Happy Birthday NZSO!

26th February 2007

Media release

Happy Birthday NZSO!

'In the performance of this work the orchestra distinguished itself by display of its sound musicianship" The Evening Post, Wellington 7 March 1947

It is 8pm, Wednesday 6 March 1947, and the 65 members of the National Symphony Orchestra of New Zealand are assembled on stage at Wellington Town Hall with their leader Vincent Aspey, awaiting the arrival of their conductor and musical director Andersen Tyrer.

"The sound that the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra makes [is] polished, technically adroit, nicely blended..." Daily Telegraph, London 20th August 2005

Fast forward 60 years to 6.30pm, Tuesday 6 March 2007, and 90 members of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra will be assembled on stage at the Wellington Town Hall with their leader [concertmaster] Vesa-Matti Leppanen, awaiting the arrival of their conductor and Music Director, James Judd.

This performance will also be a concert representative of the modern 21st- century orchestra with the first ever live orchestra New Zealand web cast for those supporters nationally and internationally at www.nzso.co.nz. Radio New Zealand Concert will also simultaneously broadcast the concert on their network.

This free concert will mark a significant milestone in the orchestra's history as it celebrates its artistic achievements with a programme that includes the first work performed in 1947 - Dvorak's Carnival Overture as well as a celebration of James Judd's tenure with his continued excellence in interpretation of Copland and Elgar with a performance of Fanfare for a Common Man and Pomp and Circumstance and excerpts from Stravinsky's Firebird, Strauss' Rosenkavalier and Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty.

In addition to celebrating the orchestra's 60th birthday, the orchestra will take this occasion to pay tribute to the wonderful contribution that James Judd has made as Music Director. James came to the NZSO in 1999 and has taken its artistic achievements on to another plane. The high-point of his period as Music Director was undoubtedly the triumphant European tour of 2005 and the successful international reviews of Naxos recordings - the benefits of his artistic direction are seen on a daily basis.

In a tribute to the grandfather of NZ Music, Douglas Lilburn, the orchestra will perform A Birthday Offering, a work written in celebration of the NZSO's 10th birthday. Inaugural Arts Foundation of NZ Patronage award recipient, Denis Adam has commissioned a piece from Ross Harris that deliberately incorporates elements of this 10th anniversary work. The Beginning of a New Story will receive its world premiere at this concert and is a double birthday present - for the NZSO's 60th and Verna Adam's 75th.

Throughout the concert, significant moments in the orchestra's history will be projected on screens above the stage and it will be shown live on a big screen in Civic Square (weather permitting).

Ian Fraser, who was NZSO Chief Executive from 1998 to 2002, will be the Master of Ceremonies for this concert. The current Chief Executive, Peter Walls explains that "we wanted this concert to celebrate this remarkble orchestra's history but also to signal the ways in which we are looking forward to the next 60 years. Hence, we will be playing Dvorak's "Carnival" Overture (the first work ever performed by the National Orchestra) alongside Ross Harris's 'Beginning of a New Story'.

Peter Walls, NZSO Chief Executive, said today. "we'll be using the technology of the future to show a world-wide audience some of the great images from our past. I think this will be a great evening. It's a free concert - a birthday gift to our audiences."

Programme
Dvorak Carnival Overture
Tchaikovsky Sleeping Beauty: Waltz
Lilburn A Birthday Offering
Ravel Rhapsodie Espagnole: Feria
Harris The Beginning of a New Story world premiere
Brahms Hungarian Dance No 1
Copland Fanfare for the Common Man
R Strauss Der Rosenkavalier: Waltzes
Stravinsky Firebird Suite: Berceuse et Finale
Sibelius Karelia Suite 1st Movement
Elgar Pomp and Circumstance March No 1

The NZSO has confirmed that all seats in the Wellington Town Hall are now filled for this free event, however the concert will be shown live on a big screen in Civic Square (weather permitting). Bring a chair and a picnic and enjoy the concert "al fresco".

ENDS

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