Conductor For NZSO National Youth Orchestra 2003

Return Of Conductor For NZSO National Youth Orchestra 2003

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RETURN OF CONDUCTOR FOR NZSO NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA 2003

The NZSO National Youth Orchestra announces its 2003 concerts with the welcome return of German conductor Lutz Koehler, who led the NZSO National Youth Orchestra in the successful 2001 concerts in Wellington and Auckland. The orchestra will meet in Wellington, commencing rehearsals on 23 August for a week of music making under fully professional conditions, which will culminate in a public concert on Saturday 30 August at the Michael Fowler Centre and a concert at the Auckland Town Hall on Sunday 31 August.

The NZSO National Youth Orchestra is made up of the country's most promising young musicians from all over the country, who have been selected by live audition. This year's Concertmaster is Aucklander Lara Hall whose younger siblings, Elroy and Amelia, are also playing the viola/violin as part of the orchestra. Lara was last Concertmaster of the youth orchestra in 2002. Associate Concertmaster is James Andrewes who regularly plays with the NZSO as a contract player.

Conductor Lutz Köhler, has worked with a great number of German orchestras including the Deutsches Sinfonieorchester Berlin, the Radio Symphony Orchestras of Frankfurt and Saarbruecken and the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra. He has a special affinity with young musicians. As Director of Studies with the European Union Youth Orchestra, Director of Orchestras at the Royal Academy of Music in London and Chairman of the Jury at the Munich International Music Competition, he has given master classes around the world.

The programme will comprise of richly orchestrated Late Romantic music of Wagner and Mahler's searing First Symphony as well as some fun with Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges which was originally commissioned by the Chicago Opera Company. It has been said that Sunkist Oranges was willing to supply the whole cast with free oranges as an advertising gimmick and tried to obtain permission to hang a sign in the theatre lobby reading: "This succulent and healthful brand inspired Prokofiev and is used exclusively by him in this opera and at home"!.

Following the success of last year's lunchtime concert at St Andrew's on the Terrace, orchestra members will present a programme of chamber music on 27 August.

Established in 1959, the National Youth Orchestra occupies a unique place within New Zealand's music culture. It has served as a training ground for many New Zealand musicians who are now leaders in their chosen fields. Today's NZSO, along with many other world orchestras, numbers among its personnel many musicians who started their professional training in the NYO.

The NZSO NYO continues to strive for the highest level of artistic excellence and owes a considerable debt of gratitude to its conductors who succeed year after year in bringing together young players from diverse backgrounds and experience and, in the space of just ten days, shape them into a fine ensemble for the concert platform.

PROGRAMME

NZSO NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA 2002

AUG 30 Saturday, 7pm THE MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE WELLINGTON AUG 31 Sunday, 7pm TOWN HALL AUCKLAND

Lutz Koehler - conductor WAGNER Tristan und Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod PROKOFIEV The Love for Three Oranges MAHLER Symphony No.1 TICKETS $20, $6 Students Book at Ticketek Wgtn: 04 384 3840 Akl: 09 307 5000

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