Date: Sunday 13 November 2016, at 2.30pm.
Venue: Speirs Centre, Palmerston North Boys High School, Featherston Street (opposite Mega Mitre 10).
Conductor: Andrew Atkins.
Programme:
Beethoven, Coriolan Overture
Mozart, Clarinet concerto (K622): soloist Stephen Wildbore
Arthur Honegger, Pastorale d’été
Haydn, Symphony No. 104 (London Symphony)
Young talent at heart of stellar Manawatu Sinfonia performance
Reviewed by Stephen Fisher, 15 November 2016
Manawatu Sinfonia. Conductor: Andrew Atkins. Speirs Centre, Sunday November 13.
REVIEW: For their final concert of the year the Manawatu Sinfonia chose a programme of audience favourites with Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven billed together on this appealing programme.
The main work of the afternoon was Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A with soloist Stephen Wildbore.
Wildbore is active in local music circles, being a regular member of the Sinfonia for many years and also co-conductor of the Manawatu Concert Band which had presented a concert the night before.
It was, therefore, a great pleasure to see him given the opportunity to perform as soloist for this work – one of Mozart's masterpieces.
Wildbore proved to be comfortable with the work, performing with technical dexterity and warmly empathetic expression, ensuring the audience's enthusiastic appreciation of his undoubted expertise.
This performance was matched by an excellent performance of Haydn's London Symphony by the Sinfonia. This is a cheerful work, well captured by the Sinfonia in this confident, authoritative performance under the guidance of conductor Andrew Atkins.
Atkins, who grew up in Palmerston North, has recently completed his Masters in Classical Performance – Piano, at the New Zealand School of Music.
It was a great pleasure for the audience to see this young man have the opportunity to demonstrate his growth as a musician in this concert obviously enjoyed by audience and Sinfonia members alike.
The programme was completed by an atmospheric performance of Honegger's Pastorale D'Ete and a joyful performance of Beethoven's Coriolan Overture, both works given attractive and expressive readings.
NEXT CONCERT
Date: Sunday 27 May 2018, 2.30pm
Venue: Regent Theatre, Broadway Avenue, Palmerston North
Our co-host and generous funding supporter is the China Cultural Centre in New Zealand.
Conductor: Canwei Li
Programme
Mozart, overture to Nozze di Figaro
Concerto, 'Little sisters of the Grasslands', with pipa soloist Min Gao (the pipa is a traditional Chinese stringed instrument)
Ludwig van Beethoven, 6th Symphony
Xian Xinghai, Yellow River Concerto, with piano soloist Xing Wang
With generous funding support from the China Cultural Centre in New Zealand
Click here for details on how to join the Manawatu Youth Orchestra or the Manawatu Sinfonia.