"Hawke's Bay has a phenomenal opportunity to enjoy the brilliant playing of two of the country's finest musicians in the Sinfonia Concertante, which is a bubbling concerto full of excitement and tender expression," he said.
The orchestra will perform an array of classical hits, including Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 and Spanish composer de Arriaga's Los esclavos felices 'The Happy Slaves' overture.
The HBO, the region's premier orchestral ensemble, has a core of local musicians but will be joined at this concert by players from orchestras around the country.
Ansell, who made her soloist concerto debut as a violinist with the Auckland Philharmonia at the age of 16, was made a Member of the NZ Order of Merit (MNZM) for her outstanding services to music in 2008.
The musician started playing the viola to help with her violin technique when she was a student at the Royal College of Music in London before falling in love with the sound.
After studying and performing in Germany and England, she returned to New Zealand in 1987 to become a founding member of the NZ String Quartet.
Lapins, who began violin studies at the age of 6, has toured extensively with major chamber orchestras and the Singapore Symphony, before joining the NZSQ in 2016.
The concert is due to begin at 2.30pm on May 16. Admission is $20 for adults and free from those under 18.
