Auckland’s Rare Opportunity To Hear Legendary Kiwi Pianist For One Night Only This November

Although Houstoun officially retired in 2019, he has reappeared on stage each November since to play with MSO, and this year, he will be the soloist in the orchestra’s highly anticipated HOUSTOUN & EROICA. The repertoire includes Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No.2 and, regarded as one of the best symphonies ever composed, Beethoven’s Symphony No.3 ‘Eroica’.

Houstoun will perform the Shostakovich piano solo, undoubtedly captivating audiences with the intricate and virtuosic melody that Shostakovich composed for his son Maxim, as a birthday present in 1957. This Piano Concerto No 2 is light-spirited piece, but one that is known to touch listeners with a hauntingly beautiful slow movement, then an ending that sees the pianist climb right to the far corner of the keyboard and leaves audiences on the edge of their seats.

HOUSTOUN & EROICA is an incredibly rare opportunity to see a New Zealand pianist who had won every national piano competition by the time he was 18 years-old and played all 32 of Beethoven’s sonatas over the course of 12 months in both 1983 and 2013. MSO Music Director and Conductor Uwe Grodd says, “... it is such a privilege to be on stage with Michael again and we should all count ourselves very lucky that he is joining us once more this year, in our South Auckland home.”

Houstoun reports he is very much looking forward to playing on stage in Auckland again: “I was born to play music to people…the great thing about performing with the MSO is that the concerts are excellent and the big audiences love them. It is always a very happy experience for me.”

When asked if he misses playing as much the rest of the year, Houstoun says he plays all the time at home and actually never feels like he’s alone.

“I always have an audience in mind when I play and all my practice is focused on creating a performance. In that sense I don’t play for myself. But I enjoy my practising every day - I look forward to it. And I always play music - I never play scales or exercises. Sometimes I improvise. I have a mid-size Steinway and it is a great friend,” says Houstoun.

He also enjoys his role as the primary caregiver for his partner who can no longer look after himself: “I cook all our meals and I keep the garden from getting out of control. It is in early Spring berserk mode at the moment. So my days are full! ”

Manukau Symphony Orchestra looks forward to presenting ‘Houstoun & Eroica at 7.30pm, Saturday November 9, in Manukau’s Due Drop Events Centre, Tickets are available from Eventfinda.co.nz and at the door.

Repertoire

TCHAIKOVSKY’s ROMEO AND JULIET FANTASY OVERTURE : Love is pervasive in music, as it is in life. Follow Tchaikovsky’s passions of love and tragedy through melodic beauty and sumptuous instrumentation. The MSO will take you on an emotional journey through Shakespeare’s classic story in one of the composer’s most loved works.

SHOSTAKOVICH’s PIANO CONCERTO NO.2: Houstoun will navigate the intricate and virtuosic melodies of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No 2. This light-spirited piece with a hauntingly beautiful slow movement was written as a birthday present to the composer’s son Maxim in 1957. The ending sees the pianist climb right to the edge of the keyboard and, equally, has audiences on the edge of their seats too.

BEETHOVEN’s SYMPHONY NO.3 ‘EROICA’ Beethoven's Eroica Symphony marked a revolutionary moment in classical music, transforming both the scale and intensity of the symphony at the start of the 19th century. Its powerful orchestration and daring innovations created a sound unlike anything concertgoers had ever experienced before, stretching the boundaries of what music could express. The bold heroism and complexity of the piece were so groundbreaking that audiences initially found it overwhelming, with some even thinking that Beethoven had gone completely mad! Our conductor, Music Director Uwe Grodd adds: "Today the Eroica remains as impressive and revolutionary as ever and rightly stands as one of the greatest symphonies written."

About

Michael Houstoun was born in Timaru, in 1952 and was playing the piano by the age of five. He had won most of the major competitions in New Zealand by the time he was eighteen and began living and competing overseas from 1974, in places like the USA, UK, Germany and Holland. After living overseas for six years - including a valuable period of study with Brigitte Wild in London - he returned home in 1981 where he has enjoyed his life as something of an 'Artist in ResideNZ', performing recitals, concertos and chamber music all over the country year in year out.

Most years he was known to perform one or two new programs and consequently has built a very large repertoire spanning from J S Bach to the present day. Included are many compositions by New Zealand composers and several commissions. Houstoun has twice presented the complete Beethoven sonatas in seven-concert cycles and has performed the 48 Preludes and Fugues of Bach's 'Well-tempered Klavier' in two-concert events.

Since 1999 he has recorded for Rattle Records (rattle.co.nz) with five of his albums winning Classical Record of the Year awards. He has honorary degrees from Massey and Victoria universities, is a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit and a Laureate of the Arts Foundation of New Zealand. He is Advocate of Chamber Music New Zealand, and Patron of The NZ Institute of Registered Music Teachers, the NZ Music Examinations Board, the Kerikeri International Piano Competition and the Nelson School of Music.

The Manukau Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra based in South Auckland, New Zealand. The orchestra presents a series of varied concerts annually, at the Due Drop Events Centre (formerly the Vodafone Events Centre), Manukau and Te Tuhi Art Gallery, Pakuranga. MSO’s roots reach back as far as 1993 when it evolved from both the Howick Orchestra and the Howick-Pakuranga Youth Orchestra. It then became known as ‘Manukau’s orchestra’ with active support from the Manukau City Council and the Manukau community.

It has grown from a 22-piece ensemble to a full symphony orchestra with around 80 musicians that critic William Dart refers to as “Auckland’s most courageous orchestra.” MSO regularly collaborates with youth players and choirs in Auckland. MSO’s unique ‘players as mentors’ Tuakana mentorship programme and youth scholarship initiatives set it apart from other orchestras in New Zealand.

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