Three the classic way

New Zealand Music Month isn't just about pop, rock and hip hop.
NZTrio will play two very special Kiwi Sampler concerts consisting entirely of New Zealand works.
Amongst the 14 New Zealand compositions being played across the two nights, six were originally commissioned by NZTrio.
Manager Vanessa Zigliani says the venues were chosen to complement the programmes with their own slice of Kiwi culture and they offer a surrounding not usually associated with chamber music.
On Sunday May 1, the NZTrio will be at the Lopdell House Gallery in Titirangi. On Sunday May 29 the NZTrio perform in the grand surroundings of the Maori Court (He Taonga Maori) at the Auckland Museum.
"The concerts have been carefully programmed to be short, at only 75 minutes, introductions that lead the audience through a captivating journey of diverse New Zealand sound worlds," Zigliani says.
During Kiwi Sampler 1 at Lopdell House there's the chance to hear the world premier of Chris Adams's latest composition Jekyll Rat and a new work by one of New Zealand's most promising young composers Chris Gendall.
For Kiwi Sampler 2 at the museum, NZTrio will be joined by the APO's Miranda Adams and Robert Ashworth for a trip through some of the various commissions and compositions which have inspired NZTrio during their years as one of Australasia's finest chamber groups.
NZTrio bio
Violinist Justine Cormack, cellist Ashley Brown and pianist Sarah Watkins first joined forces in 2002 and were Ensemble in Residence at The University of Auckland from 2004-2009.
Recent highlights include appearances at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, and further concerts in Beijing and Taiwan, a Celebrity Series tour for Chamber Music New Zealand, and a special concert at the Aurora Festival in Sydney, broadcast live on ABC. In 2011 the trio will perform internationally in the City of London Festival as well as Europe, Australia and Asia.
The trio actively commissions works by leading New Zealand composers. More recently, their commitment to commissioning new music has expanded to include composers from Asia and Australia, with their repertoire featuring new commissions by Musheng Chen (China), Chinary Ung (Cambodia), Judy Bailey (NZ/Australia) and Stuart Greenbaum (Australia).
NZTrio regularly collaborates with leading artists from across the artistic spectrum.
In the 2011 Auckland Arts Festival, the trio performed with three Cambodian folk musicians in 'O Cambodia', a collaborative performance of four new works by New Zealand and Cambodian composers.
Other recent projects have involved performances with Finnish Accordion/Bass duo Lepisto and Lehti at WOMAD, a piece with accompanying animated film by David Downes, a work for trio with taonga puoro (traditional Maori instruments) by Richard Nunns and Gareth Farr, and a spectacular show for New Zealand Day at the 2010 World Expo with band Moana And The Tribe, singer Aivale Cole and dance troupe Footnote.
Critical acclaim for the group's performances extends to their ever-expanding catalogue of recorded work. NZTrio's first CD Spark (which showcases a broad range of contemporary New Zealand trio pieces) was a finalist for best Classical Album at the NZ Music Awards in 2006; their 2008 Pacific Rim-focused release Bright Tide Moving Between was also named a finalist. In April 2010, their third CD Flourishes was released. It features the group's trademark eclectic programming with works from Mozart through to Ravel, Arvo Part and two recent NZTrio commissions by Wayan Yudane and Eve de Castro-Robinson and was also a finalist for Best Classical Album at the NZ Music Awards in 2010.
Samplers
Kiwi Sampler 1, Lopdell House Gallery, Sunday, May 1
Time: 7pm
Tickets: Adults $30 / Students $20
Tel: 817 8087 x 201 between 8.30am-5.30pm, or email info@lopdell.org.nz
Door Sales also available
Concert length approximately 75 minutes
Kiwi Sampler 2, Maori Court (He Taonga Maori), May 29
Time: 7pm
Tickets: Adults $30
Tel: 09 306 7048 or email bookings@aucklandmuseum.com
Door Sales also available
Concert length approximately 75 minutes