The Martinborough Music Festival celebrates 10 years of music-making in Martinborough in great style in September this year, with extra concerts and events expanding the four-concert weekend to a week of festivities. Artistic directors Wilma Smith and Donald Armstrong are delighted to welcome back close friends and Martinborough favourites to join the fun.
“Violists Christopher Moore (Melbourne) and Gillian Ansell (NZSQ) first played together at MMF and it was a marriage made in heaven,” says Wilma.
“Auckland cellist Ashley Brown has become an integral part of MMF. This time, his wife, Victoria Kelly, will be here as our commissioned composer-in-residence. If you haven’t met Victoria and her music yet, you’re in for a big treat. Her commissioned composition Seasonal Creep, interwoven with Vivaldi’s perennial favourite The Four Seasons, will make a stunning finale to the Festival.”
During the Festival week, Ashley will also perform in the new gallery at historic homestead Rototāwai, an inspirational setting for music-making, audiences and artists. A number of new guests will set the stage on fire—Auckland teenage piano sensation, Shan Liu, and charismatic Wellington/Venezuelan double bassist Oscar Luque are joined by Kana Ohashi, (Associate Concertmaster of the iconic Leipzig Gewandhaus orchestra), sensational Australian violinist Zoe Black, and cellist Sharon Grigoryan, formerly of the Australian String Quartet and now Associate Principal of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
“Finally, we’re really excited to bring internationally acclaimed guitarist Slava Grigoryan to Martinborough for the first time,” says Wilma. “As well as featuring in the four Festival concerts, Slava and his wife, Sharon, will give a very special duo performance at the outstanding Tirohana Estate restaurant for those lucky enough to enjoy the Festival high tea.”
Details of all the Festival events are on the websiteand tickets go on sale to the Festival mailing list on 1 June. Public sales start on 1 July.
