Orchestra patrons in the North Island will have a special treat this Waitangi Day, with two NZSO National Youth Orchestra concerts scheduled on February 6 and 7.
British conductor Ben Northey will lead the 75-strong orchestra in Wellington (Thursday February 6) and Napier (Friday February 7). The programme includes two works previously tackled by the Dunedin Youth Orchestra: Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherezade (which DYO performed under the baton of Holly Mathieson in a 2007 pirate-themed concert) and Douglas Lilburn’s Aotearoa Overture (which Peter Adams conducted in 2013). Rounding out the programme is Homage to Metallica by Australian Matthew Hindson.
For those of you who might be taking a long weekend up north, we definitely recommend heading along. Details about each event, including the times and venues, are below.
Members of the National Youth Orchestra that are currently also in the Dunedin Youth Orchestra are Sam Vennell (double bass) and Max Wilkinson (trombone). There are also a number of former DYO members in this iteration of the NYO.
Following this concert, applications are open for young musicians interested in joining the next NYO, which will perform in Auckland and Wellington in July. More information about NYO auditions can be found here.
And if you’re interested in joining the Dunedin Youth Orchestra, we still have some spaces vacant. Please contact us for more information, or register online. Auditions are 24-26 February–so don’t delay!
Programme:
LILBURN Aotearoa Overture
HINDSON Homage to Metallica
RIMSKY- KORSAKOV Scheherazade
Concerts:
Wellington – Thursday 6 February / 11.00am / Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand
Napier – Friday 7 February / 7.30pm / Napier Municipal Theatre