012
The Brodsky Quartet's spirited and virtuosic artistry has ensured them a place at the very forefront of the international chamber music scene. This programme opens with Schubert's 'Quartettsatz'. Written in 1820 this is a work in a single movement with a real ebb and flow of tension throughout. Shostakovich's String Quartet No 3 demonstrates his full powers as a chamber music composer, skilfully deploying the string quartet to express his utterly distinctive musical personality. End the evening by being drawn into the Quartet's passionate exploration of the monumental late Beethoven quartet: Opus 132, with its deeply spiritual essence.
Since their formation in 1972, the Brodsky Quartet have given over 3000 concerts and released more than 60 recordings. Sharing their energy and craftsmanship with the next generation, they are currently International Fellows of Chamber Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
An intense evening of brilliance and intimacy.
