British Clarinet Virtuoso Performs in Wellington

MEDIA RELEASE: For Immediate Release
British Clarinet Virtuoso Performs in Wellington
• Concert Features Messiaen’s Masterpiece –‘Quartet For The End of Time’

At just 27 years old British prodigy Julian Bliss is widely recognised as one of the world’s finest clarinettists. He heads to Wellington this month on his first ever nationwide tour, to perform with NZTrio as part of a 10-centre tour for Chamber Music New Zealand.

Julian Bliss and NZTrio perform at the Michael Fowler Centre on Thursday 28 July as part of the tour which also includes Hamilton, Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill and Auckland.

Julian began playing clarinet as a four year old and excels as a concert soloist, chamber musician and jazz artist. He is also passionate about music education and regularly lectures in the United States and is the Patron of the Mayor of London’s Fund for Young Musicians. His influence on the next generation of young musicians is also demonstrated through his work with musical instrument manufacturers Conn-Selmer which led to the design and launch of the Leblanc Bliss range of affordable clarinets and over 30,000 Bliss instruments have been sold in the past seven years.

And Julian will also have an influence on young New Zealand musicians – during the tour he conducts a masterclass in Wellington, and Julian and NZTrio are the adjudicators for the New Zealand Community Trust National Chamber Music Contest Finals which take place in Auckland on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 August. Semi-finalists in the Contest include Wellington ensemble Trio Funky Dumky.

Chamber Music New Zealand has brought Julian Bliss together with NZTrio to perform two different programmes on the tour – pairing Julian’s versatility and virtuosity with NZTrio’s adventurous style.

At the heart of the programme is 20th century masterpiece, Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. This year marks the 75th anniversary since this emotional work premiered in Nazi prisoner of war camp Stalag VIII-A Camp.

Messiaen wrote the quartet while interned as a prisoner of war, writing for the players and instruments available – clarinet, piano, violin and cello and the work has been described as touching the farthest edges of human experience. It premiered in January 1941 for an audience of fellow prisoners and prison guards with Messiaen himself playing a poorly maintained upright piano in freezing conditions.

“It’s hard not to have an image of the first performance in mind when you approach the score for the quartet,” says NZTrio pianist Sarah Watkins.

“However what strikes me each time I sit at the piano is the incredible colour and sonority Messiaen has created – a somewhat mystical world of birdsong, deep spirituality and faith, all wrapped in a timeless luminous haze”.

Also featuring at the Wellington concert is the newly commissioned work from New Zealand composer Ross Harris. There may be light has been written specifically for Julian Bliss and NZTrio to complement Messiaen’s quartet.

Sarah says Ross’ work is “very spacious and full of subtle gestures often within a very delicate dynamic range with a sense of fragility. Ross himself says it follows a more tentative line raising questions for which there may or may not be answers.

“It’s a wonderful invitation for our audiences to conjure their own imaginings for what they hear.”

Brahms’ Trio for clarinet, cello and piano in A minor opens the programme for audiences In Wellington and Julian says this is a particular favourite of his. “Brahms is one of my favourite composers and he certainly doesn’t disappoint with this piece.”

The Julian Bliss and NZTrio tour also launches the CMNZ Prelude Series which encompass artist interviews, panel discussions, interactive Q&A sessions, performances and other extra events offered to enrich and enhance the concert experience. These events will be held prior to concerts in CMNZ Kaleidoscopes Series centres where possible and are free.

In Wellington, the CMNZ Prelude Series opens with an interview with New Zealand composer Ross Harris.

NZTrio and Julian Bliss perform at Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre on Thursday 28 July at 7:30pmwith the CMNZ Prelude Series pre-concert talk at 6.30pm. Tickets are available through Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz or phone 0800 TICKETEK (842 538). For further details visitwww.chambermusic.co.nz/julianbliss
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PROGRAMME 1
Performed in Hamilton, Hawke’s Bay, New Plymouth, Wellington, Invercargill
Brahms | Trio for clarinet, cello and piano in A minor Op. 114
Ross Harris | There may be light (CMNZ commission)
Messiaen | Quartet for the End of Time

PROGRAMME 2
Performed in Auckland, Palmerston North, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin
Debussy | Première rhapsodie
Milhaud | Suite for violin, clarinet and piano
Ross Harris | There may be light (CMNZ commission)
Messiaen | Quartet for the End of Time

TOUR DATES AND TICKETS

HAMILTON: Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts | Friday 22 July 7:30pm | CMNZ Prelude Series: Interview with composer Ross Harris 6.45pm | Book tickets at Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts (07) 858 5105 www.waikato.ac.nz/academy | Programme 1
HAWKE’S BAY: MTG Century Theatre | Saturday 23 July 8:00pm | CMNZ Prelude Series: Talk 7.00pm | Book tickets at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz | Programme 1
NEW PLYMOUTH: Theatre Royal, TSB Showplace | Monday 25 July 7:30pm | Book tickets at Ticketmaster 0800 111 999 www.ticketmaster.co.nz | Programme 1
PALMERSTON NORTH: Regent on Broadway | Tuesday 26 July 7:30pm | CMNZ Prelude Series: Talk6.45pm | Book tickets at Ticketdirect 0800 224 224 www.ticketdirect.co.nz | Programme 2
WELLINGTON: Michael Fowler Centre | Thursday 28 July 7:30pm | CMNZ Prelude Series: Interview with composer Ross Harris 6.30pm | Book tickets at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz | Programme 1
NELSON: Old St John's Church | Friday 29 July 7:30pm | Book tickets at Ticketdirect 0800 224 224www.ticketdirect.co.nz | Programme 2
CHRISTCHURCH: Charles Luney Auditorium | Saturday 30 July 7:30pm | CMNZ Prelude Series: Talk6.30pm | Book tickets at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz | Programme 2
DUNEDIN: Glenroy Auditorium | Monday 1 August 7:30pm | CMNZ Prelude Series: Performance by The Tūī Quartet 6.45pm | Book tickets at Ticketmaster 0800 111 999 www.ticketmaster.co.nz | Programme 2
INVERCARGILL: Civic Theatre | Tuesday 2 August 7:30pm | Book tickets at Ticketdirect 0800 224 224www.ticketdirect.co.nz | Programme 1
AUCKLAND: Auckland Town Hall | Sunday 7 August 5:00pm | CMNZ Prelude Series: Talk 4.15pm | Book tickets at Ticketmaster 0800 111 999 www.ticketmaster.co.nz | Programme 2

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