It's not easy leading an orchestra off the well-beaten path, but North Island residents are in for a treat when the NZSO's own principal trumpet, Michael Kirgan, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, tour the Heartland of New Zealand with rising star conductor, Hamish McKeich.

Presenting a programme of audience favourites by Haydn, Hummel, Brahms and Mozart, the NZSO, Michael Kirgan and Hamish McKeich will perform in Wanganui, New Plymouth, Te Kuiti, Tauranga, Whakatane and Gisborne for The Lion Foundation Heartland Tour.It's not easy leading an orchestra off the well-beaten path, but North Island residents are in for a treat when the NZSO's own principal trumpet, Michael Kirgan, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, tour the Heartland of New Zealand with rising star conductor, Hamish McKeich.

Presenting a programme of audience favourites by Haydn, Hummel, Brahms and Mozart, the NZSO, Michael Kirgan and Hamish McKeich will perform in Wanganui, New Plymouth, Te Kuiti, Tauranga, Whakatane and Gisborne for The Lion Foundation Heartland Tour.In a celebration of brass instruments, Hummel's Trumpet Concerto is preceded by the heraldic sound of Haydn's Symphony No 31 in D major Horn Signal in which Haydn gives a starring role to an unusually large four-person horn section.

Born and raised in Indiana in the United States, Michael Kirgan began his orchestral career as a member of the Filarmónica de la Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City.

He was a founding member of the Filarmónica del Bajio, in Guanajuato and gained his Masters in Music for Trumpet Performance from Northwestern University in 1989. Following a stint as Principal Trumpet of the Nova Filarmonia Portuguesa, Michael Kirgan accepted an invitation to return to Mexico as Principal Trumpet of the Sinfonica de la Universidad de Guanajuato.

In 1995 Michael Kirgan was appointed Associate Principal Trumpet of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Principal Trumpet in 1997.

On the podium for The Lion Foundation Heartland Tour is New Zealand conductor, Hamish McKeich. Conducting in a wide variety of genres including symphonic, contemporary, opera, chamber and big band, Hamish McKeich works regularly with the NZSO and until recently was Associate Conductor. He is Chief Conductor of Stroma and studied conducting with world-renowned teacher Ilya Musin and prominent conductors including Valery Gergiev.

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra continues its long tradition of touring to cities and towns around New Zealand. For these Lion Foundation tours the Orchestra splits to form two smaller touring orchestras of approximately 48 players each.

THE LION FOUNDATION HEARTLAND TOUR

PROGRAMME

HAYDN Symphony No 31 in D major Horn Signal
HUMMEL Trumpet Concerto
BRAHMS Serenade No 2
MOZART Symphony No 25 in G minor K183

MICHAEL KIRGAN Trumpet

HAMISH McKEICH Conductor

Dates and Venues

WANGANUI

Friday 28 November 7.30pm
Opera House

NEW PLYMOUTH

Saturday 29 November 7.30pm
TSB Showplace

TE KUITI

Sunday 30 November 7.30pm
Waitomo Cultural & Arts Centre

TAURANGA

Monday 1 December 7.30pm
Baycourt Theatre

WHAKATANE

Tuesday 2 December 7.30pm
Whakatane Stadium

GISBORNE

Wednesday 3 December 7.30pm
War Memorial Theatre

19/11/08

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