A woman’s place… is in the concert hall

26 September 2018

A woman’s place… is in the concert hall

The pioneering spirit of the suffrage movement will be celebrated in a programme of music and inspiring messages from various wahine toa in A Woman’s Place, presented by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO), in association with Auckland Museum.

New Zealand musician Tiny Ruins will perform with the APO and headlines the evening’s all-female programme of music, which also includes a performance of her brand new single ‘Olympic Girls’. Conducted by one of the most promising female conductors today, New Zealander Tianyi Lu, the APO and guest soloists Amalia Hall (violin) and Modi Deng (piano) will also perform thought-provoking works by historic and contemporary female composers, including Clara Schumann, Ethel Smyth, and New Zealand composers Gillian Whitehead, Salina Fisher and Claire Cowan.

This special event at Auckland Town Hall takes place on Thursday 29 November, the day after the 125th anniversary of when New Zealand women voted for the first time. It is part of the Ministry for Women’s Suffrage 125 commemorations being held around the country throughout 2018.

A Woman’s Place is also supported by RNZ, and will be hosted by RNZ Concert presenter Clarissa Dunn. The evening’s programme also features contributions from prominent New Zealand women, including Dame Rosanne Meo, Selina Tusitala Marsh, Georgina Beyer and Dr Siouxsie Wiles, among others. Helen Clark will send a special pre-recorded message to the Town Hall audience.

Throughout the evening, powerful archival footage and images from Auckland Museum’s ‘Are We There Yet?’ exhibition will be projected in the concert hall, curated by Auckland Museum’s exhibition team together with Creature visual effects studio. Head of Exhibitions, Victoria Travers says “It has been wonderful to collaborate with the APO to bring together our collection with the wahine toa involved in this performance. It’s an exciting experience in celebration of Suffrage 125.”

APO Chief Executive Barbara Glaser says she hopes the event will bring people closer to the story of women’s suffrage, and highlight some of the powerful stories and contributions of women who have shaped history. “This is a very special event for us, and a time for both celebration and reflection,” Glaser says. “We hope it will inspire people and contribute to the dialogue about equality in Aotearoa,” she adds.

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