NZBarok Turns 10 and celebrates with three concerts

NZBarok Turns 10 and celebrates with three concerts

New Zealand’s only baroque orchestra, NZ Barok celebrates its tenth birthday this year and is performing three concerts in Hamilton and Auckland this October and November.

The celebrations commence in Hamilton on Friday October 31, before moving to Auckland for performances on Saturday November 1 and Sunday November 2.

Extracts from Handel’s Messiah and Water Music will feature together with concertos from Quantz and Vivaldi.

NZ Barok co-founder and co-artistic director, Graham McPhail says that while NZBarok first started as AK Barok it became New Zealand's baroque orchestra and not just Auckland's with musicians drawn from around the country and guest artists from overseas.

The ensemble currently performs concerts in Auckland and Hamilton, but Dr McPhail said future plans included touring further afield.

“We are the only baroque orchestra in the country. We started with one or two concerts per year and we now perform nine concerts in our annual series. Last year we released a CD and the response has shown us we have 'grown-up’ over this time.”

NZ Barok specialises in performing 17th and 18th century European instrumental music; music of the baroque (1600-1750) and classical (1750-1800) periods, on instruments of the time.

The NZ Barok Anniversary Concert will feature three guest performers – soprano Jayne Tankersley, Sally Tibbles on flute and Jessica Shaw on recorder.

Jayne Tankersley is one of New Zealand’s most experienced singers of baroque music and performs throughout New Zealand, while Sally Tibbles is acknowledged as a key figure in New Zealand’s early music scene. Jessica Shaw was the first New Zealand student to graduate with a Master of Music in recorder performance, from the University of Auckland and features as a soloist.

The NZ Barok Anniversary Concert is at Hamilton’s Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts on Friday October 31 and at St Luke’s Church, Remuera in Auckland on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 November. Tickets are available for pre-booking by emailing contact@nzbarok.org.nz or phone: (09) 849 7976

Programme
Handel | Extracts from Messiah, with Jayne Tankersley
Quantz | Flute Concerto, with Sally Tibbles
Vivaldi | Recorder concerto, with Jessica Shaw
Handel | Extracts from Water Music

HAMILTON: Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts | Friday October 31, 7:30pm | Tickets available at the door or book in advance by emailing: contact@nzbarok.org.nz or phone: (09) 849 7976
AUCKLAND: St Luke’s Church, Remuera | Saturday 1 November, 7:30pm | Tickets available at the door or book in advance by emailing: contact@nzbarok.org.nz or phone: (09) 849 7976
AUCKLAND: St Luke’s Church, Remuera | Sunday 2 November, 2pm | Tickets available at the door or book in advance by emailing: contact@nzbarok.org.nz or phone: (09) 849 7976

About the Guest Performers

Jayne Tankersley | Hamilton based soprano Jayne Tankersley is one of New Zealand’s most experienced singers of Baroque, Renaissance, and Medieval music. From 1999 – 2006 she was based in Boston, USA, where she completed a Masters degree in Early Music Vocal Performance at the Longy School of Music and appeared as soloist with some of the leading period groups of America, including the Boston Early Music Festival, Handel and Haydn Society, Apollo’s Fire, Boston Baroque, Boston Cecilia, Tragicomedia, Medieval trio Liber UnUsualis, the Christmas Revels of both Cambridge and Houston, and with conductor William Christie. She has recorded for Revels, Boston Baroque, Schirmer Publishing, and with the Beggar Boys on their 2004 CD The Darkest Midnight. Since returning to New Zealand she has appeared with orchestras and ensembles throughout the country, including the Auckland Philharmonia, Opus Orchestra, Age of Discovery, NZBarok, Bach Musica NZ, Bay of Plenty Symphonia, Tauranga Civic Choir, Bay of Island Singers, Scholar Sacra Wanganui, Chamber Music New Zealand and is heard regularly on RNZ concert.

Sally Tibbles | Sally Tibbles is acknowledged as one of the key figures in New Zealand’s Early Music scene. After completing her MMus (1st class hons) in baroque flute at the University of Auckland, she undertook two years’ postgraduate study in the Royal Conservatory, The Hague with Wilbert Hazelzet and Barthold Kuijken. Since returning to New Zealand, she has developed an active performing career, appearing with numerous early music ensembles throughout the country, including Age of Discovery, NZBarok, NZ Baroque Soloists and Kowhai Baroque. As a member of Extempore Sally is frequently heard on Concert FM (Radio New Zealand). Her performance on the Extempore CD ‘Music by the Sons of Bach’ has received critical acclaim. Sally is Artist Teacher in baroque flute at the University of Auckland and Associate Director of Music at St Cuthbert’s College, where she has responsibility for the Co-curricular music programmes.

Jessica Shaw | Jessica Shaw was the first New Zealand student to graduate with a Master of Music in recorder performance, from the University of Auckland. A recipient of the NUFFIC and Reardon Postgraduate Scholarships, she studied in the Netherlands at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague and the Rotterdam Conservatorium, with Han Tol, Thera de Clerck and Sebastien Marq, graduating with diplomas in advanced solo performance, chamber music, and recorder teaching. Since returning to New Zealand, Jessica has featured as a recorder soloist with AK Barok, Kowhai Baroque, The Age of Discovery, Bach Musica, The New Zealand Chamber Soloists, OKTA and the Karlheinz Company. She is the performance tutor for recorder at the Auckland University School of Music, and has also taught recorder at Waikato University. Jessica is also active as a tutor and performer at courses and workshops throughout New Zealand and in Australia.

About NZBarok
NZBarok is a chamber orchestra that specialises in performing 17th and 18th century European instrumental music – music of the baroque (1600-1750) and classical (1750-1800) periods on instruments of the time.
The principal players studied historical performance practice in Holland, hence the adoption of the Dutch spelling of baroque: ‘barok’.
NZBarok works as a co-operative endeavor under the leadership of founders Graham McPhail and Helen Brinkman, joint musical directors Graham McPhail and Miranda Hutton, as well as the players themselves – supported by an advisory board. Players also contribute to the administrative running of the orchestra. With no conductor, musical decisions are developed through discussion and the rehearsal process can be quite extended, as all members of the group are welcome to offer observations and make suggestions.
The overriding musical approach is one derived from the historical performance movement established and developed in Belgium and the Netherlands – the so-called ‘Dutch school’ led by performers such as Gustav Leonhardt, Anner Bylsma, and the Kuijken brothers. This approach is characterised by an acknowledgment of certain historical performance parameters such as using historical instruments, playing the violin chin-free with its resultant effect on sound, and acknowledging the importance of rhythmic structure and ‘affect’ as intrinsic to the language of the music of this period.

ENDS

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