Classical Music Premieres at the NZIAF

Classical Music Premieres at the New Zealand International Arts Festival’s Chamber Music Weekend

The New Zealand International Arts Festival has programmed a special weekend of classical music performances, films, and talks by renowned New Zealand and international artists in the Wellington Town Hall next March.

Leading New Zealand tenor Keith Lewis and pianist Michael Houstoun present the world premiere of composer Jenny McLeod’s Peaks of Cloud – a song cycle with poems by Janet Frame, set to music for tenor and piano. They will also present works by Henry Purcell, Benjamin Britten, and Samuel Barber.

In association with Chamber Music New Zealand’s 60th birthday celebrations, the New Zealand Festival presents Russia’s Borodin Quartet with its signature intensity featuring Borodin, as well as Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky.

The NZTrio will perform the world premiere of Kingdom by New Zealand composer David Downes. In another chamber music weekend event David Downes will present his computer-generated visual music Generation and Noise.

The New Zealand String Quartet and soprano Jenny Wollerman will perform the world premiere of The Abiding Tide by Ross Harris. It is part of a recital entitled Ten that features works written in 1810, 1910 and 2010.

A children’s performance by the Zephyr Wind Quintet accompanied by celebrated New Zealand pianist Diedre Irons will perform Dirty Beasts and Other Stories. A cast of characters will be featured including Little Red Riding Hood, Crocky-Wock the Crocodile from Dirty Beasts, as well as Bilbo and Legolas from the Lord of the Rings.

Over the weekend free organ recitals will be given in the Wellington Town Hall.

The film of the highly-controversial Helicopter String Quartet by Karlheinz Stockhausen will be screened showing the Arditti Quartet playing in four different helicopters while flying in the air.

The audio visual Breath of Wind by New Zealand artist Phil Dadson will also be screened. It features the Levin Brass Band playing airborne in 17 hot air balloons.

WHEN: 6, 7 March

WHERE: Ilott Theatre and the Town Hall

ENDS

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