Distinguished concert pianists to perform, teach in Christchurch
Two distinguished international concert pianists will perform and teach in Christchurch at the end of this month.
The visit of Santiago-based Edith Fischer, protege of Claudio Arrau – renowned as one of the supreme keyboard masters of the century – and her husband Jorge Pepi-Alos, is being hailed as a "very important event", especially for the musical and cultural life of the city.
Fischer has played under the direction of some of the greatest conductors of these times, notably with Erich Kleiber, Paul Ketzski, Sir John Barbirolli among other distinguished directors.
She has also performed at festivals such as Salzburg, Gstaad, Montreal, Stresa, Paris and Flanders.
Pepi-Alos, composer and professor at the University of Chile, studied piano with Fischer and attended the Menuhin Academy in Gdstaad (chamber music). He went on to co-found the Bionay chamber music festival with Fischer. Pepi-Alos went on to win a series of illustrious international prizes.
The couple were invited to Christchurch by dazzling young pianist and composer Tony Chen Lin, who has been regularly invited to perform as young guest artist at the 'Semaine Internationale de Piano et de musique de chambre' in Bionay, Switzerland by festival founder and mentor Edith Fischer.
"This will be a rare opportunity to witness two world-class musicians in performance and working with young New Zealand talent," Lin said.
The couple will give piano master classes in the chamber at The Piano: Centre for Music and Arts on Sunday February 26. 1pm- 6pm. Admission is free.
On Monday, February 27, Fischer and Pepi-Alos will perform in The Piano's concert hall at 7.30pm, the works of Schumann, Brahms, Ravel, VillaLobos, Jenny McLeod, and Pepi-Alos. Adults $30, students $10.
Some Choice News!
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?
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Poll: Canterbury is thriving on paper... but are you seeing evidence of Canterbury's improving economy?
As reported in the Press, Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman recently gave a shout-out to our region, calling Canterbury a "stand-out" for how we recover from tough times. With tech firms growing and exporters investing, the business side of things is looking bright!
👉 But we know that "business growth" doesn't always mean the weekly shop gets any cheaper. While the city expands, many families feel like they’re just trying to keep their heads above water.
We want to know: With the business buzz of 2026, do you feel like things are finally looking up for your household, or does it still feel like a climb?
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28.6% Yes
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42.9% No
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28.6% In some areas ...
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