NZSO’s spellbinding winter festival begins next week

It’s time for some much-needed mid-winter musical magic! 

The NZSO invites you to our Rumakina Immerse Festival—a enchanting three-concert celebration of music, nature, and imagination in Wellington next week (8–10 Aug) and Auckland (15–17 Aug). 

Led by Music Director Designate André de Ridder, the festival features Oscar-winner Bret McKenzie, NZSO Concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppänen, and Grammy-winning taonga pūoro artist Jerome Kavanagh Poutama. 

The journey begins with Enchanted: Stravinsky, Dukas & Mussorgsky, conjuring timeless classical favourites with Night on Bald Mountain, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and Petrushka. 

Ascension: Schumann & Vaughan Williams explores the natural world, opening with Papatūānuku, a powerful collaboration by Salina Fisher and Kavanagh Poutama. Leppänen performs Vaughan Williams’ beloved The Lark Ascending, then it’s back to earth for Schumann’s joyful Spring Symphony. 

Families will love Creepy-Crawly Carnival: Saint-Saëns & Roussel, our Sunday matinee featuring Roussel’s The Spider’s Feast and Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals. Narrated by McKenzie, this whimsical concert brings kangaroos, swans, and elephants to life with humour and heart. Illustrator Stephen Templer will draw live, creating enchanting artworks projected in real time. 

Creepy-Crawly Carnival also had a selection of free pre-concert activities for whānau from 12.30pm, so come early for even more fun and surprises. 

Whether you're an NZSO regular or ‘classical curious’, the Rumakina Immerse Festival offers something for everyone. 

Whānau-friendly festival events with Open Doors 

The NZSO’s Rumakina Immerse festival includes Open Doors—a thrilling selection of whānau-friendly free daytime performances and events. 

Open Doors is each Saturday of the festival: 9 Aug at Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre and 16 Aug at Auckland Town Hall. 

Tamariki Time, for children aged 7 and under and hosted by NZSO Animateur and popular children’s presenter Chris Lam Sam, features a selection of beautiful and uplifting music from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite, alongside interactive children’s favourites, including The Wheels on the Bus and Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. 

Music will be performed by members of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, led by NZSO Conducting Fellows Naomi Hnat (Wellington) and Wayne Gao (Auckland). 

There are two performances at 10am and 11.30am. The 11.30am is also a Relaxed Concert, suitable for neurodivergent children and their families who may feel uncomfortable in a traditional concert environment. 

In the afternoon we have our always popular Orchestra Jam and NZSO Foundation Masterclasses.  

Orchestra Jam is a fun and informal opportunity for players of orchestral instruments to play through a selection of easy orchestral pieces with the expert assistance of our NZSO musicians!  

For community musicians of all ages, the jams are a great way to revise a few ‘back-to-basics’ skills like breathing, posture, pizzicato, and phrasing with our players. 

NZSO Foundation Masterclasses will give up-and-coming musicians an opportunity to learn from NZSO players. Assistant Principal Cellist Ian Greenberg and Principal Piccolo Johanna Gruskin host masterclasses on 9 Aug from 3pm.  

Two masterclasses will be held at Auckland Town Hall on 16 Aug, 3pm, hosted by Associate Principal Flute Kirstin Eade and First Violinist and Assistant Concertmaster Yuka Eguchi. 

While all Open Doors events are free, seating is limited so please register below. 

NZSO 2026 Season launch – the countdown begins!  

We’re excited to announce our 2026 Season in September. It’s full of beautiful and powerful symphonic works with incredible artists which we can’t wait to share with you.  

Please note the following key dates for securing your 2026 Season tickets:   

Monday 8 Sep – Bookings open for Artist Circle Donors (donors of $1,000+) until Thursday 18 Sep. 

Tuesday 23 Sep – Bookings open for all NZSO Donors and Members 

Bookings are open for the public through Ticketmaster six weeks prior to each concert. 

It’s due to the generosity of our philanthropic community and our loyal NZSO Members, that the NZSO can present world-class artists, share live performances across the country, and inspire the next generation of talented musicians. Your support directly underpins the NZSO’s activity in our concert halls, our schools and communities throughout Aotearoa.  

An NZSO Membership offers you personalised in-house ticketing service, full flexibility on your bookings, zero booking fees, the opportunity to introduce a friend during the year, and complimentary NYO tickets.  

New season bookings will open to all NZSO Members and Donors from Tuesday 23 Sep. Our Development and Box Office teams will be available for personalised service and support with your orders.  

If you’re keen to be part of the Donor pre-sale period please contact the Development Team for more information about joining the Artist Circle. Contact fundraising@nzso.co.nz.  

Our 2026 Season is bursting with brilliance, surprises, and unforgettable moments— and we look forward to seeing you there! 

Gemma New returns for Mahler’s monumental Sixth Symphony 

Don’t miss your chance to experience one of the most powerful symphonic works ever written—Mahler’s Sixth Symphony, conducted by the internationally acclaimed Gemma New, the NZSO’s Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor. 

For the first time since 2011, the NZSO performs this colossal masterpiece, known for its emotional intensity, dramatic structure, and the unforgettable sound of the giant hammer blows—symbolic strikes of fate that echo through the final movement. 

Maestra New’s interpretations of Mahler have earned widespread praise for their depth and clarity. Her 2023 performance of Mahler’s Third was hailed by the New Zealand Herald as “incisive” and “in her element.” 

With 110 musicians on stage and over 80 minutes of gripping music, this is a concert that promises to be both epic and unforgettable. Secure your seats to be part of this extraordinary musical journey. 

Emerging Artists — meet Aotearoa’s rising stars!

With just a month till our exciting Emerging Artists concert in Wellington on 17 Sep, we can now reveal the six young soloists who will perform alongside the NZSO on stage. 

The enormously talented feature artists are: An Pham (violin), Ella Zhang (flute), David Zhu (oboe), Leo Liu (piano), Oliver Mar (cello) and Ozan Biner-McGrath (piano). 

At age 10, An is already an international competition winner and Deputy Concertmaster of the Wellington Youth Sinfonietta. Ella is a winner of multiple scholarships and competition accolades. David is Principal Oboe of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra and soloist with Auckland Philharmonia. Leo has performed at Carnegie Hall and a winner of major international piano competitions. Oliver is a Juilliard Pre-College student and Stulberg Competition bronze medallist. Ozan is a winner of the Dunedin Concerto Competition and frequent soloist with regional orchestras. 

In addition, 18 exceptional young musicians will perform as part of the orchestra throughout the concert. 

Led by NZSO Principal Conductor-in-Residence Hamish McKeich and featuring music by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Dvořák and more, Emerging Artists will also be livestreamed for free on NZSO+. 

Join us in Wellington or online for a vibrant evening celebrating the next generation of musical talent. 

To find out about how to sponsor one of this year’s emerging artists, please write to fundraising@nzso.co.nz 

NZSO to perform groundbreaking work at Len Lye Centre

The NZSO is excited to be part of a special project to celebrate 10 extraordinary years of one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most iconic cultural landmarks, the Len Lye Centre in Ngāmotu New Plymouth. 

On Saturday 30 Aug the Centre will premiere a groundbreaking new commission: the ‘sonification’ of the Len Lye Centre’s shimmering steel and concrete structure into a new musical work performed by NZSO players.  

A Score for the Len Lye Centre, by Swedish Albanian Australian artist and composer Mia Salsjö, will be performed in the gallery, free to the public, by musicians from the NZSO and the orchestra’s Principal Conductor-in-Residence Hamish McKeich.  

The striking new work is both a response to the physicalness of the building, and a tribute to leading 20th-century artist Len Lye, whose legacy the Centre was built to honour. 

Salsjö has translated architectural plans into 1,000 graphic scores through a personalised and intricate codified system. Her research also drew on material from the Len Lye Foundation Archive, transforming Lye’s experimental sketches and kinetic sculptures into sonic figures.  

Orchestrated for a 13-piece string NZSO ensemble, the work includes a synthesizer to perform recordings Lye made of his sculptures in the 1960s—realising his intention for these samples to be used by the composers of the future as musical instruments. 

The three free performances on 30 Aug headline the Centre’s 10th anniversary programme, which includes a full day of free public events for whānau.  

“We’re excited to join with the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre for this significant project,” says NZSO Chief Executive Marc Feldman. 

“By bringing together two nationally beloved institutions in music and art for a daring new commission we are creating a new future for both our organisations. Our performance within the Len Lye Centre itself will add a powerful resonance to the project —it’s more than a concert; it’s a conversation with the artwork and the building, a dialogue that I hope will be on-going.” 

“A Score for the Len Lye Centre encapsulates the past, present and future of the Len Lye Centre—bold creativity and a deep respect for artistic innovation,” says Dr Zara Stanhope, Ringatohu Director of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre.  

“Mia’s work is a dynamic way to celebrate this extraordinary building and mark its anniversary.” 

The commission belongs to an evolving performance programme as part Direct Bodily Empathy —Sensing Sound a major two-part exhibition curated by Anna Briers to celebrate the occasion.  

Salsjö’s process has drawn global acclaim, and she is known for transposing significant international landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge as part of ‘The National, Australian Art Now’ at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), in 2023. 

NZSO joins NZ Opera for The Monster in the Maze

The NZSO is delighted to be part of the Australasian premiere of The Monster in the Maze from New Zealand Opera. 

The NZSO will perform live for the Wellington dates during the national tour of this powerful and inclusive community opera by acclaimed British composer Jonathan Dove.  

Performed in English, this one-hour opera reimagines the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, exploring themes of justice, resistance and collective strength. 

Conducted by Brent Stewart, Dove’s dramatic score will be brought to life alongside a cast of professional singers, the Freemasons Foundation NZ Opera Chorus, and local youth and community performers. 

Directed by Anapela Polata’ivao ONZM and produced by Stacey Leilua, this Aotearoa-specific interpretation draws on Pasifika heritage, with Athens symbolising the warmth of the islands and Crete representing the challenges of urban migration. 

The all-New Zealand principal cast includes Sarah Castle as Mother, Joel Amosa as Daedalus, Ipu Laga’aia as Theseus and Maaka Pohatu as King Minos. 

With innovative design by Filament Eleven 11, the production transforms ancient myth into a contemporary, culturally resonant experience. The Monster in the Maze is also performed in Christchurch and Auckland this September.  

Don’t miss this extraordinary operatic collaboration! 

NZSO musician helps launch Youth Brass Band of Tonga

In 2023 the NZSO performed in Tonga for the first time, including performances alongside Tongan musicians. It was an experience the NZSO and Tongan communities will never forget. 

Now, we’re delighted that NZSO Section Principal Trombonist David Bremner is part of an exciting initiative to form the very first National Youth Brass Band of Tonga. The band will provide young Tongan musicians with a life-changing opportunity to develop their talent, connect through music, and represent their culture on a national stage. 

Tonga is a country full of gifted, passionate and determined young people. For many of them, music is more than a hobby — it is a calling, a way to express their identity, and a path to a brighter future. The National Youth Brass Band of Tonga will bring together the best young brass and percussion players from across the islands for intensive training, cultural exchange, and public performance, all put together by enthusiastic musicians keen to support them. 

David says the band can be a beacon of pride for Tonga — highlighting the nation’s talent and spirit and inspiring the next generation of musicians.