NZSO debut for Korean conductor

Acclaimed South Korean conductor Han-Na Chang will make her New Zealand Symphony Orchestra debut in May with a programme featuring Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony.

With melodies that continue to inspire today’s songwriters, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 has been an audience favourite since its inclusion in the NZSO’s very first concert season in 1947.

Chang, hailed as “a major talent in the conducting world” by Seen and Heard, has a deep knowledge and appreciation of Tchaikovsky’s music from her time as an acclaimed cellist and since 2007 when she became a sought-after conductor.

Her NZSO concerts mark 30 years since her debut on the international stage when, as an 11-year-old, she won the Fifth International Rostropovich Cello Competition in Paris.

Richard Strauss’ exuberant Don Quixote in the concert’s first half features two soloists from the NZSO: Section Principal Cellist Andrew Joyce and Section Principal Violist Julia Joyce. This is the first time in the NZSO that they’ll share the spotlight together.

Inspired by Miguel Cervantes famous novel, Andrew’s cello playing signifies the character of self-appointed knight Don Quixote, while Julia’s performance signifies his squire Sancho Panza as they journey across 17th-century Spain.

Tchaikovsky 5 opens with the world premiere of ‘I watched a shadow’ by one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s best composers, Leonie Holmes.

Based on a poem by New Zealander Anne Powell, Holmes has sought inspiration from Powell’s poetry for her other works, including Watershed Time in 2018 with The King’s Singers and Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir.

– The concert will be held in Wellington at the Michael Fowler Centre on May 18.