Six exceptional young soloists from New Zealand have teamed up with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) to perform a program that includes works by renowned composers Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, and Richard Strauss. This event is part of the NZSO’s Emerging Artists initiative, spotlighting the country’s most promising classical musicians.
Watch and listen here:
Featured soloists for the concert include:
An Pham (violin) will perform the third movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. Known for its lyrical and flowing qualities, this concerto is regarded as one of the most beautiful ever composed for the violin. At just 10 years old, An is an international competition winner and serves as Deputy Concertmaster of the Wellington Youth Sinfonietta.
Ella Zhang (flute) will perform Cécile Chaminade’s Flute Concertino. Ella has earned numerous scholarships and awards throughout her career, highlighting her status as a leading young flutist.
David Zhu (oboe) takes center stage with the third movement of Richard Strauss’s Oboe Concerto. As Principal Oboe of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra and soloist with the Auckland Philharmonia, David will perform this acclaimed 20th-century concerto, often considered the finest ever written for the oboe.
Leo Liu (piano), a winner of prestigious international piano competitions and a performer at Carnegie Hall, will play the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, a cornerstone of the classical piano repertoire.
Oliver Mar (cello), a student at Juilliard Pre-College and bronze medalist at the Stulberg Competition, will perform Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, a staple of cello literature celebrated for its elegance and technical demands.
Ozan Biner-McGrath (piano), winner of the Dunedin Concerto Competition and soloist with regional orchestras, will perform the first movement of Robert Schumann’s highly regarded Piano Concerto.
Additionally, eighteen outstanding young musicians will perform alongside the NZSO under the direction of Principal Conductor-in-Residence Hamish McKeich. Together, they will present works by New Zealand composer Cameron Monteath, including La Veille, followed by the stirring fourth movement from Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.”
Programme
- Cameron Monteath – La Veille
- Cécile Chaminade – Flute Concertino
- Felix Mendelssohn – Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, Movement 3
- Richard Strauss – Oboe Concerto, Movement 3 with Movement 2 cadenza
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488, Movement 1
- Robert Schumann – Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54, Movement 1
- Antonín Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95, “From the New World,” Movement 4
All performances were accompanied by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Hamish McKeich. The concert was recorded live at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington by RNZ Concert.
Programme notes courtesy of NZSO. Recorded live in Wellington.
— The Violin Post Editorial Staff
