Jazz and Classical Combine for Unique Performance

Jazz and Classical Combine for Unique Performance at Festival of Colour

A one-off collaboration between two of New Zealand’s leading pianists is a musical highlight of this year’s Festival of Colour. Michael Houstoun and Mike Nock will also each give individual performances as well as take part in the Writers, Artists and Ideas discussion programme.

Classical pianist, Michael Houstoun, and jazz pianist, Mike Nock, have been brought together by the Festival for an exploration of jazz at its finest in a performance entitled Pure Nock. Houstoun plays Nock’s compositions in the first half of the concert including well known works Beautiful Your Eyes, After Bach and Raff Riff and Serenity. Nock then plays and improvises his own distinctive compositions in the second half.

Festival director, Philip Tremewan, said the Pure Nock concert would be world class and a once in a life time opportunity to see the two most senior and brilliant pianists in New Zealand play together.

“It’s a rare enough treat to hear each of them on their own,” he said. “This combined concert will be a musical delight.”

Mike Nock is an icon in the world of jazz and has toured extensively around the world. He how teaches at the Conservatorium in Sydney but still continues to play here and overseas. His solo performance at the Festival, Pure Jazz, draws on well-known jazz composers such as Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and Miles Davis.

Michael Houstoun also has a strong international following and an ability to spell bind audiences with his interpretations of traditional and contemporary classical music. He returns to the Festival of Colour to play a vintage classical programme of late Beethoven in Pure Classical.

In the discussion session, Jazz and Classical, Houstoun and Nock will talk together about their different disciplines. If jazz for Nock is “thinking aloud on the piano” then is classical a matter of repeating someone else’s thoughts? Chaired by Nick Bollinger, the session will explore and demonstrate the differences between the two musical languages.

The Southern Lakes Festival of Colour runs from 24 to 29 April. For further information, visit www.festivalofcolour.co.nz.

ENDS

8-Mar-07

Performance Times
Jazz and Classical, supported by Creative New Zealand – 1pm, Friday 27 April
Pure Classical – 11am, Saturday 28 April
Pure Jazz – midday, Sunday 29 April
Pure Nock, sponsored by Air New Zealand – 7pm, Sunday 29 April.

Tickets are available through TicketDirect outlets nationwide or through the Festival web site at www.festivalofcolour.co.nz.

ENDS

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