Hypnotique presents a diverse array of works that challenges expectations of traditional chamber music. A whirlwind of motion typifies NZ composer Lyell Cresswell’s virtuosic Moto Perpetuo, ahead of Fauré’s Piano Trio in D minor with lyrical elegance and lush harmonic textures, contrasting with the percussive and electronic influences in Le Boeuf’s jazz-adjacent Obliquely Wrecked.  Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin pays homage to Haydn, blending classical and contemporary styles in Calliope Dreaming, then finally, the full Romantic immersion of Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht is structured around the five stanzas of a poem; deeply transcendent and utterly beautiful.

The Programme

Lyell Cresswell (NZ) | Moto perpetuo
Gabriel Fauré | Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 120
Pascal Le Boeuf | Obliquely Wrecked
Elena Kats-Chernin | Calliope Dreaming
Arnold Schönberg | Verklärte Nacht arr. for piano trio

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Hypnotique presents a diverse array of works that challenges expectations of traditional chamber music. A whirlwind of motion typifies NZ composer Lyell Cresswell’s virtuosic Moto Perpetuo, ahead of Fauré’s Piano Trio in D minor with lyrical elegance and lush harmonic textures, contrasting with the percussive and electronic influences in Le Boeuf’s jazz-adjacent Obliquely Wrecked.  Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin pays homage to Haydn, blending classical and contemporary styles in Calliope Dreaming, then finally, the full Romantic immersion of Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht is structured around the five stanzas of a poem; deeply transcendent and utterly beautiful.

The Programme
Lyell Cresswell (NZ) | Moto perpetuo
Gabriel Fauré | Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 120
Pascal Le Boeuf | Obliquely Wrecked
Elena Kats-Chernin | Calliope Dreaming
Arnold Schönberg | Verklärte Nacht arr. for piano trio

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Hypnotique presents a diverse array of works that challenges expectations of traditional chamber music. A whirlwind of motion typifies NZ composer Lyell Cresswell’s virtuosic Moto Perpetuo, ahead of Fauré’s Piano Trio in D minor with lyrical elegance and lush harmonic textures, contrasting with the percussive and electronic influences in Le Boeuf’s jazz-adjacent Obliquely Wrecked.  Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin pays homage to Haydn, blending classical and contemporary styles in Calliope Dreaming, then finally, the full Romantic immersion of Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht is structured around the five stanzas of a poem; deeply transcendent and utterly beautiful.

The Programme

Lyell Cresswell (NZ) | Moto perpetuo
Gabriel Fauré | Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 120
Pascal Le Boeuf | Obliquely Wrecked
Elena Kats-Chernin | Calliope Dreaming
Arnold Schönberg | Verklärte Nacht arr. for piano trio

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The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Season 2026 opens on a graceful, wild and optimistic note.

Fauré’s Pavane floats in with the grace of its 16th-century court dance inspiration. Its haunting flute theme and delicate textures create an elegant, timeless atmosphere that once heard, is never forgotten.

NZTrio commissioned Aotearoa composer Gareth Farr to expand his Triple Concerto into a full-length work, which premiered in 2005 with CSO. Twenty years later, we’re delighted to reunite with CSO to bring it back to Ōtautahi. Farr said of the work, “I let the Trio play as if it was chamber music, there are tutti passages where the Trio plays in balance with the orchestra, and then orchestral passages where the Trio drops out and the orchestra goes wild!”

Written in just four days, Schumann’s Symphony No. 1, bursts open with glorious fanfare, announcing the arrival of spring. Composed at a moment of personal and creative renewal following his marriage to Clara Wieck, it’s a work that sings with freshness and a bubbling sense of joy and celebration throughout. There’s no grand philosophical statement here – Schumann is simply happy and invites us to revel in the moment.

With thanks to CSO Soloist Partner PKF Goldsmith Fox, and CSO Library Supporters Susan Henson & Thomas Young (Farr).

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First release tickets on sale: 1 – 30 November (10% off full-price tickets, excludes Lamb & Hayward Curator’s Series)

General sale: From 1 December

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Welcome to Groove Café, where the music is strong and the vibe is even stronger. John Psathas’ Island Songs bring sun, surf, and a dash of Kiwi cool – no sunscreen required. Then you’re kept guessing with Eliodoro Sollima’s Tre movimenti, leaping from atonal intrigue to melodic surprises faster than you can say “cin cin”. Vivian Fung’s Ominous Machine whirs, glitches, and grooves like your favourite gadget on a caffeine rush. And it all ends with Nikolai Kapustin’s Divertissement, the ultimate musical cocktail: equal parts classical poise and jazz swagger, shaken (not stirred) into four sparkling movements. 

This concert features guest pianist Stephen De Pledge 

The Programme

John Psathas (NZ) – Island Songs
Eliodoro Sollima – Tre movimenti
Vivian Fung – Ominous Machine
Nikolai Kapustin – Divertissement in 4 Movements

Duration approx 60mins, no interval

NZTrio He Taonga Wairere in association with Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts presents “Groove Café”

Welcome to Groove Café, where the music is strong and the vibe is even stronger. John Psathas’ Island Songs bring sun, surf, and a dash of Kiwi cool – no sunscreen required. Then you’re kept guessing with Eliodoro Sollima’s Tre movimenti, leaping from atonal intrigue to melodic surprises faster than you can say “cin cin”. Vivian Fung’s Ominous Machine whirs, glitches, and grooves like your favourite gadget on a caffeine rush. And it all ends with Nikolai Kapustin’s Divertissement, the ultimate musical cocktail: equal parts classical poise and jazz swagger, shaken (not stirred) into four sparkling movements. 

This concert features guest pianist Stephen De Pledge 

The Programme

John Psathas (NZ) – Island Songs
Eliodoro Sollima – Tre movimenti
Vivian Fung – Ominous Machine
Nikolai Kapustin – Divertissement in 4 Movements

Duration approx 60mins, no interval

<< BOOK NOW >>

Welcome to Groove Café, where the music is strong and the vibe is even stronger. John Psathas’ Island Songs bring sun, surf, and a dash of Kiwi cool – no sunscreen required. Then you’re kept guessing with Eliodoro Sollima’s Tre movimenti, leaping from atonal intrigue to melodic surprises faster than you can say “cin cin”. Vivian Fung’s Ominous Machine whirs, glitches, and grooves like your favourite gadget on a caffeine rush. And it all ends with Nikolai Kapustin’s Divertissement, the ultimate musical cocktail: equal parts classical poise and jazz swagger, shaken (not stirred) into four sparkling movements. 

This concert features guest pianist Stephen De Pledge 

The Programme

John Psathas (NZ) – Island Songs
Eliodoro Sollima – Tre movimenti
Vivian Fung – Ominous Machine
Nikolai Kapustin – Divertissement in 4 Movements

Duration approx 60mins, no interval

<< BOOK NOW >>

Welcome to Groove Café, where the music is strong and the vibe is even stronger. John Psathas’ Island Songs bring sun, surf, and a dash of Kiwi cool – no sunscreen required. Then you’re kept guessing with Eliodoro Sollima’s Tre movimenti, leaping from atonal intrigue to melodic surprises faster than you can say “cin cin”. Vivian Fung’s Ominous Machine whirs, glitches, and grooves like your favourite gadget on a caffeine rush. And it all ends with Nikolai Kapustin’s Divertissement, the ultimate musical cocktail: equal parts classical poise and jazz swagger, shaken (not stirred) into four sparkling movements. 

This concert features guest pianist Stephen De Pledge 

The Programme

John Psathas (NZ) – Island Songs
Eliodoro Sollima – Tre movimenti
Vivian Fung – Ominous Machine
Nikolai Kapustin – Divertissement in 4 Movements

Duration approx 60mins, no interval

ON SALE SOON

Welcome to Groove Café, where the music is strong and the vibe is even stronger. John Psathas’ Island Songs bring sun, surf, and a dash of Kiwi cool – no sunscreen required. Then you’re kept guessing with Eliodoro Sollima’s Tre movimenti, leaping from atonal intrigue to melodic surprises faster than you can say “cin cin”. Vivian Fung’s Ominous Machine whirs, glitches, and grooves like your favourite gadget on a caffeine rush. And it all ends with Nikolai Kapustin’s Divertissement, the ultimate musical cocktail: equal parts classical poise and jazz swagger, shaken (not stirred) into four sparkling movements. 

This concert features guest pianist Stephen De Pledge 

The Programme

John Psathas (NZ) – Island Songs
Eliodoro Sollima – Tre movimenti
Vivian Fung – Ominous Machine
Nikolai Kapustin – Divertissement in 4 Movements

Duration approx 60mins, no interval

ON SALE SOON

Dreamscape traverses vivid musical worlds where memory and imagination converge. Roxanna Panufnik’s Around Three Corners opens with rich textures and unexpected harmonies then Robert Schumann’s Piano Trio No. 1 in d minor follows, full of Romantic passion and lyrical depth. The intimate connection between performer and instrument is explored with inventive, tactile sounds in Claire Cowan’s wood : strings : hammers : flesh, before Charles Ives’ boldly original Piano Trio, blending American folk tunes, raucous humour and experimental techniques into a collage that is by turns nostalgic and witty.*

Roxanna Panufnik – Around Three Corners
Robert Schumann – Piano Trio No. 1 in d minor
Claire Cowan (NZ) – wood : strings : hammers : flesh
Charles Ives – Piano Trio

On tour May 2026

9 May – Warkworth Town Hall
10 May – Auckland Concert Chamber
16 May – Cambridge Town Hall
17 May – Whitianga – St Andrew’s on the Sea
21 May – Palmerston North
22 May – Martinborough
23 May – Wellington

Auckland subscriptions on sale now

Single tickets on sale from 11 February 2026

*This concert features guest pianist Jian Liu

Experience the dynamic energy of Fazıl Say’s Space Jump, vividly portraying a thrilling ascent and descent with vibrant rhythms and textures. Schumann’s Piano Trio No. 2 follows, showcasing lyrical warmth and expressive melodies with underlying jovial optimism. The programme features a new work for NZTrio by Keith Moss, melding inventive textures with contemporary flair, before revelling in Reena Esmail’s Piano Trio, a compelling fusion of Indian raags and Western classical traditions, creating a rich and evocative soundscape that bridges diverse musical cultures. 

Fazıl Say – Space Jump for piano trio
Robert Schumann – Piano Trio No. 2 in F Major
Keith Moss (NZ) – New work written for NZTrio
Reena Esmail – Piano Trio

On tour August 2026

15 Aug – Hamilton
16 Aug – Auckland
21 Aug – Gisborne
22 Aug – Napier
23 Aug – Wellington
30 Aug – Greytown

Auckland subscriptions on sale now

Single tickets on sale from 11 February 2026

Reverie opens with a mesmerizing, atmospheric work that gently rocks between dream and reality – Hanna Kulenty’s A Cradle Song – before entering a state of Romantic fervour with Schumann’s Piano Trio No. 3, brimming with lyrical expression. Adam Schoenberg’s Las Estrellas highlights shimmering textures and celestial inspiration, while new commission Icarus on Titan from Karlo Margetič offers a fresh and distinctive New Zealand perspective. Finally, Leonard Bernstein’s youthful Piano Trio provides a taste of his early brilliance and quirky personality, foreshadowing the irrepressible energy of his later Broadway compositions.

Hanna Kulenty – A Cradle Song
Robert Schumann – Piano Trio No. 3 in g minor
Adam Schoenberg – Las Estrellas
Karlo Margetić (NZ) – Icarus on Titan (2026 NZTrio / SOUNZ Tarling Trust Commission)
Leonard Bernstein – Piano Trio 

On tour Oct/Nov/Dec 2026

31 Oct – Wellington
1 Nov – Whanganui
4 Nov – Dunedin
5 Nov – Christchurch
6 Nov – Nelson
8 Nov – Auckland
14 Nov – Kerikeri
15 Nov – Whangārei
3 Dec – Rotorua

Auckland subscriptions on sale now

Single tickets on sale from 11 February 2026

Reverie opens with a mesmerizing, atmospheric work that gently rocks between dream and reality – Hanna Kulenty’s A Cradle Song – before entering a state of Romantic fervour with Schumann’s Piano Trio No. 3, brimming with lyrical expression. Adam Schoenberg’s Las Estrellas highlights shimmering textures and celestial inspiration, while new commission Icarus on Titan from Karlo Margetič offers a fresh and distinctive New Zealand perspective. Finally, Leonard Bernstein’s youthful Piano Trio provides a taste of his early brilliance and quirky personality, foreshadowing the irrepressible energy of his later Broadway compositions.

Hanna Kulenty – A Cradle Song
Robert Schumann – Piano Trio No. 3 in g minor
Adam Schoenberg – Las Estrellas
Karlo Margetić (NZ) – Icarus on Titan (2026 NZTrio / SOUNZ Tarling Trust Commission)
Leonard Bernstein – Piano Trio 

On tour Oct/Nov/Dec 2026

31 Oct – Wellington
1 Nov – Whanganui
4 Nov – Dunedin
5 Nov – Christchurch
6 Nov – Nelson
8 Nov – Auckland
14 Nov – Kerikeri
15 Nov – Whangārei
3 Dec – Rotorua

Auckland subscriptions on sale now

Single tickets on sale from 11 February 2026