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Sunday Classics Inc. presents
Christopher’s Classics Series XXIV programme – 2019 PLAY ON |
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If music be the food of love, play on
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Once again Christopher’s Classics offers Christchurch music lovers a top line-up of
musicians, performing at The Piano at 7.30pm, The Piano, 156 Armagh St, Christchurch
musicians, performing at The Piano at 7.30pm, The Piano, 156 Armagh St, Christchurch
Thurs 7 March – Wilma & Friends
Acclaimed violinist Wilma Smith returns to Christchurch with Australian performers Anna Pakorny (cello) and Ian Munro (piano) to play a mixture of Beethoven, Brahms and Francaix, as well as Ian’s own internationally acclaimed composition, ‘Piano Trio Tales from Old Russia’, commissioned by Sunday Classics Inc.
Thurs 4 April - Julien Van Mellaerts and James Baillieu
New Zealand baritone Julien Van Mallaerts is the only person to have won first prize in both the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and the Wigmore Hall Kohn Foundation International Song Competition. Julien sang Schaunard in NZ Opera’s production of La Boheme in October 2018. In this concert, he’ll perform songs from Schubert, Schumann, Britten and others, accompanied by James Baillieu, professor and head of piano accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Together, they are amongst the leading young performers of art song and lieder.
Wed 1 May – New Zealand String Quartet
Christopher’s Classics is joining with Chamber Music New Zealand to present the Christchurch concert in the quartet’s regional tour featuring compositions by Beethoven, Jack Body, Shostakovich and Brahms. Helene Pohl (1st violin), Monique Lapins (2nd violin), Gillian Ansell (viola) and Rolf Gjelsten (cello) are a cornerstone of our series - superb musicians and communicators who perform every year for Christopher’s Classics.
Tues 21 May – Mark Menzies & Colleagues
Mark Menzies took up the professor of music position at Canterbury University (UC) in 2017. His world-wide reputation as a viola and violin virtuoso, chamber musician, pianist, conductor and contemporary music advocate has seen him perform in Europe, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Japan and across the United States, including a series of performances in New York’s Carnegie Hall. In this concert he will be performing on piano alongside Gayle Blankenburg, a distinguished US pianist and academic in residence at UC during May 2019. On stage also – Justin DeHart, an American Grammy nominated performer of contemporary musical styles who joined UC as a senior lecturer in music in 2017; and Roanna Funcke, former tutor in percussion at UC and Associate Principal Percussionist with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, also a performer with Pandemonium and the Christchurch Bicycle Band. They’ll play George Crumb’s ‘Music for a Summer Evening’ for two pianos and two percussionists, plus ‘Nagoya Marimbas’ by Steve Reich and Debussy’s ‘En blanc et noir’.
Thurs 22 August – The Morton Trio
Formed in 2017, the Melbourne based Morton Trio features three emerging Kiwi professional musicians – Arna and Alexander Morton from Christchurch, and Liam Wooding from Whanganui, good friends who are studying at the Australian National Academy of Music and the University of Melbourne. Their ‘Homecoming’ programme features Kenneth Young, Szymanowski and Brahms, and their special bond imbues their concerts with sensitivity and sizzle. These three are passionate about engaging communities through their performances.
Thurs 3 October – Les Bons Vivants
Les Bons Vivants showcases musicians from the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra – Amandine Guerin (violin), Anthony Ferner (flute), Helen Webby (harp), Jenny Johnson (oboe) and Thomas Hurnik (cello). Mark Menzies (violin and viola) joins the Vivants for this performance which features music ranging from Bach, Francaix to Mel Powell (‘Divertimento for Violin and Harp’), Gao Ping – ‘Shuo Shu Ren’ (The Storyteller), and Elena Kats-Chernin – ‘Russian Rag’.
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Acclaimed violinist Wilma Smith returns to Christchurch with Australian performers Anna Pakorny (cello) and Ian Munro (piano) to play a mixture of Beethoven, Brahms and Francaix, as well as Ian’s own internationally acclaimed composition, ‘Piano Trio Tales from Old Russia’, commissioned by Sunday Classics Inc.
Thurs 4 April - Julien Van Mellaerts and James Baillieu
New Zealand baritone Julien Van Mallaerts is the only person to have won first prize in both the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and the Wigmore Hall Kohn Foundation International Song Competition. Julien sang Schaunard in NZ Opera’s production of La Boheme in October 2018. In this concert, he’ll perform songs from Schubert, Schumann, Britten and others, accompanied by James Baillieu, professor and head of piano accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Together, they are amongst the leading young performers of art song and lieder.
Wed 1 May – New Zealand String Quartet
Christopher’s Classics is joining with Chamber Music New Zealand to present the Christchurch concert in the quartet’s regional tour featuring compositions by Beethoven, Jack Body, Shostakovich and Brahms. Helene Pohl (1st violin), Monique Lapins (2nd violin), Gillian Ansell (viola) and Rolf Gjelsten (cello) are a cornerstone of our series - superb musicians and communicators who perform every year for Christopher’s Classics.
Tues 21 May – Mark Menzies & Colleagues
Mark Menzies took up the professor of music position at Canterbury University (UC) in 2017. His world-wide reputation as a viola and violin virtuoso, chamber musician, pianist, conductor and contemporary music advocate has seen him perform in Europe, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Japan and across the United States, including a series of performances in New York’s Carnegie Hall. In this concert he will be performing on piano alongside Gayle Blankenburg, a distinguished US pianist and academic in residence at UC during May 2019. On stage also – Justin DeHart, an American Grammy nominated performer of contemporary musical styles who joined UC as a senior lecturer in music in 2017; and Roanna Funcke, former tutor in percussion at UC and Associate Principal Percussionist with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, also a performer with Pandemonium and the Christchurch Bicycle Band. They’ll play George Crumb’s ‘Music for a Summer Evening’ for two pianos and two percussionists, plus ‘Nagoya Marimbas’ by Steve Reich and Debussy’s ‘En blanc et noir’.
Thurs 22 August – The Morton Trio
Formed in 2017, the Melbourne based Morton Trio features three emerging Kiwi professional musicians – Arna and Alexander Morton from Christchurch, and Liam Wooding from Whanganui, good friends who are studying at the Australian National Academy of Music and the University of Melbourne. Their ‘Homecoming’ programme features Kenneth Young, Szymanowski and Brahms, and their special bond imbues their concerts with sensitivity and sizzle. These three are passionate about engaging communities through their performances.
Thurs 3 October – Les Bons Vivants
Les Bons Vivants showcases musicians from the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra – Amandine Guerin (violin), Anthony Ferner (flute), Helen Webby (harp), Jenny Johnson (oboe) and Thomas Hurnik (cello). Mark Menzies (violin and viola) joins the Vivants for this performance which features music ranging from Bach, Francaix to Mel Powell (‘Divertimento for Violin and Harp’), Gao Ping – ‘Shuo Shu Ren’ (The Storyteller), and Elena Kats-Chernin – ‘Russian Rag’.
www.facebook.com/christophersclassics www.christophersclassics.nz/
Our 2019 Series Finest Chamber Music
Acknowledgements:
We thank the Rata Foundation, Gloria Streat, Antonio Strings Chamber Music New Zealand and private donors, whose patronage and sponsorship grants make these concerts possible.
We thank the Rata Foundation, Gloria Streat, Antonio Strings Chamber Music New Zealand and private donors, whose patronage and sponsorship grants make these concerts possible.
