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Christopher’s Classics 2021 - Season XXVI
Despite the issues of 2020, our 25th season was very well
supported by both our loyal audience and the performers. We wish to
express our gratitude for your continued support during this trying
time. In 2020 our overall audience numbers increased which has
allowed us to reduce the ticket prices for 2021.
For our 26th season we have extended our subscription programme
to seven concerts with some very interesting groups with an equally
varied repertoire. We are also introducing an extra concert to our
season - The Christopher Marshall Concert for Stars of the Future.
This brochure outlines our season. Please check our website
christophersclassics.nz for additional information. Programme notes
are posted on the website prior to each concert and a review is
posted afterwards.
Subscriptions will be available until 31 January 2021 and o!er a
considerable saving over the individual ticket prices. We look
forward to seeing you in 2021.
* These concerts are presented in associated with Chamber Music
New Zealand.
** The Christopher Marshall Concert for Stars of the Future.
2021 Concert DatesThursday 8 April Trio Élan*
Thursday 29 April Serenity Thurlow & Diedre Irons
Thursday 6 May Te Koki Trio
Thursday 22 July Lixin Zhang**
Thursday 12 August Les Voisins*
Thursday 2 September Argyle Trio
Thursday 23 September New Zealand String Quartet
Thursday 7 October Les Bons Vivants
http://christophersclassics.nz
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Thursday 8 April Trio Élan
Donald Armstrong (violin) Simon Brew (saxophone) Sarah Watkins
(piano)
Russ Peterson - Trio for Alto Saxophone, Violin and Piano Peter
Liley (NZ) - “Deux Images” for Trio Debussy - Violin Sonata in G
minor Marc Eychenne - Cantilene and Dance Gareth Farr (NZ) -
Meditation (sax and piano) Piazzolla - Otono Porteno Gareth Farr
(NZ) - Tango: Un Verano de Passion
Trio Élan is an electrifying new ensemble made up of three of
New Zealand’s leading chamber musicians. In a rare and exclusive
programme which showcases the dynamic and seductive sounds of three
wildly di!erent instruments, we will be swept along by colourful
and jazzy music from France, New Zealand, Argentina and the US.
Thursday 29 April Thurlow and Irons
Serenity Thurlow (viola) Diedre Irons (piano)
Hindemith - Sonata for Viola & Piano, Op. 11 No. 4 Brahms -
Sonata for Viola & Piano in F minor, Op. 120 No. 1 Shostakovich
- Sonata for Viola & Piano, Op. 147
In 2010, Serenity Thurlow was appointed Principal Viola of the
CSO. In 2012 she was the Principal Viola of the Aldeburgh World
Orchestra part of the Britten-Pears Festival. In 2016 she premiered
Chris Cree-Brown’s Viola Concerto for the CSO.
Diedre Irons is one of New Zealand’s most distinguished
performing musicians. She made her debut with the Winnipeg Symphony
Orchestra at the age of 12 playing the Schumann Piano concerto.
Since moving to New Zealand in 1977 she has performed regularly
with the NZSO, the Auckland Philharmonia and the CSO. She has
toured many times under the auspices of Chamber Music New
Zealand.
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Thursday 6 May Te Koki Trio
Martin Riseley (violin) Inbal Megiddo (cello) Jian Liu
(piano)
Bartok - Violin Sonata No. 1, Sz. 75 Kodaly - Duo for Cello and
Violin, Op. 7 Brahms - Trio in B major, Op. 8
Te Koki Trio comprises three fulltime members of
the sta! from the Classical Performance programme at the New
Zealand School of Music, Victoria University of Wellington. They
regularly perform in New Zealand’s main centres, as well as
internationally, including concerts throughout China, Australia,
Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. Their debut CD of the Debussy Sonatas
and Trio was nominated for Best Classical Artist in 2017. In 2019
they toured with renowned violist Jennifer Stumm for Chamber Music
New Zealand, also premiering a new work by Michael Williams. Other
composers such as Hiroyuki Yamamoto have also written works for the
trio.
Thursday 12 August Les Voisins
Justine Cormack (violin) James Bush (cello) Simon Martyn-Ellis
(theorbo & guitars)
Robert de Visée - Chaconne in G Major
Jean Marie Leclair - Sonata for Violin & Continuo in E
minor, Op. 2 No. 1 Robert de Visée - Prelude/Les Silvains des Mr.
Couperin Alex Taylor (NZ) - The French Baroque reimagined Ravel -
Sonata for Violin and Cello Django Reinhart - Nuages, Sweet Georgia
Brown, Minor Swing, Daphne
A classical trio of violin, cello and theorbo/guitars,
traversing the music of France, through the vibrant colours of
impressionism, and into the swinging jazz Hot Club de France with a
New Zealand composer’s own response — the music of France
throughout the centuries has always been an emotional language of
tenderness, colour and verve.
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Thursday 2 September Argyle Trio
Wilma Smith (violin) Matthias Balzat (cello) Laurence Matheson
(piano)
Debussy - Sonata for cello and piano Saint-Saens - Trio No. 2 in
E minor, Op. 92 Ravel - Trio
Since retiring from the MSO, Wilma Smith has prioritised her
chamber music roots, enjoying old and new relationships in the US
and New Zealand as well as Australia.
Matthias Balzat is a New Zealand born cellist and is currently
20 years old. He began playing the cello at the age of 3, and has
completed his NZ studies under James Tennant. He is currently doing
his masters degree in Düsseldorf.
From Melbourne, Laurence Matheson is a 24 year old pianist who
began his full-time studies in 2013. He was selected as a Fellow of
the Australian National Academy of Music in 2016.
Thursday 23 September NZ String Quartet
Helene Pohl (violin) Monique Lapins (violin) Gillian Ansell
(viola) Rolf Gjelsten (cello)
Purcell - Three Fantazias Britten - String Quartet No. 2 in C
Gao Ping - Prayer Songs Smetana - String Quartet No. 2 in D
minor
The ensemble has been Quartet-in-Residence at the New Zealand
School of Music at Victoria University of Wellington since 1991 and
in 2019 celebrated 25 years running the Adam Summer School for
Chamber Music. Violinist Helene Pohl and violist Gillian Ansell are
co-artistic directors of the biennial Adam Chamber Music Festival
in Nelson. Gillian, Helene and cellist Rolf Gjelsten have received
MNZM honours for services to music in New Zealand.
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Thursday 7 October Les Bons Vivants
David McGregor (clarinet) Anthony Ferner (flute) Helen Webby
(harp) Amandine Guerin (violin) Susan Endres (violin) Mark Menzies
(viola) Tomas Hurnik (cello)
Dorothea Franchi - Suite for clarinet, viola & harp André
Caplet - Conte Fantastique, for harp & string quartet New work
from young Canterbury composer, tba Mozart - Clarinet Quintet,
K.581 Ravel - Introduction & Allegro, for harp, flute,
clarinet & string quartet
Les Bons Vivants is an established group of Christchurch
performers from the CSO and the University of Canterbury School of
Music.
Venue Information
All concerts are held at 7:30 PM (please be seated by 7:25 PM)
on the dates given at
The Philip Carter Family Concert Hall The Piano 156 Armagh St
Christchurch. www.thepiano.nz
Mailing List We maintain a mailing list. For addition or
alteration please go to our website christophersclassics.nz and
click on the mail list tab.
Contact For further information, please phone or email: Doris
Barnard 0204 240551 [email protected]
Disclaimer Please note all information is correct at the time of
publication. Sunday Classics Inc. reserves to right to make changes
to artists, programmes and dates.
http://www.thepiano.nzhttp://christophersclassics.nz
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The Christopher Marshall Concert for Stars of the Future
Christopher Marshall has supported young musicians for a long time.
This concert has been added to our programme to formally recognise
Christopher’s support of these musicians.
Each year we will showcase a promising young performer or
performers. One of the purposes of this concert is to provide a
grant to contribute to their future development.
Our first recipient is Christchurch’s own Lixin Zhang. Anyone
who has heard him play will agree that he is an exciting young
pianist.
Thursday 22 July Lixin Zhang Lixin Zhang (piano)
Chopin - Mazurkas, op. 24 Chopin - Sonata no. 3 in B minor, op.
58 Chopin - 24 Preludes, op. 28
Lixin Zhang is 19 and is currently studying with Michael Endres
and Neville Baird. Starting this fall, Lixin will be studying at
the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles in the studio of Fabio
Bidini. Lixin was first recognised nationally at the age of eleven
for his musical achievements. Since then, he has gone on to
win top prizes at each of New Zealand’s major national piano
competitions including the National Young Performer Award, Wallace
National Piano Competition and the National Concerto Competition.
Lixin has also given performances in Asia and Europe. Rattle
Records released Lixin’s first CD in 2018, which promptly shot to
first place in Radio NZ’s Classical Charts. For this concert, Lixin
has selected some of his favourite works written by the romantic
composer Frederic Chopin.
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Series XXVI Concert Prices
Door sales are subject to availability.
On-line Sales At www.eventfinda.co.nz (charges apply). Search
for Christopher’s Classics on the website.
Season subscriptions are available until 31 January 2021 from
our website www.christopherclassics.nz.
Donations Christopher’s Classics has to raise funds to
supplement ticket revenue. We are a registered charity and
donations over $5 are tax deductible. We welcome your donation.
Acknowledgements Patronage, grants and sponsorship make these
concerts possible. We thank The Rata Foundation, Antonio Strings,
The Elizabeth Ball Trust, CMNZ, The Piano and all private
donors.
Door SalesCash Sales EFTPOS, Credit Card
Adult Student (ID) Adult Student (ID)
Subscription Concerts $45 $20 $50 $22
Lixin Zhang $30 $15 $33 $17
Season SubscriptionsAdult
7 Subscription Concerts $250
6 Subscription Concerts $220
5 Subscription Concerts $190
4 Subscription Concerts $160
3 Subscription Concerts $130
Lixin Zhang $30
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