1901 days ago

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra launches festival series

Caryn Wilkinson Reporter from Community News

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has announced a new festival series planned for 2021.

The series will be staged in Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Napier, Wellington and Christchurch, with many performances in each city over three days.

Popular Setting Up Camp tours will also be expanded next year.

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra chief executive Peter Biggs said the orchestra's goal is to bring the greatest music ever written to as many New Zealanders as possible.

“Our multi-day Festivals in six cities and expansion of our Setting Up Camp tour from six to 15 centres next year will give audiences more choices and allow the NZSO to make deeper connections with more New Zealanders," he said.

A highlight will be Kia Kotahi, a unique performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with a new text of the famous Ode to Joy sung in Te Reo by a chorus of high school students.

The concert will also comprise new works by New Zealand artists.

American Marin Alsop, one of the world’s top conductors, will make her New Zealand debut with Kia Kotahi.

The project was originally slated for 2020, Beethoven’s 250th anniversary year.

But the impact of Covid-19 and limited government funding has meant the NZSO will not deliver to New Zealanders everything the orchestra planned to do, Biggs said.

The NZSO is cutting the number of large scale concerts next year, he said.

"We know this will sadden our many fans and supporters around the country.

"The NZSO is working hard to find a solution so we can reach those audiences."

Season subscription tickets went on sale on Friday at nzso.co.nz.

More messages from your neighbours
3 days ago

Some Choice News!

Kia pai from Sharing the Good Stuff

DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.

Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.

For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.

Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?

We hope this brings a smile!

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2 days ago

🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?

Do you think you know the answer?

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.

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1 day ago

Poll: Is Auckland’s economy improving?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The latest reporting from The Post suggests a wave of optimism for 2026. With interest rates finally heading south, businesses are feeling more positive. But for many on the ground, the real-world recovery feels a bit like a slow-moving commute on Auckland's motorways.

We want to know: Are you seeing signs of Auckland's economy improving in your industry or neighbourhood? Whether it's busier shops, new projects kicking off, or just a shift in the mood ...

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Is Auckland’s economy improving?
  • 16% Yes
    16% Complete
  • 70.4% No
    70.4% Complete
  • 13.6% A little
    13.6% Complete
81 votes