30 August 2018 - NZSO media release for immediate release
Conductor Chris Dragon: Credit Nik Babbit
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra will whizz audiences away to the world of Hogwarts when it performs The Music of Harry Potter in Wellington this month.
The concert will see your national orchestra perform music from the eight Harry Potter films, featuring works by
composers John Williams, Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper and Alexandre Desplat.
Leading the Orchestra will be Australian Christopher Dragon, Associate Conductor of the Colorado Symphony and a regular
conductor with Australian orchestras. As well as praise for conducting classical repertoire, Dragon is known for his
passion for music written for film, television and video games. For a concert with the Colorado Symphony he even dressed
as a T-Rex while conducting music from Jurassic Park.
This year he conducted the West Australian Symphony Orchestra performing music from Star Wars, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones and Star Trek.
“I’m thrilled to be making my debut with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to explore the whimsical music of Harry
Potter,” says Dragon. “It doesn’t matter if you’re from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or even Slytherin, there is
something for everyone so be sure to hop on your broomstick and join us for a night of magic.”
The Music of Harry Potter is the sixth NZSO concert programme this year featuring music from film, video games or television.
Summer Pops – Music from the Movies in February included excerpts from Star Wars and Jurassic Park. In March, as part of the New Zealand Festival in Wellington, the NZSO performed to screenings of Star Wars: A New Hope. In April, the Orchestra played music from The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street and more in The Jim Henson Retrospectacle Live in Concert. In June music from the film There Will Be Blood featured in the boutique Shed Series concert in Wellington.
In July the NZSO’s The Music of Comic Con in Auckland offered a mix of music from film, video games and television. Many of the NZSO players joined audience
members in wearing costumes for The Music of Comic Con, including conductor Gordon Hamilton, who dressed as a Star Wars Stormtrooper.
ENDS