The 4 Seasons Tour

The 4 Seasons Tour

The NZSO Chamber Orchestra will welcome the return of charismatic violinist Ian Swensen in March. He will perform Vivaldi's famous Four Seasons with the orchestra in a series of concerts throughout the South Island.

Ian Swensen is one of the few musicians to have been awarded top prize in both the Walter Naumberg International Violin Competition and Chamber Music Competition. Described by the LA Times as having ".....extraordinary sense of poetry", Swenson is a native of New York and comes from a musically gifted family of Norwegian and Japanese-Hawaiian descent. He is currently Head of the String Department at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and made his NZSO Chamber Orchestra debut in 1994.

The Four Seasons is among the world's most popular music, heard everywhere, made famous by English violinist, Nigel Kennedy, and used currently as the theme tune for the National Bank television advertisements. Its themes are instantly recognised and with international violinist Swensen, it promises to be an outstanding concert.

The concert also presents Mendelssohn's heavenly Octet, which spins one beautiful theme after another, and Shostakovich's marvellous Two Pieces for String Octet as an opener.

The NZSO Chamber Orchestra and Ian Swenson will perform in Paekakariki, Christchurch, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, Invercargill, Alexandra and Wanaka.

The NZSO Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1987 from leading players of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. It generally performs without a conductor and is directed from the first violin chair by Music Director Donald Armstrong. The Chamber Orchestra performs regularly with distinguished international soloists, who have included the great German tenor Peter Schreier, leading Mozart interpreter, the fortepianist Malcolm Bilson, cellist David Geringas, and the English pianist Richard Rodney Bennett.

PROGRAMME 'The Four Seasons'

What could delight more than Mendelssohn's glorious Octet, and the famous Four Seasons introduced by Shostakovich?

Gilles Apap -violin/guestdirector SHOSTAKOVICH: Two Pieces for String Octet MENDELSSOHN: Octet VIVALDI: Four Seasons Nos.1- 4 March Saturday 1, 6.30pm, Paekakariki Hall WELLINGTON March Wednesday 5, 8pm, James Hay Theatre CHRISTCHURCH March Thursday 6, 6.30pm, St Mary's Church TIMARU March Friday 7, 8pm, Opera House OAMARU March Saturday, 8pm, Glenroy Auditorium DUNEDIN March Sunday 9, 8pm, Civic Theatre INVERCARGILL March Monday 10, 8pm, War Memorial Theatre ALEXANDRA March Tuesday 11, 8pm, Lake Wanaka Centre WANAKA

© Scoop Media