The ensemble has been Quartet-in-Residence at the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University of Wellington since 1991 and in 2019 celebrated 25 years running the Adam Summer School for Chamber Music. Violinist Helene Pohl and violist Gillian Ansell are co-artistic directors of the biennial Adam Chamber Music Festival in Nelson. Gillian, Helene and cellist Rolf Gjelsten have received MNZM honours for services to music in New Zealand.
The Philip Carter Family Concert Hall The Piano 156 Armagh St Christchurch. www.thepiano.nz
Tickets are available at the door $40 cash, $42 EFTPOS/credit card for adults; $15 cash, $17 EFTPOS/credit card for students or from Eventfinda (charges apply).
Please note that, in 2024, our concerts will start at 7:00 PM. We ask that patrons be seated 5 minutes before the scheduled starting time.
The Christopher Marshall Concert 7:00 PM Tuesday 14 May - Otis Prescott-Mason
Otis Prescott-Mason (piano)
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major, Op. 7 Chopin - Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise, Op. 22 Mozart - Adagio in B minor, K. 540 Liszt - Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178
Wellington-born Otis Prescott-Mason began his piano studies at the age of 5. He is currently studying under Dr. Jian Liu at New Zealand School of Music, Te Kōkī.
In 2022 Otis was awarded first prize at the Lewis Eady National Piano Competition, New Zealand's national piano competition, and the 2022 National Young Performer Awards. In 2023 he became an AWE Fellow and was awarded a ROSL Pettman Scholarship designed to assist future study and career opportunities for emerging NZ musicians showing exceptional career promise.
7:00 PM Tuesday 21 May - Aroha Quartet with Oleksandr Gunchenko
Haihong Liu (violin) Konstanze Artmann(violin) Zhongxian Jin (viola) Robert Ibell (cello) Oleksandr Gunchenko (double bass)
Boccherini - String Quintet in D, Op. 39 No. 3 Onslow - String Quintet No. 15 in C minor, Op. 29 "The Bullet" Webster - "Swim with Sliding Continents" Dvorák - String Quintet No. 2 in G, Op. 77
Acclaimed as demonstrating "accomplished brilliance, soulfulness and sublime intensity in perfect balance and tonal unity" (The Dominion Post), the Aroha String Quartet is firmly established as one of New Zealand's finest chamber music ensembles.
Oleksandr Gunchenko was born in Kiev, Ukraine. He became a member of the National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra at the age of 19 and at the age of 20 gained a position with the National Chamber Orchestra of Ukraine. Oleksandr joined the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in 2007.
7:00 PM Thursday 29 August - Ākarana Quartet
Andrew Beer (violin) Robert Ashworth (viola) Chen Cao (cello) Sarah Watkins (piano)
Turina - Piano Quartet in A minor, Op. 67 Martinů - Piano Quartet No. 1, H287 Jennings - Twelve Colours: Homage to Paul Klee Schumann - Piano Quartet in E flat major, Op. 47
Award-winning musicians Andrew Beer, violin, and Sarah Watkins, piano (Best Classical Artist 2020, NZ Music Awards) have formed Ākarana Piano Quartet. They are joined by two outstanding colleagues from the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra – principal violist Robert Ashworth and sub-principal cellist Chen Cao.
7:00 PM Thursday 12 September - Darroch/DeHart Duo
Hannah Darroch (flute) Justin DeHart (percussion)
Harrison - First Concerto for Flute & Percussion Takemitsu - Toward the Sea Percussion Solo by NZ composer Corral - Heptomino Farr - Kembang Suling: Three Musical snapshots of Asia Lang - lend/lease Fisher - Te Tangi a te Matui (solo flute) Williams - Cineshape I Akin - Karakurenai
Hannah Darroch and Justin DeHart are dedicated to championing both new and classic pieces for flute and percussion. With Justin being an American now based in New Zealand, and Hannah being a New Zealander who spent many years living in Montreal, they are both in a unique position to bring their international connections, perspective, and awareness of the broader music scene to the diverse audiences of Aotearoa. They premiered their first concert as a duo in 2021 and remain active chamber music collaborators based in Christchurch.
7:00 PM Thursday 3 October - Liam Wooding & Jeremy Garside
Liam Wooding (piano) Jeremy Garside (cello)
Debussy - Cello Sonata, L. 135 Britten - Cello Sonata, Op. 65 Messiaen - Louange a l’eternité de Jesus Bridge - Cello Sonata, H. 125
Liam Wooding first performed for Christopher’s Classics in 2019 with the Morton Trio. In 2024 he will perform with the recently appointed CSO Associate Principal Cellist Jeremy Garside.
Liam is one of New Zealand’s leading emerging pianists and enjoys an eclectic career of collaborating, performing and teaching. His 2021 tour with the Chamber Music NZ regional series received rapturous reviews from every venue.
Jeremy is originally from Perth and trained at the University of Western Australia and the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne, where he participated in orchestral training programs. A keen chamber musician, while at ANAM Jeremy performed in the finals of the ANAM chamber music competition with two ensembles in 2019.
7:00 PM Thursday 10 October - NZTrio
Amalia Hall (violin) Somi Kim (piano) Ashley Brown (cello)
Fanny Mendelssohn - Piano Trio D minor, Op. 11 Joan Tower - Trio Cavany Eva Bedggood - New Commission Ethel Smyth - Piano Trio in D minor
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 2024 with a programme of classic pieces of chamber music mixed with innovative new repertoire. This concert features all female composers. It begins with Fanny Mendelssohn’s trio (1846-47) and continues with contemporary composers Joan Tower (2007) and young New Zealand composer Eva Bedggood. Eva’s piece is a Christopher’s Classics commission. The concert finishes with the rarely heard masterpiece by English composer and suffragette Ethel Smyth (1880).
7:00 PM Tuesday 23 April - Morton Trio & Friends
Arna Morton (violin) Alex Morton (French horn) Liam Wooding (piano) David McGregor (clarinet) Sharon Baylis (viola) Jeremy Garside (cello)
The Morton Trio was established in 2017 and has performed for Christopher’s Classics in 2019 and 2022. The Trio is committed to discovering and performing lesser‑known works from the genre, as well as expanding the horn trio repertoire through new commissions and arrangements. For this concert, Morton Trio’s original members are joined by colleagues from the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, David McGregor (clarinet), Sharon Baylis (viola), and Jeremy Garside (cello).