Orchestra

The NZSM Orchestra offers an excellent opportunity for New Zealand's future performers to gain orchestral experience. The School is proud that it has a full range of instruments to support a 70-piece orchestra.

Each year the Orchestra performs masterpieces from the symphonic repertoire to a very high standard and prides itself on the inclusion of new music and music by New Zealand composers in it's programmes. Winners of the School's annual Concerto Competition are featured as soloists. The Orchestra receives frequent invitations to perform outside of Wellington and has also featured on a number of CDs of New Zealand music.

More recently, the NZSM orchestra, conducted by Kenneth Young with Mathew Stenbo, Madeleine Pierard and Douglas Mews as soloists received a glowing review for its Gala performance on the 22nd of September in the Wellington Town Hall. John Button, a reviewer from the Dominion Post described the orchestra’s playing as ‘superbly taut, confident and blessed with a balanced sound among all sections that would have done justice to a professional orchestra.’

While the NZSM Orchestra is primarily a required activity for students majoring in performance, some places may be available in any given year for other sufficiently advanced players (for information about an audition please contact the Orchestral Studies Coordinator prior to the start of the academic year).

Feedback | © 2007 NZSM | Last Updated: December 7, 2007