Enticing programme for series opening

24 January 2006

Enticing programme for series opening

On Thursday 16 February the Auckland Philharmonia's concert year officially begins at the Auckland Town Hall with the launch of the orchestra's flagship series, the APN News & Media Premier Series. And amid the fanfare of a new series and a new naming rights sponsor (APN News & Media, who owns the NZ Herald, NZ Listener and Newstalk ZB, among many others) is a new Concertmaster, Dimitri Atanassov, to take the orchestra to new heights in 2006 and beyond.

The Auckland Philharmonia's 12 concert Premier Series is a highlight of New Zealand's arts calendar. It attracts the highest calibre of local and international conductors and soloists, has a wide subscriber base, and the concerts regularly sell-out.

The first concert, on Thursday 16 February, features Italian maestro Vittorio Parisi leading the orchestra through an enticing programme: Ravel's rumbustious Alborada del Gracioso; the mystical grace of Busoni's Sarabande and Cortege; Shostakovich's volatile and melodic First Cello Concerto, played by the extraordinary talent, Li Wei (".the most gifted young cellist I have heard." The Strad); and Dvorák's New World Symphony, one of the most cherished symphonies in the repertoire.

A week later, on Thursday 23 February, Vittorio Parisi is again on the podium for an equally attractive programme, featuring the remarkable piano duo of Michele Campanella and Monica Leone performing Mozart's rarely-heard Double Piano Concerto in E-flat. This piece is book-ended by Rossini's sparkling overture to Il Signor Bruschino, and Schubert's elegant and lyrical Ninth Symphony, fittingly entitled The Great.

Auckland Philharmonia APN NEWS & mEDIA Premier Series
Concert 1: Thursday 16 February - 8pm, Auckland Town Hall
Concert 2: Thursday 23 February - 8pm, Auckland Town Hall
Telecom "Let's Talk Music" (free pre-concert talks) at 7pm in the stalls of the Town Hall
Bookings: phone the Ticketek Orchestra Hotline on (09) 307 5139 or visit www.ticketek.co.nz

The Auckland Philharmonia receives major funding from Creative New Zealand and major grants from Auckland City and the ASB Charitable Trust.

ENDS

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