2023 SEASON

2023 Season

Please click here for our 2023 Season brochure

7:30 PM Tuesday 3 October - Ghost Trio

Monique Lapins (violin)
Ken Ichinose (cello)
Gabriela Glapska (piano)

Beethoven - Piano Trio in D Major Op. 70 ‘Ghost’
Norris - ‘Dirty Pixels’
Tansman - Piano Trio No. 2
Brahms - Trio in C minor Op. 101

Programme

Named for Beethoven’s famous work for piano trio, the Ghost Trio was founded in mid-2019 as one of Gabriela’s PhD recital projects.

Having quickly realised that they immensely enjoy playing together, they decided to continue working as a trio. All three are accomplished soloists and chamber musicians with diverse backgrounds. Despite their recent formation as a trio, they have already gained reputation as one of the most refreshing and enjoyable chamber groups in Aotearoa.

The trio has focused on exploring a new approach to the greatest music written for piano trio, as well as the discovery of less-known contemporary treasures of the piano trio repertoire.

7:30 PM Thursday 14 September - Arygle Trio

Wilma Smith (violin)
Matthias Balzat (cello)
Laurence Matheson (piano)

Beethoven - Piano Trio C minor Op. 1 No. 3 Smetana - Piano Trio in G minor Op. 15
Dvořák - Piano Trio in D minor Op. 90 “Dumky"

Tickets
Programme

Since retiring from the MSO, Wilma Smith has prioritised her chamber music roots, enjoying old and new relationships in the US and New Zealand as well as Australia.

Matthias Balzat is a New Zealand born cellist. He began playing the cello at the age of 3, and has completed his NZ studies under James Tennant. Matthias was the winner of the strings section of the ROSL Annual Music Competition in 2021.

From Melbourne, Laurence Matheson is a pianist who began his full-time studies in 2013. He was selected as a Fellow of the Australian National Academy of Music in 2016.

7:30 PM Thursday 31 August - NZTrio

Amalia Hall (violin)
Somi Kim (piano)
Ashley Brown (cello)

Enescu - Piano Trio A minor
Chen Yi - Tunes from My Home
Victoria Kelly - Lyre
Dvořák - Piano Trio No. 3 in F minor, Op. 65

Tickets

Programme

The NZTrio is recognised as a “national treasure” and “New Zealand’s most indispensable ensemble” (NZ Herald). The Trio, who are well known to Christopher’s Classics audiences, return for 2023 with a programme of classic pieces of chamber music mixed with innovative new repertoire

7:30 PM Thursday 27 July - Serenity, David & Sarah

Serenity Thurlow (viola)
David McGregor (clarinet)
Sarah Watkins (piano)
Programme

Mozart - Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano In E-flat major, K. 498 “Kegelstatt”
Bruch - 8 Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, Op. 83 (extracts)
Rebecca Clarke - Clarinet and Viola Duo
Eric Ewazen - Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano

In 2010, Serenity Thurlow was appointed Principal Viola of the CSO. In 2016 she premiered Chris Cree-Brown’s Viola Concerto for the CSO.

New Zealand clarinetist David McGregor returned to NZ in 2018 to become the Principal Clarinet of the CSO. In 2020, David appeared as soloist with the CSO performing Mozart's Clarinet Concerto.

Sarah Watkins was born and studied in Christchurch. She is now based in Auckland. One of the original members of the NZTrio, she has performed in numerous concerts for Christopher's Classics.

7:30 PM Thursday 1 June - Arvida Quartet

Arna Morton (violin)
Isaac Shatford (violin)
Sharon Baylis (viola)
Jay Lee (cello)

Selections from Last Leaf - Nordic Folk Tunes
arr. by the Danish String Quartet
Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen - String Quartet
No. 2 ‘Quartetto Facile’
Grieg - String Quartet No. 1 in G minor op. 27

Programme

Formed by CSO musicians Arna Morton (Principal Second Violin), Isaac Shatford, Sharon Baylis (Associate Principal Viola) and Jay Lee (cello), the Arvida Quartet present a programme entitled Nordania: a celebration of music from Nordic lands.

The Christopher Marshall Concert
7:30 PM Thursday 18 May - Hyein Kim

Hyein Kim (cello)
Katherine Austin (piano)

Prokofiev - Cello sonata in C major, Op. 119
Rachmaninoff - Vocalise, Op. 34
Tchaikovsky - Pezzo capriccioso, Op. 62
Shostakovich - Cello sonata in D minor, Op. 40
Karl Davidoff - At the fountain, Op. 20 No. 2

Programme

Hyein Kim was born in 1999 in Seoul, South Korea and moved to Christchurch in 2007. At 13 he was awarded first prize at the International Padova Competition in Italy. He has been awarded first prize in the Gisborne International Music Competition and second prize in 2021 National Concerto Competition.

Head of Piano Studies at the University of Waikato for 21 years, New Zealand pianist Katherine Austin performs regularly around NZ and overseas, touring frequently for Chamber Music New Zealand, and broadcasting regularly on Radio New Zealand Concert.

7:30 PM Thursday 4 May - Duo Enharmonics

Beth Chen (piano)
Nicole Chao (piano)

Bach/Kurtág - Gottes Zeit ist die aller beste Zeit
(God's time is the very best time)
Schubert - Fantasy in F Minor D.940
Ravel/Garban - La valse
Psathas - Fragment
Rachmaninov - Six Morceaux Op.11
Strauss/Anderson - Blue Danube Fantasy

Programme

New Zealand classical music team Duo Enharmonics is energising classical music through their virtuosic and emotionally thrilling programmes. The "unanimity of feeling" that one reviewer notes arises from their shared musical vision, which is seen in their harmonised physical gestures and heard in their remarkably synched sonic utterances. Their physical and musical gestures are saturated with subtleties of nuance only made possible after years of full-time duo partnership.

7:30 PM Thursday 20 April - New Zealand String Quartet with Helen Webby

Helene Pohl (violin)
Monique Lapins (violin)
Gillian Ansell (viola)
Rolf Gjelsten (cello)
Helen Webby (harp)

Prokofiev - String Quartet No. 1 in B minor
Bax - Harp Quintet
Webern - Quartet 1905
Mozart - String Quartet K458 "Hunt"

Programme

New Zealand’s premiere string quartet, the New Zealand String Quartet, team up with CSO Principal Harp, Helen Webby, to perform the Bax Harp Quintet.