NZSO tackles four epic days of Brahms

9 September 2011 - NZSO Media Release for immediate release

NZSO tackles four epic days of Brahms for REAL New Zealand Festival

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is to perform the major orchestral works of a single legendary composer in four back-to-back Wellington concerts next month.

The four-day Brahmissimo! festival celebrates the masterworks of Johannes Brahms. It features four symphonies, two piano concerti, a violin concerto and a double-concerto for violin and cello.

Led by NZSO Music Director Pietari Inkinen, the orchestra will share the stage with four soloists including the Russian violin virtuoso Mikhail Ovrutsky, a protégé of superstar violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter.

Acclaimed New Zealand pianists Michael Houstoun and Diedre Irons complete the line-up, along with the NZSO's own brilliant young Principal Cellist Andrew Joyce.

Pietari Inkinen says Brahms was a giant among Romantic composers, and his music is full of drama and emotion.

"He was a technical genius so his works will be very demanding for the soloists. His symphonies are massive in scale, and we're tackling them in chronological order. It's going to be an epic four days!"

The special concert series is part of the REAL New Zealand Festival, the national cultural celebration running alongside Rugby World Cup 2011. It is proudly supported by Manatþ Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

ENDS

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