“Nothing says concert success like international musicians wanting to come back to Martinborough’s Music Festival – and encouraging their musician friends to come and play too,” smiles Donald Armstrong, Violinist and festival Co-Artistic Director.
“In fact, this year’s highly appropriate theme is Bringing the World to Martinborough.”
For nine years Martinborough Music Festival has created a warm reputation for its three days of classical music-making.
“Audiences and players alike tell us they love the experience: the venue is not too big or too small
and the acoustics are simply excellent,” he notes. “Many of our musicians are returning, and others have been influenced by their musical friends to come and join them. That’s genuine fellowship and we are very fortunate.
“Music is such an international world,” Donald adds. “Natalia Lomeiko is a Russian violinist who grew up in Christchurch when her parents joined the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. She now performs worldwide and teaches at London’s Royal College of Music.
“Her husband, Yuri Zhislin is equally an international artist, performing on both violin and viola. “Natalia and Yuri enjoy performing Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and we are really looking forward to that. They will collaborate with former NZ Trio cellist Ashley Brown in the Saturday afternoon concert, not to be missed,” Donald adds.
Cellist Matthias Balzat is well known to past festival-goers. He played in the first festival, as a teenager in the St Andrew’s Church Hall in Dublin Street. As the Festival has grown, he has returned regularly and is a favourite with audiences. Despite a flourishing international career, Matthias has recently chosen to return to NZ as cellist with the NZ Trio.
The festival’s opening concert features the virtuoso qualities of visiting artists. Yuri and Matthias will join for a searing performance of Kodály’s Duo, followed by Natalia and star pianist Jian Liu in the Chausson Concert for Violin, Piano and String Quartet.
All the artists will be flat-out with real excitement around the Shostakovich Piano Quintet and Dvořák Sextet. The Festival is on over the weekend 19 – 21 September, at Martinborough Town Hall.
Information and tickets: www.martinboroughmusicfestival.co.nz.
