NZSO announces a massive concert programme for 2012

The NZSO has recently announced its season for 2012 whcih comprises some of the great classical works as well as some for recent New Zealand pieces.

The major work in next years programme will be a concert version of Wagner’s “Die Walkure. It will feature a number of New Zealand soloists including Simon O’Neill who has established himself as one of the leading Wagnerian tenors. He will be joined by Jonathan Lemalu, Margaret Medlyn, Anna Pierard and Sarah Castle. There are also some international soloists; Edith Haller, Christine Goerke and John Wegner.

The season also features some of the major symphonic works including two Beethoven symphonies, No 6 and No 7, Shostakovich’s dramatic Symphony No 5 and Mahler’s Symphony No 7.

Mahler also appears in one of the early concerts with his Songs of a Wayfarer being sung by soprano Measha Brueggergosman. This concert also features Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite and Lilburn’s Symphony No 3. Simone Young conducts Bruckner’s Symphony No 5 and David Zinman leads Strauss’ Alpine Symphony.

NZSO conductor Pietari Inkinen is also a brilliant violinist and will join Concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppänen as soloist in Bach’s D minor Concerto for 2 Violins.

Cellist Lynn Harrell and pianist Stephen Hough who have both made a huge impression on New Zealand audiences on previous visits will be will be playing the Elgar Cello Concerto and the Saint-Saens Piano Concerto (The Egyptian).

Among the New Zealand offerings: Ross Harris’ The Floating Bride, The Crimson Village, Gillian Whitehead’s Alice, and the wonderful classic, Douglas Lilburn’s Symphony No. 3.

Anthony Ritchie’s Diary of a Madman will be performed as a companion piece to Shostakovich’s 5th and be Lyell Cresswell’s Concerto for String Quartet, featuring the New Zealand String Quartet.

The Audi tour concert features a number of works with connections to the idea of the sea. There is Debussy’s La Mer, Chausson’s Poeme de l'Amour et de la Mer, Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from his opera Peter Grimes and Sibelius’s Oceanides.

One of the concerts which will tour to Christchurch in addition to Auckland and Wellington will feature the Poulenc Organ Concerto (Auckland and Wellington) with the Haydn Organ Concerto being played in Christchurch. The organist for the concerts will be Olivier Latry who is organist for Notre Dame in Paris. That concert also features Dukas’s The Sorcerers Apprentice and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade Suite.

It was recently announced that following the retirement of Peter Walls as Chief Executive of the NZSO Christopher Blake has been appointed to the position.

Mr Blake is currently Chief Executive and Secretary for Labour, Department of Labour, a position he has held for four years. He is also a composer who has undertaken commissions for a wide range of performers and ensembles and has 25 years’ experience working in the cultural sector.

“Christopher Blake has undertaken a wide range of leadership roles in the arts, the cultural sector and government. He has extensive experience in leading and managing complex organisations, as well as substantial experience in government at a senior level. His skills and background are ideally suited to leading the Orchestra in its next phase of development,” Mr Best said.

”We had more than 30 candidates apply for this role from all over the world, and Christopher really stood out. Having such an experienced and impressive New Zealander at the helm is good for our national orchestra and good for New Zealand arts. We’re very pleased he’ll be joining us.”

Before joining the Department of Labour, Mr Blake was Chief Executive of the Department of Internal Affairs for five and a half years, the Chief Executive and National Librarian at the National Library of New Zealand from 1997 – 2002, and the foundation Chief Executive of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the precursor of the current Ministry for Culture and Heritage, from 1991 to 1997.

Prior to joining the public service, Mr Blake was in leadership roles in a number of professional performing arts organisations. These included as General Manager of the then National Opera of New Zealand, General Manager of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra for six years and the Canterbury Orchestra, and Manager of Radio New Zealand Concert.

NZSO Music Director Pietari Inkinen said Mr Blake’s experience was an ideal fit for the orchestra. “This seems like an ideal appointment: a musician, a New Zealander, and someone with enormous experience as a leader in the musical world and in the public sector. I look forward to working with Christopher.”

Mr Blake has Music and Engineering Degrees from the University of Canterbury and a post graduate Music Degree in composition from the University of Southampton. He is active as a practising composer and has written works for the NZSO, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Mercury Opera and Chamber Music New Zealand.