NZTrio return to Auckland with the 2014 Loft Series

BACK INTO THE LOFT FOR NEW ZEALAND’S PREMIERE CHAMBER TRIO.

Beloved by both classical and contemporary audiences across both New Zealand and around the world, the ever popular NZTrio once again take to the Loft @ Q Theatre for an intimate season of performances in July, September and November with their renowned Loft Series programme.

June 24, 2014

The year that Justine Cormack, Sarah Watkins and Ashley Brown have had already in 2014 has been nothing short of remarkable; making their on stage debuts, collaborating with theatre group Massive Company in their production My Bed My Universe, the trio then ventured into Cambodia and China to perform Jack Body’s cross-cultural project, O Cambodia throughout May.

Inspired by the tragic history of Cambodia, from its vibrant chequered history through to the horrors perpetrated by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, O Cambodia was boldly performed in Phnom Penh – Cambodia’s capital. With such politically sensitive material, the tour across China met with censorship issues; rehearsals were stopped in one centre, while the performances themselves could only take place in academic establishments and festivals rather than traditional venues.

Returning to New Zealand soil, the heart of the 2014 Loft Series are works from New Zealand composers – two world premieres while the revisiting of another. Each performance begins with a burst of youthful energy, with one of the timeless works of Beethoven’s Opus 1 trios initiating each evening.

The debut performances of Ritual Triptych and … when expectation ends by Auckland composers John Elmsly and Leonie Holmes (respectively) alongside an encore performance of Stephen Matthew’s Dance of the Fallen provide both contrast and marriage to contemporary works from the Northern Hemisphere by the likes of John Zorne (USA), Salvatore Sciarrino (Italy) and Matthias Pintscher (Germany).

The performances finish off with romantic inspiration crafted especially for a trio arrangement: Arnold Schoenberg (Verklarte Nacht a.k.a Transfigured Night), Arno Babadjanian and the intense, uplifting f minor trio of Antonin Dvořák.

“…great panache and style, acute ensemble awareness and a great empathy with their music, in a performance characterised by sheer energy and vitality…”
– Stephen Fisher, Manawatu Standard

NZTrio: Loft Series –plays
Loft #1 – Svelto – July 27th 2014, 5pm
Loft #2 – Ritual Triptych – September 14th 2014, 5pm
Loft #3 – Transfigured Night – November 2nd, 2014, 5pm

ENDS

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