Special Concert at WOMAD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NZTrio joins with Finnish Master Musicians for Special Concert at WOMAD

Collaborating at a distance has been a new experience for leading New Zealand chamber music ensemble NZTrio.

The group – Ashley Brown (cello), Justine Cormack (violin) and Sarah Watkins (piano) – is joining Finnish musicians Pekka Lehti (double bass) and Markku Lepistö (accordion) on stage at WOMAD New Zealand 2010 this weekend in New Plymouth for a once only concert.

And the five musicians meet for the first time just three days ahead of the performance!

“It’s been a bit of an intense process,” admits Justine. “We’ve been emailing for a few months and we received music and have been working on it here in New Zealand, but we won’t really know how it’s all going to come together until we’re all on stage.”

The NZTrio have collaborated with a wide range of musicians and is relishing the opportunity to work across continents and come up with something very special. “There is a real tango feel to the music and we aren’t trying to change Lepistö and Lehti’s whole sound.”

With backgrounds in classical, jazz, fusion and funk, Lepistö and Lehti have held audiences in awe with their unlikely union of double bass and accordion, but have regularly collaborated with other musicians and Pekka Lehti says the collaboration with the NZTrio will take audiences by surprise.

“We’ve been listening to the NZTrio’s albums and feel our music blends well with the group.”

Pekka and Markku are two of Finland’s master musicians and met when both were in the Finnish folk music band Varttina. “Because our names both end in L we were always seated together on planes and shared rooms in hotels, so got to know each other and had a lot of time to talk about music.”

Lepistö and Lehti perform at WOMAD New Zealand 2010 at New Plymouth’s Brooklands Park and TSB Bowl on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and will be joined by the NZTrio for the Sunday performance. Three day and single day passes for WOMAD New Zealand 2010 are still available from TICKETEK on 0800 TICKETEK or www.ticketek.co.nz and there will be gate sales. Visit www.womad.co.nz for the full schedule.

ENDS

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