The NZSO’s 2019 core repertoire season features favourites including Holst’s The Planets and Beethoven’s complete symphonies, new local commissions and a bevy of talented soloists.
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra 2016 Photo: Stephen A'Court
Today the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra made its first announcement for the 2019 season giving audiences a glimpse of what to expect from the core repertoire.
The orchestra will be making more announcements in the coming weeks about what will be on the schedule for popular music and the Shed Series.
NZSO's Head of Artistic Planning Lucrecia Colominas Photo: Facebook - Lucrecia Colominas
Under the guidance of new Head of Artistic Planning Lucrecia Colominas the orchestra is making core repertoire more accessible, with multiple national tours across the year.
Conductor Hamish McKeich opens the year with 'Classical Journey', bringing Rossini, Haydn and Brahms to seven destinations nationwide. He’s been one of the driving forces behind the successful 2018 Shed Series, which is set to continue in 2019.
Edo de Waart continues his Masterworks Series with Holst’s The Planets, Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Beethoven’s Symphonies one through nine, Schubert’s Ninth Symphony and Mahler’s Resurrection.
Three new local compositions are featured during the 2019 subscription season.
Christopher Blake’s Angel at Ahipara will be performed in June. The piece is inspired by photographer Robin Morrison’s famous photo of an angel on the head of a grave in a churchyard in Ahipara, Northland.
Michael Norris Photo: Supplied
Michael Norris’ composition Matauranga – Knowledge will be performed in July and Kenneth Young’s Te Mapouriki-Declining Light is part of the mix in October.
2019 also marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra. NZSO Conductor Emeritus James Judd returns in July for a special performance with the orchestra and New Zealand Youth Choir.
James Judd Photo: Harald Hoffmann
A bevy of international soloists will also add their gravitas to the NZSO subscription series.
Metropolitan Opera star and Grammy award winning American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, who has worked with singers including Renée Fleming and Placido Domingo, and conductor Edo de Waart, joins the NZSO in March to sing Berlioz’s La Mort de Cléopâtre.
American pianist Joyce Yang returns following her popularity with the NZSO in 2017. She’ll perform Brahms' Piano Concert No 1 in March.
In October, the NZSO presents Frankenstein!! with Austrian conductor, singer and composer HK Gruber and Swedish trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger.
Håkan Hardenberger will swap places with HK Gruber on the conductor’s podium when HK Gruber sings during the performance of his work Frankenstein!!
