Music for all tastes at Festival of Colour

Music for all tastes at Festival of Colour

Lake Wanaka, March 4, 2013 – The 2013 Festival of Colour once again brings a diverse range of musical styles and sounds to the Southern Lakes region. This year’s music programme takes in classical, folk, pop, rock, funk, soul and even baby opera!

In a world premiere, pianist Michael Houstoun teams up with soprano Jenny Wollerman for Between Darkness and Light. This remarkable performance explores the emotional transition from night through to morning with a compelling series of songs from the last 200 years accompanied by full theatrical lighting. Houstoun is one of the great Beethoven pianists of our age and he will also perform two of the composer’s sonatas, the Tempest and the Waldstein, earlier the same day.

The New Zealand Guitar Quartet performs two shows, one at the festival’s main Wanaka venue and one at the stunning Mt Difficulty vineyard in Bannockburn. Each individual contributes towards creating an exciting, dynamic and engaging ensemble taking in favourites from Bach and Rimsky-Korsakov to the Latin flair of Afro-Cuban star, Carlos Rafael Rivera.

Changing the mood completely, Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells for Two sees just two Australian musicians recreating the classic album live by playing every instrument themselves. This incredible show plays in both Wanaka and Queenstown, as do three other acts – Fabulous Arabia, a Kiwi double-act of James Milne (Lawrence Arabia) and Mike Fabulous (Black Seeds), Electric Wire Hustle Family and New Zealand’s leading percussion group, Strike.

Songs to Leave Behind is a spellbinding celebration of the power of song inspired by the Christchurch quakes and performed by three of the country's finest singer-songwriters – Julia Deans, Anna Coddington and Don McGlashan.

Other musical highlights of this year’s festival include Amiria Grenell, winner of the Best Folk Album at NZ Music Awards 2012, NZ Fringe winner Adam Page, Aaron Tokona (Cairo Knife Fight), New Zealand queen of soul Bella Kalolo and the Yoots, a calypso-ska supergroup led by Fat Freddy's Drop trombonist, Hopepa.

Completing the line up is Baby O, Scottish Opera's interactive mini-opera specially composed for babies. This groundbreaking show is a sensory experience set in a secret garden full of ducks, fish and busy bees. Babies (and adults) are absolutely mesmerised!

The 2013 Festival of Colour takes place from 16-21 April and features an international mix of theatre, art, dance, conversation and music set against the spectacular autumn scenery of the Southern Lakes region.

The festival is generously supported by Central Lakes Trust, The Community Trust of Otago, Creative New Zealand and Aurora Energy. For further information and ticket sales visit www.festivalofcolour.co.nz.

ENDS

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