Ed and Juliet Cooke are very excited about this year’s concert series, entitled Piandemonium!
On 2 April internationally celebrated concert pianist Dr Jian Liu will give a recital of works by Debussy, Liszt and Beethoven. We are very fortunate to have Jian, who has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Centre in New York, perform in Greytown.
Harpist Anna Christensen, originally from Masterton but recently returned to NZ after many years freelancing in the UK, will provide a snapshot of harp compositions from the 14th to the 21st centuries, on folk and concert harps, on 30 April.
On 27 May Auckland Pianist Stephen De Pledge, one of the most exciting and versatile musicians of this generation, will play music by Mozart, Amy Beach, Bach, Falla, his own improvisations, and 12 brand new Etudes by NZ composers for Rae de Lisle’s Fit4Piano series.
The concert on 2 July by violinist Donald Armstrong, pianist Jian Liu, and Alex Hambleton on French horn, centres round Brahms’s sumptuous Horn Trio. The programme also includes a new commission by Anthony Ritchie for the trio, Beethoven horn and piano sonata, and Romance for violin and piano by Clara Schumann.
Described as a musician with “flair and panache” by the Christchurch Mail, Rakuto Kurano has established himself as a versatile Japanese/New Zealand performer and composer. On 30 July his piano trio will be playing trios by Anton Arensky, Guy Ropartz, Gabriel Baird and Rakuto Kurano.
Finally, the NZTrio returns for a concert on 3 September. Violinist Amalia Hall, pianist Somi Kim, and cellist Ashley Brown will present Homeland 2: Tunes from my Home. The spirit of folk music is at the heart of the Homeland Series, and features the music of Czech composer Anton Dvorak,Victoria Kelly (NZ), Chen Yi (Chinese/American) and Enescu (Romania).
All concerts will be at 4pm, at 57 Wood St, Greytown. Admission $30, $10 for children. Contact Ed and Juliet Cooke for further details: efjacooke@gmail.co.nz or 06 304 9497.
