A Carnival of Animals, Birds, Bugs and Music

7 September 2005

A Carnival of Animals, Birds, Bugs and Music

Bugs, Birds and Animals are just some of the featured artists in this year’s PhilharMania! concerts with the Auckland Philharmonia and conductor Marc Taddei. Always favourite entertainment during the spring school holidays, PhilharMania! concerts open the door to the magic of the orchestra for 6-11 year old children and their families.

This year’s programme is a feast for the ears and eyes, beginning with Saint-Saëns’ legendary Carnival of the Animals, a real musical zoo on stage that uses the many different instruments of the orchestra to describe the sounds of birds and animals. Young New Zealand pianists Grace Francis and Fei Ren are special guest artists.

Closely related is New Zealand composer Anthony Young’s Concertino for Bugs, a work exploring Giant Weta, Giant Snails, Spiders in Caves and Peripatus.

Animal life is replaced by human life for the premiere of Auckland Philharmonia composer-in-residence, Ross Harris’s new work, Roimata, the story of a girl who uses the world of fantasy and her love of the night time to cope with the “real world” that she lives in. This beautifully arranged musical story is narrated by Mahinarangi Tocker.

These are just some of the pieces featured in this year’s PhilharMania! concerts. As well as the action on stage, the “Music Zoo” provides interactive demonstrations of musicians – and their instruments – in the foyer before and after the concerts; and a visit to www.aucklandphil.co.nz provides you with a fun, interactive game about Carnival of the Animals.

PhilharMania!
Monday 26 September – 11.30am, Auckland Town Hall
Tuesday 27 September – 11.30am, TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre, Manukau
Tickets $12 each. Bookings phone 0800-744 542 or visit www.aucklandphil.co.nz

PhilharMania! is sponsored by New Zealand Community Trust with support from The Edge and Auckland Zoo. The Auckland Philharmonia receives major funding from Creative New Zealand and a major grant from Auckland City.

ENDS

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