Joyce DiDonato’s Berlioz takes flight in Auckland

Joyce DiDonato and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

By Simon Holden, 01 December 2025

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“a singer of extraordinary imagination and emotional depth”

Reviewed at Auckland Town Hall: Great Hall, Auckland on 29 November 2025

Mozart, Symphony no. 41 in C major, "Jupiter”, K551

Berlioz, Les Nuits d'été, Op.7

Joyce DiDonato, Mezzo-soprano

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

Gemma New, Conductor

A tale of two Stabat Maters in Auckland

Simon Holden, 3rd October

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.

***11

Gemma New conducts a superb Mahler 6 in Auckland

Simon Holden, 6th September

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.

*****

Masaaki Suzuki and the NZSO take on classical music’s legends

Simon Holden, 10th May

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

*****

Astonishing Rachmaninov from Daniil Trifonov

Simon Holden, 12th April

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

*****

The orchestra shine in NZSO's Puccini Arias programme

Simon Holden, 26th October

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.

***11

Gemma New and the NZSO travel through twentieth century music

Simon Holden, 27th October

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.

****1

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Simon Holden

Simon is an operaphile based in Auckland, New Zealand. He wrote his dissertation on Japanese popular music. With a background in piano and classical music retail, he spends his time attending as much opera or vocal concert as he can and blogs at irishenceaway.blogspot.com.

Joyce DiDonato’s Berlioz takes flight in Auckland as NZSO is grounded in Wellington