Manawatū Sinfonia celebrates Beethoven's 250th birthday with concert

Andrew Atkins says Sunday's Beethoven Celebration is a wonderful opportunity to perform with his hometown orchestra. Photo / Supplied

CONCERT POSTPONED

A year late Palmerston North gets to celebrate Beethoven's 250th birthday.

The Manawatū Sinfonia, like the rest of the music world, was all set to play its all-Beethoven concert last year but Covid cancelled the concert.

This Sunday they finally get to play that programme under conductor and piano soloist Andrew Atkins.

"It's a fantastic programme and it's a wonderful opportunity to perform it with my hometown orchestra again," Atkins says.

"We play the popular movements from Beethoven's symphonies that everyone knows, even though they do not always know they are by him.

"Who knew that his seventh symphony frames the climactic scene in the 2010 Academy Award-winning film The King's Speech starring Colin Firth as King George VI?"

Everyone knows the first bars of Beethoven's Fifth, but Beethoven was writing his lovely Pastoral symphony at the same time. The orchestra is playing movements from both.

Atkins is also playing Beethoven's Emperor piano concerto, conducting the orchestra from the keyboard.

"This was Beethoven's last concerto and it has the lot – great drama, beautiful melodies and a thorough workout for pianist and the orchestra," he says.

Atkins grew up in Palmerston North and attended Boys' High. He is a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington: New Zealand School of Music. In 2017, he completed a Graduate Diploma in Conducting under the tuition of Kenneth Young and has gone on to develop a love and passion for conducting that gained him the position of assistant conductor to Orchestra Wellington 2017-2018.

Atkins is the musical director of the Wairarapa Singers and has seen them through successful performances of Cole Porter's music, Haydn's Creation and musical theatre music.

The Details

What: Beethoven Celebration
When: Sunday, August 22, 2.30pm
Where: Speirs Centre
Tickets: eventfinda.co.nz