Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra 30th Season

The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra has launched a landmark 2010 Season at the Auckland Town Hall with a promise of top-tier artists and a line up of programmes designed to take audiences on a vividly emotional journey.

“The Orchestra celebrates its 30th birthday in the new season,” announces Chief Executive Barbara Glaser. “Our Music Director Eckehard Stier has painted a superb musical canvas.  It’s like having every month in the season as a celebration.”

Making an exclusive appearance with the APO is the Grammy-nominated soloist and Carnegie Hall regular Midori, scheduled to perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Canadian virtuoso James Ehnes performs two programmes: the Walton Violin Concerto, the recording of which won him a 2008 Grammy Award, and Vivaldi’s famous Four Seasons in an evening of string masterworks which he will also conduct. The Orchestra presents notable artist debuts which include Polish-Swedish pianist Peter Jablonski with Chopin, the renowned Chinese cellist Jian Wang performing Haydn and Danish wunderkind Andreas Brantelid with Elgar’s Cello Concerto.

Set to return to the podium are maestros Oleg Caetani, Arvo Volmer, and Baldur Brönnimann, while the APO welcomes back to the soloist spotlight the New Zealand pianist John Chen, and Michael Hill International Violin Competition champions Feng Ning, and Josef Špa?ek. 

As well as the star roster, audiences can expect engrossing works across the APO’s season, including Symphony No.8 by Shostakovich under the direction of maestro Eckehard Stier, and New Zealand premieres of works by John Corigliano and Paul Schoenfield. The symphonic highlights also include Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Barber’s Adagio for Strings, Prokofiev’s 5th Symphony and Handel’s Water Music.

The newly restored organ at the Auckland Town Hall gets its first orchestral performance with the APO in Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No.3, known as the Organ Symphony, and Poulenc’s Organ Concerto with the organist of St Margaret’s Church, Westminster and City Organist of Birmingham, Thomas Trotter.

In an exploration of a city’s profound musical legacy, the APO turns to Europe with The Splendour of Vienna, a 3-concert series containing some of the most significant works to have been inspired by the cultural capital. Presenting music by Mozart, Wolf, Webern, Schoenberg and Richard Strauss, the series will also feature two performances of Beethoven’s exultant Symphony No.9, and culminates with Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde.

Following performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and Covent Garden in London, one of the most sought-after artists on the international stage, New Zealand baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes returns to perform the role of Christus in Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the APO’s Principal Guest Conductor Roy Goodman in the annual Choral Masterpieces concert.

For the highly anticipated Opera in Concert, Eckehard Stier conducts the historic New Zealand premiere of Richard Strauss’ Elektra with the powerhouse vocalism of soprano Elizabeth Connell who heads a cast of top-notch local and international singers.  

New Zealand music gets a strong showing with the Auckland premier of John Psathas’ Marimba Concerto, a performance of John Wells’ Organ concerto in a free special concert showcasing homegrown music. Ross Harris’ award-winning Symphony No.2, an APO commission with text by poet Vincent O’Sullivan, receives a repeat performance with plans for a recording. Also in the season are works by Ken Young, Edwin Carr and a special concert with Maori artist Mika featuring works by Gareth Farr.

New Zealand music gets a further boost with the two-year appointment of Composer-in-Residence going to John Psathas, one of the country’s most respected and successful composers. The residency will see Mr Psathas working to develop music with a new generation of local composers, and will also result in some major new commissions.

Keeping true to its motto, “Playing for Auckland”, the Orchestra expands its APO Open Day activities to more centres, increasing access for families across the region. The orchestra also continues its free Happy Hour concerts at the Town Hall.