The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is set to provide an exciting music experience in Wellington, Nelson, Napier, Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland in April. The event, called “Testimony: Shostakovich & Tchaikovsky”, will feature classical music by Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Bruckner and others.
The concert is directed by Vesa-Matti Leppänen, the NZSO’s well-known Concertmaster. It will also include music by famous New Zealand composer Douglas Lilburn and Finland’s top composer, Einojuhani Rautavaara.
Ken Ichinose, the NZSO’s talented Associate Principal Cellist, will perform a solo of Tchaikovsky’s romantic Andante cantabile. This is a well-loved piece from Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No.1, which he arranged for cello and orchestra.
Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony, another highlight of the concert, is a version of his Eighth String Quartet. It was written after he witnessed the devastating effects of the 1945 bombing of Dresden.
The concert will also feature the Adagio from Bruckner’s String Quintet, Rautavaara’s Pelimannit, a suite of fantasies on Finnish fiddle music, and Lilburn’s Diversions for String Orchestra, which reflects his love for New Zealand’s countryside.
The Testimony tour will start in Wellington on April 12, and then move to Nelson, Napier, Tauranga on April 18, Hamilton on April 19 and Auckland on April 20. The concert in Nelson is supported by NZSO Maestro supporters Roger and Catherine Taylor, while Ken Ichinose’s performance as a soloist is backed by Susan and Donald Best ONZM.
