Bouquets of flowers were thrown onto the stage by an appreciative audience last night when the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by NZSO Music Director, Pietari Inkinen, performed at the beautiful Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing.

The Orchestra world premiered John Psathas' OLYMPIAD XXVIII, a suite based on the music he composed for the opening ceremony of the 2004 Athens Olympics, as well as the much-loved Elgar Cello Concerto. The Orchestra's cello soloist for the evening, Li Wei, was chosen to celebrate the relationship between China and New Zealand. Bouquets of flowers were thrown onto the stage by an appreciative audience last night when the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by NZSO Music Director, Pietari Inkinen, performed at the beautiful Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing.

The Orchestra world premiered John Psathas' OLYMPIAD XXVIII, a suite based on the music he composed for the opening ceremony of the 2004 Athens Olympics, as well as the much-loved Elgar Cello Concerto. The Orchestra's cello soloist for the evening, Li Wei, was chosen to celebrate the relationship between China and New Zealand.Li Wei is one of the most successful cellists to come out of the Peoples' Republic of China in recent years, and gave an outstanding performance at the Forbidden City Concert Hall.

New Zealand Ambassador to China, Tony Browne, presented the Orchestra to the people of China and Haley Maxwell performed the Maori Karanga to begin the concert.

Tonight, at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the NZSO will perform Gareth Farr's Te Papa (which incorporates a Maori Karanga), featuring Deborah Wai Kapohe as soprano soloist, and Simon O'Neill - Ashburton-born tenor now performing major roles in the world's greatest opera houses.

Image: NZSO Music Director, Pietari Inkinen, flanked by soloists Simon O'Neill and Li Wei, outside the Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing

CONDUCTOR: Pietari Inkinen (NZSO Music Director)
SOLOISTS:
Simon O'Neill (tenor)
Deborah Wai Kapohe (soprano)
Li Wei (cello)
Haley Maxwell (Karanga)
GUEST COMPOSER: John Psathas

27 August 2008

PSATHAS OLYMPIAD XXVIII (from Athens Olympics 2004)
ELGAR Cello Concerto (with Li Wei)
SIBELIUS Symphony No 2

28 August 2008

FARR Te Papa
VERDI "Lunge da lei per me", from La Traviata
TCHAIKOVSKY "Lensky's Aria", from Eugene Onegin
WAGNER "In Fernem Land" from Lohengrin
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No 5

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

28/08/08