It’s a Packed Week for APO

MEDIA RELEASE: 25 March 2009

From Old MacDonald to Shostakovich – It’s a Packed Week for APO

Five concerts, three conductors, eight soloists, a world premiere performance and a repertoire stretching from Old MacDonald Had a Farm to Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony; it’s all happening in one busy week for the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

The APO faces its biggest week of the year from Wednesday 1 April. In fact, says APO chief executive Barbara Glaser, “it’s probably the busiest week I can remember for the orchestra and it truly reflects the calibre and professionalism of the players”.

On Wednesday 1 April, the orchestra holds its first Happy Hour concert for the year, presenting excerpts from New Zealand composer Karlo Margetic’s Ouroboros and Shostakovich’s Symphony No 5. This free concert in the Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE® precedes the full programme for Ravel and Shostakovich, the third in the APN News and Media Series, featuring the world premiere of Ouroboros, together with the full performances of Ravel’s Concerto in G, featuring French pianist Cedric Tiberghien, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No 5 under the baton of American maestro Stefan Lano.

On Saturday 4 April the APO is back in the Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE® to perform three concerts in quick succession. With shows at 10.30am and at 12.00pm, the ever-popular APO 4 Kids provides an hour of musical wonder for young children to experience the sights and sounds of a full orchestra performing classical music from J Strauss and DvoÅ™ák alongside favourite tunes including Old MacDonald Had a Farm and the Harry Potter theme. Presented by Kevin Keys, the concert features 2008 MusicWorks Young Performer of the Year Esther Kim (violin) with conductor Owen Clarke.

Later on Saturday, the APO, together with STAMP at THE EDGE and the NBR NZ Opera Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists Programme, presents NZ Premieres, the result of a year-long collaboration between selected New Zealand composers and the emerging artists of the NZ Opera. Each of the six singers has had a piece specifically written for them with texts chosen about a wide range of subjects relevant to New Zealand audiences. Hamish McKeich is conducting.

“The week ahead is certainly a challenge and I am enormously proud of the orchestra,” says Barbara Glaser. “As well as performing the concerts, they also have scheduled rehearsals and meetings and of course are having to work with a range of different personalities all in the same timespan. I really can’t recall a week when we have had so much variety for the players.”

APO concerts this week:

• Happy Hour, featuring excerpts from the Ravel and Shostakovich concert, at the Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE® on Wednesday 1 April at 6.30pm. Entry is free, but please register at www.apo.co.nz.
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• Ravel and Shostakovich – APN News and Media Series 3, featuring Cedric Tiberghien (piano) and conducted by Stefan Lano at the Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE® on Thursday 2 April at 8pm. Book tickets at 0800 BUYTICKETS or www.buytickets.co.nz.
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• APO 4 Kids is on Saturday 4 April at 10.30am and 12.00pm at Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE®. Adults $15, Children $10, under two free. Book by phoning 623 1052 or online at www.apo.co.nz.
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• NZ Premieres is on Saturday 4 April at Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE® at 7.30pm. Book at 0800 BUY TICKETS or www.buytickets.co.nz
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ENDS

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