New resident conductor for Kāpiti
But Covid sees concert cancelled
Kāpiti Concert Orchestra has announced Donald Armstrong, Associate Concertmaster of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, as their resident conductor for the next three years.
Armstrong will advise and assist the orchestra and conduct at least one concert a year.
He has a strong connection with the coast and regards it as his second home, having had a holiday home here for many years.
He is also well known on the coast for his regular performances with the Amici Ensemble for the Waikanae Music Society.
The not-so-good news is the orchestra has decided to cancel its first concert of the year in light of the rapid spread of the Omicron virus throughout the country and out of concern for the safely and well-being of their players and the public.
This would have been an exciting concert with Armstrong conducting Mozart’s
Overture to Il Seraglio, Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with talented young soloists and stars of the future, Otis Prescott-Mason (piano), Peter Gjelsten (violin) and Jack Moyer (cello) and Schumann’s
Symphony No.3, the Renish. The orchestra hopes to be able to reschedule this concert in the future.
Two more concerts are planned for later in the year, both at Te Raukura ki Ka¯piti including:
August 13 with Conductor Peter van Drimmelen , Borodin - In the Steppes of Central Asia, Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5, Shostakovich - Cello Concerto No 1 featuring Ken Ichinose, Associate Principal, Cello, with the NZSO, as soloist.
November 5 with conductor Rachel Hyde. This concert will feature a work by Ross Harris, one of New Zealand’s foremost composers who has been commissioned by Ka¯piti Concert Orchestra to write Klezmer Suite for Orchestra and Voice based on his original Klezmer compositions and will feature the mezzo soprano Ann Gawn. Other works are still to be confirmed.
The orchestra is always looking for new players especially string players.