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In Daisy Evans’ conception, as Judith briefly reconnects with the joy and tragedy of her past, the effect is nothing short of devastating.

The unexpected grounding of Airbus A320s across the globe has musical consequences in Auckland, but Joyce DiDonato’s Berlioz saves the day. 

The NZTrio, joined by soprano Emma Pearson for a programme largely focused on female composers, ending with Salina Fisher's arrangement of Strauss’ Four Last Songs. 

Heard side by side, these two Stabat Maters, neither of which is a typical example of its kind, make for an evening of striking contrasts under conductor Valentina Peleggi. 

A key feature of New’s Mahler is the ability to keep everything cohesive across the long span of the works as witnessed in this account of the Sixth Symphony. 

In invigorating performances of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven in Auckland, Suzuki's interpretative approach evokes the sensibilities of historically informed performance. 

Daniil Trifonov takes New Zealand by storm with a performance of Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto of technical command and musical artistry.

It was clear that there is much more to Lane’s conception of these works than mere surface beauty. 

The NZSO are on sparkling form in Puccini arias and other operatic orchestral passages; Eliza Boom shows her potential as a Puccini singer of the future.

David Fray's mannered Bach is a let-down, but Karl-Heinz Steffens brings out the spacious majesty in Bruckner's Ninth Symphony. 

Centred around Scriabin’s mystical Poem of Ecstasy, a thrilling journey through the byways of twentieth century music takes in New Zealand, Finland and France.

The strings brought gleaming tone to their long phrases, the cellos particularly gorgeous in tone and deeply felt in phrasing, and New built each restatement to glorious and emotional crushing climax. 

Much delayed by the pandemic, Giordano Bellincampi's Beethoven symphony cycle with the Auckland PO finally reaches its conclusion with a triumphant closing concert. 

New Zealand-born violinist Geneva Lewis soars in Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto, framed in Giordano Bellincampi's programme by Korngold and Dvořák.

In this part-concert and part-lecture, Michael Vinten chronicles the history or New Zealand art song through the lives of the composers and poets featured, stories alternately hilarious and tragic.

Hahn balanced tranquility and ferocity in Prokofiev's First Violin Concerto, and conductor Gemma New drew out an especially nuanced reading of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony.

An excitingly theatrical Verdi Requiem under Giordano Bellincampi, benefitting greatly from a mostly stunning line-up of solo singers.

An astonishing showcase, with Christian Li tackling both works with technical skill and swagger that belied his tender age. 

The slow movement is gorgeous in an unashamedly romantic fashion and Morrison, some moments of uncertain intonation aside, gave a poetic rendition, at times fining his sound down to the most exquisite filigree of sound. 

A combination of Western orchestral tradition and traditional Māori culture proves a fascinating and a worthwhile contribution to New Zealand’s orchestral repertoire.

Giordano Bellincampi presides over a fleet and crisp performance of Beethoven's only opera, performed in Auckland Town Hall. 

De Waart once again showed a formidable grasp of the musical structure so that the occasional outbursts of violence made thematic sense and a strong feeling of tension led up to the final cry of despair.

Edo de Waart and the NZSO thrill with the old warhorse that is Schubert's ninth as much as in an insightful and exciting rendition of Salonen's Violin Concerto.

It was an altogether riotous and highly enjoyable performance of a wacky work, one long overdue to be heard in this country.

A case of musical minds being in particularly close interpretative sync, revealing the music not through showy display but through restrained but intense concentration.

In the exquisite singing line of the second movement, the appeal was not just in her beauty of tone but in the concentrated feeling Mullova brought to the shaping of each phrase.

This was a true tour de force and a fitting climax to a rather miraculous examination of counterpoint through musical history.

This was astonishing and gripping vocalism from a true master of Berlioz style.

Bellincampi’s way with this symphony was impressive: he knitted the composer’s sometimes diffuse structural cells into something cohesive, with no loss of tension in the various silences and odd transitional moments.

The vocal items in this programme were the most successful, driven as they were by Bauer's searing interpretations.

Stephen Layton returns to Auckland to continue his series of Bach's choral masterpieces with the APO. 

An evening made up of five Mozart divertimentos had its longueurs, but the Italian period instrument ensemble delighted the audience. 

The Viennese clarinettist joined the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and Carlos Miguel Prieto in a programme of Copland, Weber and Shostakovich.

The New Zealander Heldentenor makes a welcome return to Auckland for Wagner's erotic song cycle. 

Though occasionally entertaining, this production was ultimately unsatisfying as a stage presentation of Bernstein’s work. 

Edo de Waart opted frequently for slow, steady tempi that robbed the music of a lot of its inner vitality.

Puccini’s score has many thrilling moments, here taken up by a fascinating if uneven cast of singers.

On the basis of this concert, the graduate ensemble Juilliard415 (named after the standard Baroque pitch of 415 Hz) is already of extremely high quality indeed, technically proficient and highly in-tune with Baroque style.

This was a most impressive showing from the orchestra and conductor in which the works of three influential composers given emotionally engrossing treatment.

Notwithstanding Esfahani and McKeish’s sterling account of the Poulenc and the orchestra’s thrilling take on The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, this was not a consistent enough concert to be called a complete success.

While maybe not for the musical puritans, this was the perfect showcase for an exceptional group of musicians to demonstrate their formidable technical and interpretative talents and to respectfully give some new vitality to the magical works of Purcell.

...it was the Bach pieces that were the undoubted highlights, particularly the radiant contribution of Sara Macliver.

The interpretation was crowned by the most rapt rendition of the last movement imaginable, all yearningly luminescent and full of spellbinding nobility of tone from the orchestra.

Les Talens Lyriques gave performances of the utmost sophistication and elegance, more than living up to their reputations of masters of this repertoire.

This Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra concert was titled simply "Degenerate" and designed to showcase works that were – or would have been – banned for their so-called "degeneracy" during the Third Reich, either for the perceived "radical" nature of the music or for the simple fact the composer was Jewish.

And well should the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra celebrate too, if this concert is any indication of the quality of music-making to come.

There was a consistent sense of fun in the solo part, matched by the ebullient conducting of Bellincampi.

Overall, Bellincampi made a strong argument for some neglected musical treasures and one looks forward to see how his collaboration with the Auckland Philharmonia develops.

From the very beginning, as Faust teased out the twisting opening theme, one could tell this was to be no ordinary Mendelssohn performance.

"under Inkinen the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has set a standard that is rarely surpassed even internationally"