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2021 Concert Series

We are pleased to announce a season of five concerts for 2021, plus a an extra special concert – Winterreise – that is not part of the series (details below). Memberships and season tickets are available here.  Tickets to individual concerts are available in advance here, or at the door – cash only – $30 for members and $40 for non-members for the main season, and $20 for the extra concert. For more details, view the 2021 brochure.

Megiddo and Thomson – A Cello Journey
Thursday 20th May – 7:30pm
St. Marks Church, Woburn Road, Lower Hutt

  • de Falla – Suite Populaire Espagnole
  • Salina Fisher – Mono no aware (物の哀れ)
  • Clara Schumann – Three Romances, op 22
  • Shostakovich – Adagio & Springtime Waltz from The Limpid Stream
  • Nadia Boulanger – Three Pieces for Cello & Piano
  • Brahms – Sonata no 2 in F, op 99

Inbal Megiddo (cello) and Rachel Thomson (piano) present music that demonstrates the breadth of expression and emotion found in the cello-piano repertoire. At her New York debut, Inbal’s playing was hailed as having “magical expression and technical expertise”. She now teaches at the NZ School of Music. Rachel works with many chamber groups and as an orchestral pianist.

Presented in association with Chamber Music New Zealand.

New Zealand String Quartet
Thursday 3rd June – 7:30pm
St. Marks Church, Woburn Road, Lower Hutt

Helene Pohl (violin), Monique Lapins (violin), Gillian Ansell (viola) and Rolf Gjelsten (cello) present a 250th Anniversary Celebration:

  • Beethoven – String Quartet in C minor, op 18/4
  • Beethoven – String Quartet in Eƅ major, op 74
  • Beethoven – String Quartet in C# minor, op 131

New Zealand String Quartet has been New Zealand’s leading chamber ensemble since 1987, with a distinguished record of international successes and acclaimed recordings. It has been the Quartet-in-Residence at the NZ School of Music since 1991. The Quartet’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, last year, was disrupted. This belated programme spans his composing genius.


Extra Special Concert Winterreise
Friday 2nd July – 7:30pm
St. Marks Church, Woburn Road, Lower Hutt

NB: Winterreise is not part of the subscription series.
Winterreise tickets are $20 for all adults, $10 for students, free for school children.
(available in advance through the website, or cash only at the door)

Will King (baritone) with Nicholas Kovacev (piano) – students of the NZ School of Music – present Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise D911. Winterreise (A Winter Journey) is a cycle of 24 songs, composed by Schubert to poems by Wilhelm Müller. The poetry is written in the voice of a young man who, having seen his beloved marry another, sets out on foot in the deepest winter to escape memories of her. His heart is broken, and his life is a torment of memories, dreams, and present pain. Schubert’s music perfectly captures that torrent of emotion with his exquisite control of the harmonies and melodic flow.


Liam Wooding (piano)
Tuesday 27th July – 7:30pm
St. Marks Church, Woburn Road, Lower Hutt

  • Douglas Lilburn – Sonata (1939)
  • Stuart Greenbaum – Remote Connection
  • Beethoven – Sonata in C# minor, op27/2 Moonlight
  • Duke Ellington – Reflections
  • Debussy – Images book 1
  • John Adams – Phrygian Gates

Liam Wooding is one of Aotearoa’s leading young pianists. He won the National Concerto Competition, performing with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, and been a soloist with Auckland Philharmonia and Auckland Chamber Orchestras. As a chamber musician he toured New Zealand with Morton Trio in 2019. A graduate of Australian National Academy of Music, Liam is presently studying at University of Waikato.

Presented in association with Chamber Music New Zealand.

Sweet Chance – songs from Germany & France
Thursday 26th August – 7:30pm
St. Marks Church, Woburn Road, Lower Hutt

Willkommen, Bienvenue! Songs from Germany and France:

  • Sämtliche Lieder – Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann and Wagner
  • Brahms – Zwei Gesänge (mezzo, viola, piano)
  • Fauré – Two Duets, op 10 (soprano, mezzo, piano)
  • Reynaldo Hahn – a selection of songs, including À Chloris
  • Berlioz – a selection of songs including La Spectre de la Rose
  • Charles Martin Loefler – two songs from Four Poems, op 5 (soprano, viola, piano)
  • Poulenc – Novelette no.1 (piano solo)
  • Auguste Panerson – Sainte Cécile
  • Fauré – Pavane (soprano, mezzo, piano)
  • Kurt Weill – a selection, including Je ne t’aime pas, Schickelgrüber

Morag Aitchison (soprano), Catrin Johnsson (mezzo) and Rachel Fuller (piano) all studied together at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Here they are joined by Serenity Thurlow (viola). They want to restore the vocal recital to current music-making. Their programme – Willkommen, Bienvenue! – brings together songs from Germany and France.

Presented in association with Chamber Music New Zealand.

Ghost Trio
Wednesday 13th October – 7:30pm
St. Marks Church, Woburn Road, Lower Hutt

Willkommen, Bienvenue! Songs from Germany and France:

  • Haydn – Piano Trio in G major, Hob. XV:41
  • Josiah Carr – time and glue
  • Fauré – Piano Trio in D minor, op 120
  • Dvořák – Piano Trio No 3 in F minor, op 65

Monique Lapins (violin) and Ken Ichinose (cello) joined Gabriela Glapska (piano) in mid-2019 for a recital project for Gabriela’s doctorate. They enjoyed playing together, have continued and quickly gained a reputation for refreshing performances of the greatest music written for piano trio as well as for revealing less-known contemporary treasures.

Presented in association with Chamber Music New Zealand.

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2020 Concert Series

Unfortunately due to COVID-19 disruption, our first two concerts for 2020 (Jun Bouterey-Ishido and the Cowan-Darroch Duo) have had to be cancelled, and the Marmen String Quartet will be unable to join us in October.

We are pleased to confirm a revised season of three concerts for the remainder of 2020. Memberships and season tickets are available here.  Tickets to individual concerts are available in advance here, or at the door – cash only – for $30 each. For more details, view the revised 2020 brochure.

Lara Hall & Rachael Griffiths-Hughes
Friday 28th August – 7:30pm
St. Marks Church, Woburn Road, Lower Hutt

  • Playford – Paul’s Steeple from The Division Violin
  • Gibbs – Sonata VI in F major
  • Handel – Sonata in A major, HWV 361
  • Gibbs – Sonata V in E major
  • Handel – Sonata in D major, HWV 371
  • Playford – Faronell’s Division on a Ground from The Division Violin
  • Gibbs – Sonata VII in Eƅ major
  • Handel – Sonata in G minor, HWV 364a
  • Gibbs – Sonata in Bƅ major

Both from the University of Waikato: Lara teaches violin and viola and is Concertmaster of Opus Orchestra; Rachael is Convenor of Music and directs the University Chamber Choir. They present a programme of English Georgian music, typically full of elegance, drama and spontaneous flair. It is built around sonatas by Joseph Gibbs, relatively unknown, but encompassing a great variety of styles with unexpected surprises.

Presented in association with Chamber Music New Zealand.

Aroha String Quartet & Robert Orr 
Tuesday 8th September – 7:30pm
St. Marks Church, Woburn Road, Lower Hutt

  • Britten – Phantasy Quartet, op 2, for oboe and string trio
  • Beethoven – String Quartet in F major, op 59/1 (Rasoumovsky)
  • Alex Taylor – Refrain for string quartet
  • Bliss – Quintet for Oboe and String Quartet, op 21

Founded in 2004, the quartet is known for its “accomplished brilliance, soulfulness and sublime intensity, all in perfect balance and tonal unity”. It is committed to presenting works from the western classical and avant-garde repertoires to Chinese folk music. The members have been strong contributors to recent Music Residencies in Hutt Valley schools. They will be joined by Robert Orr, principal oboe in the NZ Symphony Orchestra.

NZTrio
Thursday 8th October – 7:30pm
St. Marks Church, Woburn Road, Lower Hutt

  • Beethoven – Piano Trio in C minor, op 1/3
  • Kristoz Hatziz – Old Photographs
  • Salina Fisher – Kintsugi – a new work
  • Dinuk Wijeratne – Love Triangle
  • Ravel – Piano Trio in A minor

NZTrio is renowned for its eclectic repertoire, outstanding talent and warm stage presence – it has been described as a “national treasure”. Re-forming the trio over the past two years, Ashley Brown, the founding cellist, is now joined by Amalia Hall, Concertmaster of Orchestra Wellington, and by Somi Kim, a young pianist who recently graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Performance and a Master of Arts with Distinction from the Royal Academy of Music.

Presented in association with Chamber Music New Zealand.