Acclaimed Brodsky Quartet opens Chamber Music NZ's season

Acclaimed Brodsky Quartet opens Chamber Music New Zealand’s 2015 season in Wellington

“The players gave unstintingly of their passion and energies, playing with a spirit so transformational you felt they were actually improving the world.” The Strad, October 2012

BRITAIN’S ACCLAIMED BRODSKY QUARTET HEADS TO NEW ZEALAND in March and April as the first concert tour for Chamber Music New Zealand’s 2015 Kaleidoscope season.

The Brodsky Quartet performs at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington on Thursday 26 March on the 10-centre tour which includes concerts in Hamilton, Napier, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill and Auckland as well as performing a special ‘Live at Six’ concert in Auckland as part of Auckland Arts Festival.

The tour kicks off Chamber Music New Zealand’s year-long celebration season for 2015, marking a very special anniversary – the 50th Jubilee of the iconic secondary schools’ Chamber Music Contest.

Considered one of the greatest chamber music ensembles of our time, the Brodsky Quartet was formed in England in 1972 and has developed an expansive repertoire over the past 43 years, including works by Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Bartók – and Shostakovich, for which they are particularly renowned.

They are also viewed as one of the stand-out “cross-over” quartets and have collaborated in the past with pop figures as diverse as Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney and Björk (performing on her Family Tree project).

They’ve performed more than 3,000 concerts and released over 60 recordings, and they are currently the visiting quartet at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

The programme for the Brodsky Quartet’s Wellington concert combines a taste of their home country with works by Purcell and Britten as well as one of Beethoven’s monumental last quartets - the String Quartet in C sharp minor.

Brodsky Quartet first violin Daniel Rowland says the ensemble chose two little known English gems for Programme One - Purcell's Chaconne, arranged by Benjamin Britten and the inspiration behind his ownChacony from the second quartet, and Britten's Poème.

“The Britten work is a soaring conversation between three players over a pulsating second violin pedal and is part of an early classically-based quartet, written when the composer was only 13: this movement alone sees into the future of Britten's unique language.”

The Brodsky Quartet performs at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington Thursday 26 March at 7.30pmwith a free pre-concert talk at 6.30pm. Tickets are available through Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz or phone 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) and for more details visit www.chambermusic.co.nz

Chamber Music New Zealand acknowledges major funding from Creative New Zealand.

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ENDS
For more information, transmisson of high resolution images or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Sally Woodfield | SWPR | M: 021 868 020 | E: sally@chambermusic.co.nz

CHAMBER MUSIC NEW ZEALAND 2015 KALEIDOSCOPES SEASON: BRODSKY QUARTET (UK)
Energy * Transformation * Virtuosic artistry

Violin: Daniel Rowland

Violin: Ian Belton
Viola: Paul Cassidy
Cello: Jacqueline Thomas

PROGRAMMES

Programme One
Performed in Hamilton, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Invercargill*
Purcell | Chaconne in G minor
Britten | Poème
Bartók | String Quartet 5
Beethoven | String Quartet in C sharp minor Op 131
* Beethoven | String Quartet in B flat Op 130

Programme Two
Performed in Auckland, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Nelson*, Dunedin
Schubert | String Quartet in C minor ‘Quartettsatz’ D 703
Shostakovich | String Quartet 3
Beethoven | String Quartet Opus 132 ‘Heiliger Dankgesang’
* Beethoven | String Quartet in B flat Op 130

Programme Three: Live at Six
Performed as part of Auckland Arts Festival
Bartók | String Quartet 5
Selection of pieces themed around Night Music

TOUR DATES AND TICKETS

HAMILTON: Gallagher Academy | Wednesday 18 March 7.30pm | Book tickets through Gallagher Academy www.waikato.ac.nz (07) 858 5100

AUCKLAND: Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall | Thursday 19 March 6.00pm | Book tickets at Ticketmaster 0800 111 999 www.ticketmaster.co.nz | Live at Six programme as part of Auckland Arts Festival

NAPIER: MTG Century Theatre| Friday 20 March 8.00pm | Book tickets at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz | Free pre-concert talk 7.00pm

NEW PLYMOUTH: Theatre Royal | Sunday 22 March 5.00pm | Book tickets at Ticketmaster 0800 111 999 www.ticketmaster.co.nz

PALMERSTON NORTH: The Speirs Centre | Tuesday 24 March 7.30pm | Book at Dash Tickets (06) 350 1922 www.dashtickets.co.nz | Free pre-concert talk 6.45pm

WELLINGTON: Michael Fowler Centre | Thursday 26 March 7.30pm | Book tickets at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz | Free pre-concert talk 6.30pm

NELSON: Old St John’s Church | Friday 27 March 7.30pm | Book tickets at TicketDirect 0800 4TICKET (484 253) www.ticketdirect.co.nz

CHRISTCHURCH: Charles Luney Auditorium | Saturday 28 March 7.30pm | Book tickets at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz

DUNEDIN: Glenroy Auditorium | Monday 30 March 7.30pm | Book tickets at TicketDirect 0800 4TICKET (484 253) www.ticketdirect.co.nz

INVERCARGILL: Civic Theatre | Tuesday 31 March 7.30pm | Book tickets at TicketDirect 0800 4TICKET (484 253) www.ticketdirect.co.nz

AUCKLAND: Auckland Town Hall | Wednesday 1 April 7.30pm | Book tickets at Ticketmaster 0800 111 999 www.ticketmaster.co.nz | Free pre-concert talk 6.45pm

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