Bringing to a climax this Festival day on 'Planet Cello' is a glorious feast of repertoire for up to 12 cellos. NZ's top cellists, along with Julian Smiles and Matthew Barley will create a night to remember with their favourite pieces from Pachelbel, Bach, and Rossini to Villa-Lobos and Piazzola. Special guest, soprano Jenny Wollerman, will join the ensemble for the mesmerising Bachianas Brasilieras #5.

Matthew Barley, Julian Smiles, Rolf Gjelsten, Ashley Brown, Inbal Megiddo, Ken Ichinose, Andrew Joyce, Eliah Sakakushev-von Bismarck, James Tennant, Helen du Plessis, Edith Salzmann, Frances Yoon (cellists), Jenny Wollerman (soprano)

Pachelbel - Canon
Rossini - William Tell
Villa Lobos - Bachianas Brasilieras #1
Casals - Song of the Birds
Casals - Sardana
Villa Lobos - Bachianas Brasilieras
Da Falla - Suite Populaire Espagnol
Klengel - Consecration Hymn
Piazzola - Oblivion and Tango

Prepared to be transported to 'Planet Cello' by the burnished sounds of an ensemble of 4-6 cellos, indulging in music from the heavenly Bach Air to the romantic Rachmaninov Vocalise.

Matthew Barley, Julian Smiles, Rolf Gjelsten, Ashley Brown, Inbal Megiddo, Andrew Joyce, Eliah Sakakushev-von Bismarck, James Tennant, Helen du Plessis, Edith Salzmann, Frances Yoon (cellists)

Bach - Air from Orchestral Suite #3
Bach - Organ Toccata
Bach - Gamba Sonata #1 in G major (arr. William Cowdery)
Dvorak - Silent Woods
Bartok - Rumanian Dances
Rachmaninov - Vocalise (arr. Rolf Gjelsten)

This unique collaboration of Festival artists who combine invention with interpretation in their performing careers gives us a once-off opportunity to share in their new perspectives on some of the great repertoire we have heard elsewhere in the Festival. Don't miss hearing their playful communication as they stretch the form and improvise on music by Bach, Beethoven, Schumann and others. Sure to be a memorable event!

Ian Rosenbaum (marimba), Edward Ware (drums), Jeoff Henderson (saxophone), Matthew Barley (cello), Helene Pohl (violin)

Clara Schumann described the young Brahms' music as "so masterly that one cannot but think that the good God sent him into the world ready-made." And Robert Schumann was equally enthusiastic, citing Brahms as "springing forth like Minerva fully armed from the head of Jove". Clara's 3 whimsical Romances begin this extraordinary concert, followed by Robert's compelling settings of Heine's poems of "Poet's Love" and ending with Brahms' powerful piano quintet, originally for string quintet but revised upon his beloved Clara's recommendation.

Helene Pohl (violin), Dénes Varjon (piano), Andrew Goodwin (tenor), Isabella Simon (piano), New Zealand String Quartet

Clara Schumann - 3 Romances opus 22
Robert Schumann - Dichterliebe
Johannes Brahms - Piano Quintet in f minor opus 35

A not-to-be-missed event with our brilliant UK cellist Matthew Barley threading his way through Bach, improvising, Tavener and waltzing to singing in Sollima. Audience be warned - expect to be part of the action!

Matthew Barley

Improvisation
Bach - Suite no.1 in G for solo cello
Tavener - Threnos
Mark O'Connor - Appalachian Waltz
Giovanni Sollima - Lamentatio

Note this is the same programme Matthew will perform in his Up Close excursion on Tuesday 7th February.

Our special Bach concert is, once again full of highlights - Andrew Goodwin's golden voice in glorious renditions of some special arias, Monique Lapin's NZ concerto debut in the A minor violin Concerto, a new take on Bach's 5th cello suite and the effervescent 6th Brandenburg Concerto will guarantee a joyous musical evening for everyone.

Andrew Goodwin (tenor), Goldner Quartet, New Zealand String Quartet, the Troubadours, Matthew Barley (cello), Douglas Mews (harpsichord/organ), Justine Cormack (violin), Ashley Brown (cello), Ian Rosenbaum (marimba), Joan Perarnau Garriga (double Bass)

Aria from Cantata 171 for tenor and 2 violins
Aria from Cantata 97 for tenor and violin
Suite no.5 in C minor for solo cello performed on marimba
Violin Concerto in A Minor
Aria from Cantata 148 for tenor and violin
Aria from Cantata 41 for tenor and cello
Brandenburg Concerto no. 6

A festival first - not 1 but 2 marimbas on stage together! Enjoy the exotic sounds and rhythms of Argentinian Viñao’s "Dance Groove Drifting" alongside Beethoven‘s mature C major cello sonata and the fantasy pieces Schumann wrote based on Grimm’s Fairy Tales. We end with a bang with Jack Body’s energetic "Fire in the Belly".

Rolf Gjelsten (cello), Dénes Varjon (piano), Ian Rosenbaum (marimba), Naoto Segawa (marimba), Gillian Ansell (viola), NZTrio

Beethoven - Cello Sonata in C Major opus 102/1
Alejandro Viñao - Dance Groove Drifting for two marimbas
Schumann - Fairy Tales for viola and piano op. 113
Jack Body - Fire in the Belly for piano trio

We begin with the beloved A Major cello sonata of Beethoven, with the famous solo-cello opening melody. Then two of our special guests team up in Canadian composer Alexina Louie’s dramatic, highly-charged Cadenzas. The concert ends with the grand sweep and soaring melodies of Brahms’ first trio.

Matthew Barley (cello), Dénes Varjon (piano), James Campbell (clarinet), Ian Rosenbaum (marimba), Helene Pohl (violin), Rolf Gjelsten (cello)

Beethoven - Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major op 69
Alexina Louie - Cadenzas II for clarinet and marimba
Brahms - Trio in B Major opus 8

A magic double bill - Borodin's famous love song to his wife on their 20th wedding anniversary and the amusing, quixotic and virtuosic clarinet quintet by Francaix. James Campbell and the Goldners are sure to delight!

James Campbell (clarinet), Goldner Quartet

Note this is the programme that will be performed in the ‘Up Close’ excursion on Thursday 9th February.

We are particularly excited to present two world premieres in this programme! Starting with Kevin Puts' stirring and uplifting trio, one of Ian Rosenbaum's favourite chamber music pieces, continuing with two hot-off-the-presses NZ works, by up-and-comer Natalie Hunt and the effervescent Gareth Farr, and ending with one of Mozart's most sublime creations.

Goldner Quartet, New Zealand String Quartet, James Campbell (clarinet), Matthew Barley (cello), Justine Cormack (violin)

Puts - Trio for marimba, clarinet and violin
Natalie Hunt - Quartet for clarinet, violin, viola and cello (Festival commission - *World Premiere)
Gareth Farr - String Octet (Festival commission -*World Premiere) - performance dedicated to Denis and Verna Adam
Mozart - String Quintet in C K515