November Rhapsody: Conductor And Pianist Superstars Join NZSO

Superstar conductor Vasily Petrenko leads the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in November for two extraordinary concerts in Wellington and Auckland featuring virtuosic pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk.

Gavrylyuk, hailed as “an extraordinary talent” by legendary Russian pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy, performs Rachmaninov’s brilliant Rhapsody of a Theme of Paganini, inspired by the music of violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini.

The pianist’s performances of Rhapsody have been praised as “note-perfect as well as being interpretively impressive. His bright and crisp pianism made the music gleam” (Bachtrack).

Maestro Petrenko, whose impact as music director of Britain’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra since 2021 was hailed as “transformational” by The Guardian, is no stranger to Gavrylyuk including performances with the pianist and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

 “He is one of the leading pianists of his generation, it’s been a pleasure to be on stage with him in LA and I'm looking forward to this upcoming collaboration,” the conductor says.

For the concert Alexander Gavrylyuk plays Rachmaninov, Maestro Petrenko also leads the orchestra for the New Zealand premiere of Lera Auerbach’s acclaimed 2011 work Icarus, and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra.

He says Bartók’s masterpiece will require considerable virtuosity by every member of the NZSO as there are many solo performances. “This piece is very special because it reflects many aspects of Bartok's life and 20th-century world history.”

The conductor has also long championed Auerbach’s Icarus in concerts, including performances with the Royal Philharmonic and Britain’s National Youth Orchestra. 

“Icarus is a well-known legend, and Lera's approach to it, between ‘self-challenging’ and ‘self-belief’, is very special. To me this is one of the best contemporary compositions,” he says.

Maestro Petrenko last conducted the NZSO in 2015. “I still remember the people's warmth, both in the orchestra and in the public. I have always wanted to come back,” he says.

“The orchestra performing at their absolute best (and beyond) every time is my goal and the biggest success, in my view. And to improve society's life – wherever we are performing, both emotionally and materially. The greatest motivation is to make the world better!”

Tickets to Alexander Gavrylyuk plays Rachmaninov are available via Ticketmaster.

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