NZSO Winter Festival In Auckland To Feature Sensational Pianist

From Mozart to the magic of Harry Potter, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra presents an enchanting selection of concerts and whānau-friendly events in Auckland over three days in August.

The NZSO’s Immerse 2024 Rumakina winter festival, from 16 August, features the NZSO debut of acclaimed Australian pianist Andrea Lam in two concerts.

Lam, hailed as a “real talent” by the Wall Street Journal, in her first NZSO concert performs Mozart's beloved and instantly recognisable Piano Concerto No. 21 ‘Elvira Madigan’. Mozart: The Great also features György Ligeti’s folk-inspired Concert Românesc and one of the greatest symphonies ever written: Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 ‘The Great’, packed with some of classical music’s best-known melodies

In the second concert, exclusive to Auckland, Lam performs French composer Maurice Ravel’s stunning Piano Concerto as part of Boléro: Ravel & Schumann in a programme with Robert Schumann’s unforgettable Fourth Symphony and Ravel's intoxicating masterpiece Boléro.

Fairytales & Broomsticks, a family-friendly matinee performance, boasts a selection of John Williams’ music from the Harry Potter films, alongside Hansel and Gretel by New Zealander Claire Cowan and the classic Hänsel and Gretel from German composer Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera.

For every concert, the NZSO will be led by renowned German conductor André de Ridder, who made his NZSO debut last year to rave reviews.

André de Ridder delivered hardcore Pulitzer Prize-winning minimalism with an environmentalist message. – New Zealand Herald

An eminently tasteful and sprightly interpretation, from a conductor who has made his name breaking boundaries. – The Post Maestro de Ridder is highly regarded as a conductor in the classical and popular music spheres. He has worked and recorded with Gorillaz and its co-creator Damon Albarn, Bryce Dessner (The National, Taylor Swift) and Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead).

The NZSO winter festival in Auckland also features Open Doors, a selection of free daytime family- friendly events and performances, including Tamariki Time and a daytime Relaxed Concert, presented in association with Autism NZ.

The Relaxed Concert is designed to provide a supportive and inclusive environment for audiences with sensory needs to enjoy live music. Admission is free but requires registration through the NZSO website nzso.co.nz.

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