Ovation for NZSO at Shanghai Expo

A rock star reception met the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at the Shanghai Expo last night, after the first concert in the orchestra's biggest ever international tour.

Music Director Pietari Inkinen returned to the stage four times to rapturous cheering and applause and a majority standing ovation, even signing an autograph from the podium. He then led the orchestra in two encores

The Orchestra performed Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony and Sibelius's Violin Concerto, with NZSO Concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppanen appearing as soloist. New Zealand composer Ross Harris's Three Pieces for Orchestra, commissioned especially for the tour, completed the programme

The NZSO appeared at the Expo Entertainment Hall at the Expo's closing weekend at the invitation of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

New Zealand's Commissioner-General for the Expo Phillip Gibson told a post-concert reception at the NZ Pavillion that the performance had been "magnificent...I'd like to thank the NZSO for enabling us to wind this Expo up with real style."

Tonight the players depart China bound for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia where they will play by invitation at some of Europe's most prestigious concert halls.