Auckland And Northland Get Sensational NZSO Concerts Next Week

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra brings its hit concerts The Soldier’s Tale and Town and Country to Auckland and Northland from 9 June, along with special daytime events as part of the Orchestra’s Setting Up Camp series.

Town and Country, performed on Auckland’s North Shore and Manukau on 9 and 10 June, and Kerikeri on 11 June, is an exciting selection of music, from the sublime first movement of Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ symphony to John Barry’s Oscar-winning title theme from Out of Africa.

The New Zealand Herald Presents The Soldier’s Tale in association with Royal New Zealand Ballet, features a talented ensemble of NZSO musicians, RNZB dancers, and actors, to perform Igor Stravinsky’s timeless and riveting “pocket theatre” experience.

Hailed as “an inspired piece of programming” by Theatreview, The Soldier’s Tale is performed on the North Shore and Manukau on 10 and 11 June, and Kerikeri and Whangarei on 12 and 13 June.

The NZSO’s Setting Up Camp series sees the Orchestra spend up to three days in Auckland and Northland, complementing the evening concerts with daytime performances and community events.

In Manukau and North Shore this includes the NZSO’s Relaxed Concert for audiences who may feel uncomfortable in a traditional concert environment. A family concert of Sergei Prokofiev’s beloved Peter and the Wolf will be performed in Kerikeri on 12 June.

Renowned conductor Holly Mathieson leads the NZSO for Town and Country, with music inspired by the splendour of the countryside and the energy of the city.

The programme also features English composer Malcolm Arnold’s charming and colourful English Dances, Argentinian tango legend Astor Piazzolla’s Tangazo, the intoxicating first suite from Spanish composer Manuel de Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat, and the great Leonard Bernstein’s Three Dance Episodes, based on material he composed for the musical On The Town, which evokes 1940s New York.

The Soldier’s Tale is directed by the acclaimed Sara Brodie, features accomplished actors Peter Hayden, Sepelini Mua’au and Sophie Hambleton, and stunning choreography from RNZB Choreographer in Residence Shaun James Kelly performed by RNZB dancers.

NZSO Principal Conductor in Residence Hamish McKeich leads the Orchestra. “The music for The Soldier’s Tale is often performed without the stage acting and dancing, as the music is so good it easily stands up on its own,” says Maestro McKeich.

“To now have the staging as well, with top director Sara Brodie, and Shaun James Kelly from the RNZB, is a dream come true.”

Shaun James Kelly says he was hugely inspired by Stravinsky’s music. “I like an audience to feel the music and movement moving together and I had such fun pairing my choreographic style with this wonderful Stravinsky score, played so powerfully by the NZSO.

“With many varieties of musical influences – such as tango, waltz and ragtime – it gave me a great opportunity to tell this story of the new lovers, ultimately creating a light-hearted and contemporary spin on classical ballet.”

Town and Country

HOLLY MATHIESON Conductor

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 ‘Pastoral’ I. ‘Allegro ma non troppo’
ARNOLD English Dances Set II

PIAZZOLLA Tangazo – Variations on Buenos Aires
DE FALLA Suite No. 1 from The Three-Cornered Hat
BARRY/NIC RAINE Out of Africa: I Have a Farm in Africa 
BERNSTEIN On The Town: Three Dance Episodes

NORTH SHORE | Bruce Mason Centre| Wednesday 9 June| 7.30pm

MANUKAU | Vodafone Events Centre BNZ Theatre| Thursday 10 June| 7.30pm

KERIKERI | The Turner Centre| Friday 11 June| 7.30pm

The Soldier’s Tale

HAMISH MCKEICH Conductor

SARA BRODIE Director

SHAUN JAMES KELLY Royal New Zealand Ballet Choreographer in Residence

JAMIE DELMONTE Dancer

LEONORA VOIGTLANDER Dancer

PETER HAYDEN Narrator

SOPHIE HAMBLETON Actor

SEPELINI MUA'AU Actor

VESA-MATTI LEPPÄNEN Concertmaster 

JOAN PERARNAU GARRIGA Section Principal Double Bass

PATRICK BARRY Section Principal Clarinet

ROBERT WEEKS Section Principal Bassoon

MICHAEL KIRGAN Section Principal Trumpet

DAVID BREMNER Section Principal Trombone

THOMAS GULDBORG Associate Principal Percussion

STRAVINSKY The Soldier’s Tale

NORTH SHORE | The PumpHouse Theatre| Thursday 10 June| 7.30pm

MANUKAU | Vodafone Events Centre BNZ Theatre| Friday 11 June| 7.30pm

KERIKERI | The Turner Centre| Saturday 12 June| 7.30pm

WHANGAREI | Capitaine Bougainville Theatre| Sunday 13 June| 2.00pm

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