They say that Opera has the best tunes, but these days we so rarely hear them in the provinces.

There is clearly a hunger to hear these marvellous melodies sung by the "big voices". Last year, Lloyd Webber to Puccini, featuring tenor James Rodgers and mezzo Rachelle Pike sold-out Blenheim's ASB Theatre. So we are doing it again, this time in Blenheim and Nelson, with four NZ Opera colleagues presenting an evening of music from the worlds of Grand Opera and Musical Theatre - their favourites and yours.

Baritone Robert Tucker directs and performs Opera Unboxed, with New York based mezzo Rachelle Pike, our favourite Aucklander Helen Medlyn, and exciting young Wellington tenor Declan Cudd, accompanied by international pianist Catherine Norton.

On her 16th birthday, a curse by the evil Carabosse causes the beautiful Princess Aurora to fall into a deep sleep for 100 years. Only the kiss of a prince could awaken her.

Set to the beautiful music of Tchaikovsky, join the dancers as they take us on a dream-like journey through this classic fairy tale, complete with fairies, a magical kingdom and the opulent splendour and costumes we love from Gillian Francis, Nelson Academy of Dance.

The performance will present dance students as the featured performers in this authentic full-length ballet and this year Gillian introduces international dancer, Jordan Nelson.

Jordan began his professional career with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet in 2012.  Since then he has danced with Columbia City Ballet, Madison Ballet, Elements Contemporary Ballet, and has returned to Ballet Chicago as a guest artist. His career highlights to date are performing Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux at The Harris Theatre in Chicago, dancing Stars and Stripes and Allegro Brillante with stars of NYCB and performing in The Opera House at the Kennedy Center. This was his second season with Festival Ballet Providenc and Jordan is thrilled to have the opportunity travel in Nelson NZ to work with Gillian and her dancers!

This ballet casts a spell of delight all the way to true love's kiss! A joy for the whole family and not to be missed!

The Nelson Symphony Orchestra is Celebrating  Christmas with a concert of Classics.

Featuring well known Nelson soprano Allison Cormack, singing popular Christmas songs , The Little Drummer Boy, Ave Maria and others.

They are also playing orchestral classics including :

Tchaikovsky -Nutcracker Suite.

Bizet -L’Arlesienne Suite No.1

Prokofieff -  Lieutenant Kije Suite

Leon Jessel – Parade of the Tin Soldiers

Leroy Anderson – Sleigh Ride

A concert with something Christmas for everybody.

Join us for an evening of exceptional chamber music featuring the prizewinning Ferio Saxophone Quartet. These exciting young musicians are emerging as one of the leading British saxophone quartets among the new generation and have been enthusiastically received by audiences and critics alike. Thanks to generous local sponsors and volunteers all proceeds from this concert will go to support the work of Save the Children.

Ferio Saxophone Quartet: Huw Wiggins/Soprano, Ellie McMurray/Alto, Jose Banuls/Tenor, Shevaughan Beere/Baritone

Programme:
J.S. Bach - Italian Concerto BWV 971
Jean Françaix - Petit Quatuor
Gaetano Donizetti - Una Furtiva Lagrima
Hugo Reinhart - Quartet in F Minor for Saxophone Quartet
INTERVAL
J.S Bach (arr. Ferio) - Prelude and Fugue in G Minor BWV 535
Eugène Bozza - Andante et Scherzo
Guillermo Lago - Ciudades: Montevideo, Sarajevo and Addis Ababa
Will Gregory - Hoe Down

Following 2017 sell-out performances of Swan Lake, Moscow Ballet la Classique returns to New Zealand to present the jewel of classical ballet, Tchaikovsky's spectacular masterpiece The Nutcracker

La Classique was founded in 1990 by its current director Elik Melikov. La Classique with its artistic ballet mastery, lavish costumes and magnificent stage sets will take us on a journey back in time to the frost-covered, gas lit world of Clara, her beloved Nutcracker doll and the magician Drosselmeyer.

This romantic tale with its blend of magic and realism brings to life the popular Tchaikovsky score featuring the famous "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" and "The Waltz of the Flowers."

The greatest success of Russian theatre is undoubtedly Classical ballet.

With this delightful production of the much loved Nutcracker, la Classique captures the imagination, the passion, the humour and magic of the

"is the dream for real . . . or is it just a fairytale"

From the critics

As sweet as a nut, it doesn't get much better than this - Jersey Evening Post

Gloriously traditional production that captures all of the fairytale enchantment and beauty one could wish for - Manawatu Standard

you do not have to be a ballerina to love this lavish performance and lush music which magically brings to life one of our most loved tales - Bop Times

The Moscow Ballet la Classique's 'The Nutcracker' with its stunning sets, costumes and dancers was truly magical to watch - Waikato Times

Conductor: Nigel Weeks

This is the fourth concert of this year's series. An exciting selection of works by famous Russian composers, including Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and more.

Programme
Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture
Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake Ballet Suite
Rimsky Korsakov  - Procession of the Nobles
Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibitio
Borodin - Polovskian Dances

Nelson Symphony Orchestra: a regional orchestra of dedicated musicians aiming to produce high  quality orchestral concerts.

Please note the venue has changed to Old St John's Church (320 Hardy Street).

Join the New Zealand String Quartet on their 30th anniversary tour for a concert filled with passion, yearning, joy and heartache. Their Dangerous Liaisons programme explores themes of love and desire and will take you on an emotional journey through some of the great works of the repertoire.

Mendelsohn's first love and Janacek's obsession with a woman half his age were both doomed to failure yet inspired some of their most beautiful works. Jack Body's Saetas takes its inspiration from the fire and passion of flamenco songs and reveals Rolf Gjelsten's secret talent as an accomplished accordionist.

Music and art harmonise in this concert at the Suter Gallery. A word of warning: it'll be an intimate affair and the music may steal your heart!

Programme
Janacek: String Quartet no 2, Intimate Letters
Jack Body: Saetas
Mendelssohn: String Quartet no 2 in A minor, op 13

The Nelson Civic Choir opens their 2017 season with Rossini's sparkling Petite Messe Solennelle, in the wonderful setting of Nelson Cathedral.

The choir is complemented by four accomplished local soloists: Zoe Bennett (Soprano), Erica Sim (Contralto), Ewen Griffiths (Tenor) and Graham O'Brien (Bass), and conducted by their musical director, Chris Lukies. They are accompanied by James Thomas (Organ) and Lizzie Peacock (Piano).

Rossini is well known for his lively comic operas. The Petite Messe, written 30 years after his last opera, is a serious piece (Solennelle), yet it lacks none of his earlier vivacity, with some of the passages sounding as though they might have come from light opera.  The structure of this late masterpiece is that of the Catholic Mass, with major solo parts intertwined with substantial passages for chorus. Compared with Rossini's operas, this work is not often performed, and this concert gives audiences a rare chance to hear a sacred (but not too solemn) work by Rossini in a glorious Cathedral setting.

Nelson Academy of Dance proudly presents the fairy tale of love and magic Cinderella the Ballet. The ultimate rags to riches fairy tale is a delight for the whole family!

A dazzling night, featuring Prokofiev's beautiful music, a glittering ball, something wonderful is sure to happen as Cinderella and her Prince Charming dance in this year's full length classic ballet. The performance will present dance students as the featured performers in this authentic full length ballet.

Director Gillian Francis has consistently achieved a very high standard from her very creative and talented students (ranging from the ages of 3 to their mid-20s) over many years and this year's Cinderella includes beautiful choreography, costuming, backdrops, lighting and sound. Enjoy winter in Nelson in grand style, making memories to cherish with the ones you love.