Music and Fine Arts staff and students from The University of Auckland’s National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries (NICAI) will be vital players in this year’s Auckland Festival 2009.

The biennial festival brings nearly three weeks of nationally and internationally acclaimed performances and exhibitions to New Zealand’s largest city.

NZ Trio, the Ensemble in Residence at The University of Auckland, will perform in the Music at Twilight series. The Trio has earned national and international respect for their dynamic interpretations of traditional and contemporary classical music. This year, their repertoire comprises works by Mendelssohn, Chinese-born composer Musheng Chen and New Zealand artist and composer Phil Dadson (Monday 9 March, Baptist Tabernacle).

Three of New Zealand’s top jazz artists, who are also part of the School of Music’s Jazz Studies programme, will perform as the Samson, Nacey, Haines Trio. Musicians Ron Samsom, Kevin Haines and Dixon Nacey perform compositions and improvisations that reflect their passion for jazz music (Monday 16 March and Tuesday 17 March, 7:30pm, Festival Club, L`wer NZI, Aotea Centre).

The University of Auckland Chamber Choir will also appear in the Music at Twilight series with a programme called Accent on the Americas, led by guest director Robert Wiremu (Wednesday 11 March, Baptist Tabernacle).

The works of Elam School of Fine Arts students will again be showcased in Elam Art Upfront, an exhibition that is mounted inside the lobbies and foyers of corporate high rise buildings on Shortland Street. Taking up the challenge are nine of the country’s most promising emergent artists including Pricilla Brown, Tim Chapman Warren Childs, Roisin Moore, Katie Theunissen, Tiffany Treweek, Florence Wild, Fiona Gillmore and Louise Menzies. Elam Art UpFront runs from 6-20 March, Monday “ Friday, 9am-5pm. The exhibitions are free.

Other fine arts events include the Art Crawl, a chance to view the works and meet some of the artists. The Crawl departs from the Gus Fisher Gallery, Kenneth Myers Centre (74 Shortland Street) 12 & 19 March at 1pm. The event is free.

Art lovers are also invited to join in an exhibition discussion, Can Artists Make Great Places? The discussion will be led by Mythily Meher, The University of Auckland’s WINDOW curator. The free talk will be held at 4pm on Thursday 19 March at the Gus Fisher Gallery, Kenneth Myers Centre, 74 Shortland Street.

As part of the festival’s “In Conversation” series Andrew Clifford, Curatorial Assistant at NICAI’s Centre for New Zealand Art Research and Discovery (CNZARD), will host a discussion with Ray Lee, Phil Dadson and Drew McMillan on the mysteries of sound. The free series runs weekdays, 12:30om-1:30pm in Red Square.

For more information visit the NICAI website: www.creative.auckland.ac.nz or visit the Auckland Festival website: www.aucklandfestival.co.nz

The University of Auckland’s National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries comprises the School of Architecture and Planning, Elam School of Fine Arts, the Centre for New Zealand Art Research and Discovery (CNZARD), the School of Music and the Dance Studies Programme.

ENDS

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