Wanganui opera house becomes a Parisian salon

Pianist Ammiel Bushakevitz and lyric soprano Laetitia Grimaldi Spitzer will perform Melodies from Paris in Whanganui next week. Photo/Supplied

Lyric Soprano Laetitia Grimaldi Spitzer and pianist Ammiel Bushakevitz will recreate the romance of a Parisian salon on the St Paul's Hall stage in Whanganui next week.

The duo will present a programme of songs from La Belle Époque, the period between 1870 and the beginning of the First World War, a time when the arts flourished in Paris.

Laetitia Grimaldi was born in France and grew up in Spain and the UK.

Her biography which includes prizes and festival invitations, and performances in many international opera productions.

She tours internationally as an art song recitalist.

Ammiel Bushakevitz is Israeli by birth and was raised in South Africa.

He performs both as a piano soloist and vocal accompanist and is internationally recognised as an art song pianist, especially of Schubert's works.

The programme for Melodies from the Belle Époque in Paris includes works by Henri Duparc, Joseph Cantaloube, Franz Liszt, Gabriel Fauré, Cécile Chaminade, Reynaldo Hahn and Léo Delibes.

The Wanganui Music Society is hosting the special performance by the two international artists who are spending a week in New Zealand performing several small recitals and offering master classes at both Waikato and Victoria Universities.

Mélodies from Paris: the Belle Époque at St Paul's Hall, Cooks St, Friday, May 25 at 7.30pm. $25 adults, $20 seniors, $15 members, school students $5. Tickets from Royal Wanganui Opera House, ph 06 349 0511. Limited door sales