A one-of-a-kind virtuoso and global phenomenon makes his Aotearoa debut in Wellington and Christchurch in October with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Finnish violinist and conductor Pekka Kuusisto will perform one of music’s best-loved works, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and lead the NZSO for its first ever performance of a glorious symphony by pioneering 19th-century composer Louise Farrenc.

Kuusisto, hailed as “a fantastically exciting violinist, as well as a conductor” (The Times) and “the most personal sound of any classical violinist now alive” (The Telegraph) became one of the most talked about violinists in the UK after his debut performance at the prestigious Proms in 2016.

For his encore, Kuusisto performed a Finnish folk song, while also convincing his Royal Albert Hall audience to sing along. Described as a brilliant violinist and exciting performer “with the assurance of a standup comic” (The Guardian), New Zealanders will experience a unique performance by the artist.

Kuusisto says his interpretation of The Four Seasons will be distinct and exciting. For one, he plays violin throughout the performance while at the same time directing the orchestra—a demanding feat for any musician.

He also knows that The Four Seasons popularity means audiences come with a variety of expectations.

“If it would be possible to measure what people expect stylistically, my guess is something rather ‘round and soft, gentle’ is still what most people think Vivaldi should sound like. Who am I to say that’s wrong? [But The Four Seasons] is not in a museum. This is like super-active, explosive, aggressive music. Sometimes it needs to be exactly that… I can only play it convincingly the way I think and feel it.”

Kuusisto will take the same approach for NZSO premiere of Farrenc’s rediscovered Third Symphony, now regarded as one of the finest French compositions of the Romantic era.

During her lifetime Farrenc, the only woman appointed a professor at the Paris Conservatory in the 19th century, was well known and admired for her music and teaching. Two of her biggest fans were composers Hector Berlioz and Robert Schumann. However, after her death she fell into obscurity until the late 20th century.

Music writer Tom Service says her Third Symphony “deserves a place… in the repertoires of every orchestra. Farrenc’s symphony is as impressively energetic and structurally satisfying as any of Mendelssohn’s or Schumann’s symphonies.”

Renowned for his artistic freedom and fresh approach to repertoire, Kuusisto is an enthusiastic advocate of contemporary music and a gifted improviser, who regularly engages with people across the artistic spectrum. His collaborations have included Dutch neurologist Erik Scherder, electronic music pioneer Brian Crabtree, eminent jazz-trumpeter Arve Henriksen, juggler Jay Gilligan, accordionist Dermot Dunne and folk artist Sam Amidon.

He is Artistic Director of Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor & Artistic Co-Director of Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony.

Among Kuusisto’s many soloist and conductor engagements, he has worked with Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, NSO Dublin, Brussels Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lyon, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. His numerous recordings range from Stravinsky and Beethoven to world premieres, including British composer Thomas Adès.

Tickets are available via nzso.co.nz and ticketmaster.co.nz

The Wellington concert will be livestreamed for free on the streaming service NZSO+.

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