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- New Zealand Chamber Soloists
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New Zealand Chamber Soloists (NZCS)
In the last five years, the New Zealand Chamber Soloists (NZCS) have established themselves as the premier ensemble of their kind in New Zealand. The core trio consisting of American born cellist, James Tennant, pianist Katherine Austin and violinist Lara Hall have solidified the reputation of the ensemble with highly successful local and international concert tours, collaborations with a broad spectrum of composers and musicians and two acclaimed CD’s. The NZCS’s most recent CD, Elegy (released July 2010) spent six weeks at number one the NZ classical charts, an unprecedented first for a chamber music ensemble and their 2009 tour of the USA, UK and South America was met by universal standing ovations. Internationally respected Professor of Music, David Dolan, said of the trio’s Clare Hall, Cambridge Concert,
“Your trio has a one-off cocktail of virtues – huge expressive power and range of colours, a rare artistic courage to go all the way and never using this arsenal in a way which is not totally sincere.” (Dr David Dolan: Head of the Centre for Creative Performance & ClassicaI Improvisation; Guildhall School of Music & Drama)
The ensemble was formed in 2006. The central element is the professional trio who are able to collaborate with composers and soloists alike to create a diverse programme of traditional classical repertoire alongside dynamic new compositions by New Zealand composers.
In 2008, the NZCS recorded a collection of works written for members of the Soloists by leading New Zealand composers. The result was the award nominated CD, “Ahi” featuring works by Michael Williams, David Griffiths, Martin Lodge, Gareth Farr and John Psathas. Collaborators included the Ogen Trio (James Tennant, Katherine Austin & Dimitri Attanassov), distinguished baritone, David Griffiths and Clarinettist, Peter Scholes.. The NZCS 2010 CD release, “Elegy” (James Tennant, Katherine Austin & Lara Hall), returned to the traditional routes of the piano trio and featured fresh and insightful interpretations of Russian composers, Rachmaninov, Babajanian and Shostakovich. The success of this album was a confirmation of the outpouring of enthusiasm that the trio had previously experienced from audiences as it remained on the NZ charts for a total of eleven weeks.
In New Zealand the NZCS maintain an active performance schedule. Engagements include festival performances, show case and invitational concerts, master classes and concert tours to all major centres for Chamber Music New Zealand, most recently in 2010 and 2011. In 2009/2010 the trio again represented that the tradition of classical music is alive and well in a tour to concert halls in Paris, London, Cambridge, Dublin, Michigan and Colombia. One acclaimed European critic noted the trio as “being in the very top echelons of international chamber ensembles”. Another reviewer, William Direen, in his praise of the trio’s Paris performance of Babajanian, commented on Lara Hall’s playing in the second movement: “[her] tonal intensity gave us, at any moment, an exciting combination of expressivity and emotional restraint, communicating the music in such a way that it was not only presented, but discovered”.
The NZCS have also included a range of distinguished instrumentalists in collaborative work including baritone David Griffiths, clarinetist Peter Scholes, flautist Ingrid Culliford, harpsichordist Rachael Griffiths, Lara Hall on Baroque violin, Jessica Shaw on recorder, violinist Dimitri Atanassov and violist Victoria Jaenecke. These collaborations have allowed for the performances of diverse works from the chamber music genres to be included in the NZCS concert programmes. Concerts have included performances of Messiean's Quartet for the End of Time, Schumann and Dvorak Piano Quintets, Bartok's Contrasts (violin, clarinet, piano), Baroque concerts (baroque violin, recorder, harpsichord, cello) and concerts of works for flute, piano and violin.
The contributions of the New Zealand Chamber Soloists reach far beyond the concert hall as they continue to extend the boundaries of New Zealand music as lecturers at the University of Waikato, arts innovators and international ambassadors of New Zealand chamber music.
From the CD "Elegy"
Shostakovich Piano Trio No 2 in E minor Op 67 (Atoll)
1st mv
http://www.youtube.com/user/MusicLiveLtd#p/u/6/hAeClyVSw7gBabajanian Piano Trio in F# Minor
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http://www.youtube.com/user/MusicLiveLtd#p/u/9/3t91U0o6Eh0From the CD "Ahi"
Six Watercolours by David Griffiths
No 1 Wharf at Onekaka
http://www.youtube.com/user/MusicLiveLtd#p/u/2/yhu7XTS_7I4- Big Idea
Music Live is an arts project management company that want to see NZ musicians recognized and contributing to international music growth and performance. Groups such as the NZCS are among the finest in the world in their genre and it is our privilege to be associated with musicians of this level of artistic craftsmanship and professionalism. Future plans for the NZCS include another international tour and further collaborations. The artistry of the NZCS is defining a new level of sound in New Zealand music that needs to be heard beyond these shores.
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