Toru Whā, Ka Rewa a Matariki
Chamber Music New Zealand celebrates Matariki 2019 with: Toru Whā, Ka Rewa a Matariki (‘Three, Four, The Rise of Matariki’) Featuring NZTrio & Taonga Pūoro master Horomona Horo This beautifully curated performance of works written especially for NZTrio by kiwi composers Dame Gillian Karawe Whitehead, Victoria Kelly, Martin Lodge, Richard Nunns, Jeremy Mayall, and Gareth Farr, […]
One of the worlds outstanding musical groups
NZTrio’s recent concert, Origins, was one of the first live concerts post Coronavirus in Auckland and showed that they are one of the worlds outstanding musical groups, effortlessly spanning the classical and contemporary repertoire. The five works in the concert spanned 200 years from Beethoven’s Piano Trio through to a recent commission by the New […]
We felt the players bouncing energy off one another, having a real musical conversation
Breaking the silence imposed by the COVID-19 restrictions, NZTrio returned to the stage last night in the Concert Chamber of Auckland’s Town Hall. Their programme titled Origins touched on the performers’ own ancestral backgrounds as well as paying homage to Beethoven’s 250th anniversary. Alas, we were not in the cosiness of Q Theatre’s Loft, and it is a puzzle that the theatre has not opened its doors […]
From storming tsunami to murmuring breezes on the turn of a phrase
The evening set off with the familiar — Beethoven’s Ghost Trio. The central Largo, which gives the piece its nickname, was atmospherically laid out around the remarkable piano of Somi Kim. However, I suspect it was the exciting outer movements that caused the adrenalin to rush, with the musicians veering from storming tsunami to murmuring […]
Left me wanting more
After years of being a cultural institution in Q Theatre’s Loft, NZTrio has moved to Auckland Art Gallery. The light-filled North atrium is a haven for experiencing afternoon drifting into evening with Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan’s suspended ceiling sculptures of cardboard cities tumbling from upturned dinghies perfectly echoing the torrents of musical notes below. However, […]
Exquisite sounds in Christchurch
Commemorating the 250th anniversary of James Cook’s arrival in New Zealand and our own biculturality, this programme was about looking back as well as forward with a rejuvenated NZTrio that promises so much from this impressive start. They play as if they’ve been together for years and their communication was impeccable, especially in some of those […]
Wonderful extremes, raw power
NZTrio’s first Auckland concert of the year named Tectonic Shift at Q Theatre’s Loft last night was a rich collision of old and new, and a juxtaposition of cultures. This was the first official concert with the new player line-up of violinist Amalia Hall, pianist Somi Kim with founding member Ashley Brown, a line-up trialled last year in their 2018 programme, Twine. It is […]
Tectonic Shift: a range of consummate music making
After last year’s fluctuating line-ups, NZTrio now reveals its permanent ensemble with violinist Amalia Hall and pianist Somi Kim alongside founding cellist Ashley Brown. The Tectonic Shift programme showcased a range of consummate music making; cute prettified miniatures by Frank Bridge and the full-on romantic surge of Anton Arensky framed the expected, healthy serving of contemporary, including […]
NZTrio Composing Competition finalists announced
We’ve made our selection for 15 finalists in this year’s Composing Competition (Impetus). Congratulations to all students for your submissions, we look forward to the work-shopping stage starting later this month. The list of chosen works, and more information about the process can be found here.
Astonishing ensemble sound, virtuosic skill aplenty
The modern multi-arts venue that is Q Theatre in Auckland City was a vibrant setting for NZTrio’s concert last night. The Loft space has a clear acoustic and a black box stage which gave the eclectic programme a touch of theatre without losing intimacy. Twine was a rich entwining indeed… mingling contemporary and romantic, NZTrio’s trademark talent to combine contrasting genres or […]
