The New Zealand String Quartet Are Bringing Their Nature-Inspired Programme To Ecosanctuaries Around Aotearoa

Nature lovers and music enthusiasts alike are invited to experience a captivating fusion of music and the natural world at Sounds of the Sanctuary, performed by the New Zealand String Quartet – Te Rōpū Tūrū o Aotearoa (NZSQ). The ensemble is taking this unforgettable concert on tour to three wildlife sanctuaries this October: Cape Sanctuary in Hawke’s Bay, Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre in Wairarapa and Brook Waimārama Sanctuary in Nelson.

Sounds of the Sanctuary promises a unique and delightful multi-sensory experience for concertgoers. The concert programme features music by New Zealand composers Gareth Farr and Dame Gillian Whitehead that draw inspiration from, and directly reference, the natural landscape of Aotearoa. Alongside these are major works by Haydn and Dvořák which celebrate and connect us to the natural world through the power of music.

Earlier this year, the ensemble performed Sounds of the Sanctuary for sold-out crowds at Zealandia Ecosanctuary in Wellington, Orokonui Ecosanctuary in Otago and Bushy Park Forest Sanctuary in Whanganui. The upcoming concerts in October will take the concert into three more fitting locations. Cape Sanctuary, Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre and Brook Waimārama are all areas of restored forest and are home to a wide range of endangered New Zealand wildlife.

Sounds of the Sanctuary is the flagship programme in the NZSQ’s 2024 performance season, titled Soundscapes. The ensemble has spent the year taking their audiences outside of the traditional concert hall, showcasing chamber music in new and exciting spaces and exploring the way music connects us to our surroundings.

These concerts come off the back off their triumphant win of Best Classical Artist at the 2024 Aotearoa Music Awards. They also provide an opportunity for audiences to experience the ensemble's new violinist, Peter Clark, who joined the quartet in June 2024.

Sounds of the Sanctuary promises an enchanting afternoon for all, filled with music and nature. Book now at www.nzsq.org.nz/upcoming-concerts

Sounds of the Sanctuary

• Saturday 19 October, 4pm at Rosewood Cape Kidnappers. 
• Sunday 20 October, 3pm at Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre.
• Monday 28 October, 12pm & 4pm at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, presented by the Nelson Arts Festival. 

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