Viva La France - Suavest Of French Pianists

27h May 2005
Media release

VIVA LA FRANCE - THE SUAVEST OF FRENCH PIANISTS RETURNS

"Pascal Rogé ... the suavest of French pianist. Incredible sensitivity ... his accuracy was phenomenal." The Independent

Pascal Rogé's performances have been described as 'velvety' and 'translucently lovely' by The Guardian, 'an eloquent and forceful soloist' by The Telegraph and 'heart-touching sweetness and gentleness, a self delighting fancy of puckish humour and scintillating bravura and daring' by The Piano magazine. In June, this famed pianist will return on his sixth visit to New Zealand shores celebrating his 30-year anniversary since his first performance in 1975 and with it will bring a career first.

Rogé will make his debut playing the formidable Grieg piano concerto - this performances in Auckland on 17 June will allow the audience a rare chance to hear one of the world's foremost pianists tackle one of the great piano concertos as a 'new' work.

In a recent interview, Rogé remarked on these historic performances, "You can imagine, at my stage in the profession, people say oh, he's going to play that for the first time. Everybody's expecting you've been playing it for 30 years but for me it's the first time so it feels different. It's a challenge I should take. It'll be an interesting experience!"

On the podium for these concerts will be Stefan Sanderling, whose debut in 2003 was described by the Dominion Post as, "a marriage between players and conductor that is a rare event." Sanderling came to international recognition when he was one of the youngest conductors to be appointed as Music Director of the Brandenburg Philharmonic orchestra and Potsdam Opera. He has gone on to conduct many of Europe's top orchestras including the London Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic and the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra.

He will conduct the premiere performances of NZ composer Michael Williams, 'Piercing the Vault' featuring Invercargill-educated NZSO Principal Oboist, Robert Orr. The concert will conclude with Rachmaninov's powerful evocation of the Russian soundscape in his Symphony No 3.

As well as the Grieg's Piano Concerto, Rogé will perform, in Auckland on 18 June, Mozart's Piano Concerto No 25, which he describes as "a work that builds a sunny, Marriage of Figaro-type operatic atmosphere." This will be coupled with Mozart's colourful festival overture to La Clemenza di Tito, composed to mark the coronation of King Leopold II of Bohemia and to end Bruckner's Third Symphony - a dedication to Wagner.

ENDS (Programme, dates and times below)

PROGRAMME
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Saturday 18 June at 8:00pm TOWN HALL AUCKLAND*
Saturday 25 June at 8:00pm MICHAEL FOWLER CENTREWELLINGTON*

Stefan Sanderling - Conductor
Pascal Roge - Piano

Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito Overture K 621
Mozart: Piano Concerto No 25 in C Major K 503
Bruckner: Symphony No 3 in D Minor

*Free Pre-concert talk Supper Room, Auckland Town Hall
Peter Shaw
Bruckner

Free Pre-concert talk by Peter Shaw "Bruckner"
Auckland: Supper Room, Auckland Town Hall, 7.15pm
Wellington: Illot Chamber, 7.15pm
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

Friday 10 June at 6:30pm MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE WELLINGTON
Friday 17 June at 6:30pm TOWN HALL AUCKLAND
Tuesday 21 June at 6:30pm TOWN HALL CHRISTCHURCH
Wednesday 22 June at 8:00pm TOWN HALL DUNEDIN
Thursday 23 June at 8:00pm CIVIC THEATRE INVERCARGILL

Stefan Sanderling - Conductor
Pascal Roge - Piano Robert Orr - Oboe

Michael Williams: Piercing the Vault
Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor
Rachmaninov: Symphony No 3 in A Minor Op 44

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