Trumpeting the return of acclaimed conductor

Members of the Central Band of the Royal New Zealand Air Force trumpet the return of Estonian conductor Arvo Volmer at a concert by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra that features Rimsky-Korsakov’s spellbinding Scheherazade.

 

The concert, called 1001 Nights, fifth in the APN News & Media Premier Series, will be performed at the Auckland Town Hall on Thursday 19 June.

 

Arvo Volmer, whom audiences may recall as having led the orchestra’s groundbreaking performance of Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony in 2006, opens the evening with Janáek’s Sinfonietta. Also known as the Military Sinfonietta, the work will be enhanced by the sonority of no less than 12 Royal New Zealand Air Force trumpets.

 

“Who better to accompany Janáek’s rousing Sinfonietta then the Royal New Zealand Air Force Central Band?” says APO Chief Executive Barbara Glaser. “Their inclusion insures this concert will be especially true to the spirit and sound of the original work. And with Volmer at the helm, well known for his exciting interpretations of Eastern-European composers, this promises to be a memorable evening.”

 

The concert also features the talents of young Bulgarian Bella Hristova, who reunites with the APO for the first time since winning last year’s Michael Hill International Violin Competition. Hristova performs Prokofiev’s haunting Violin Concerto No. 1.

 

Closing the evening is Rimsky-Korsakov’s kaleidoscopic Scheherazade, which draws its inspiration from the Persian literary tale One Thousand and One Nights.

 

One of the most popular pieces of all time, Scheherazade is a symphony that reveals something new on each listen – a multi-coloured tapestry that allows the orchestra to showcase its musical scope.

 

Single tickets to 1001 Nights (from $20-$110) are available from Ticketek, Ph 09 307 5139, www.ticketek.co.nz.