NZSO Debut Of Star Korean Conductor For Tchaikovsky Showstopper

Acclaimed South Korean conductor Han-Na Chang makes her New Zealand Symphony Orchestra debut in May with an unforgettable music experience featuring Tchaikovsky’s triumphant and life-affirming Fifth Symphony.

Bursting with melodies which continue to inspire today’s songwriters, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 has been an audience favourite since its inclusion in the NZSO’s very first concert season in 1947.

Chang, hailed as “a major talent in the conducting world” by Seen and Heard, has a deep knowledge and appreciation of Tchaikovsky’s music from her time as an acclaimed cellist and since 2007 when she became a sought-after conductor.

Her NZSO concerts mark 30 years since her extraordinary debut on the international stage, when as an 11-year-old, she won First Prize as the prestigious Fifth International Rostropovich Cello Competition in Paris.

Richard Strauss’ exuberant Don Quixote in the concert’s first half features two renowned soloists from the NZSO: Section Principal Cellist Andrew Joyce and Section Principal Violist Julia Joyce. While both are highly regarded soloists, this is the first time in the NZSO that they’ll share the spotlight together.

Inspired by Miguel Cervantes famous novel, Andrew’s cello playing signifies the character of self-appointed knight Don Quixote, while Julia’s performance on viola signifies Don Quixote’s squire Sancho Panza as they journey across 17th-century Spain.

Tchaikovsky 5 in association with Summerset Retirement Villages opens with the world premiere of I watched a shadow by one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s best composers, Leonie Holmes.

Based on a poem by New Zealander Anne Powell, Holmes has sought inspiration from Powell’s poetry for her other works, including the renowned Watershed Time in 2018 with The King’s Singers and Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir.

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