This concert - on April Fools Day - continues the fundraising efforts of James Tennant and the University of Waikato towards the 2016 Waikato International Cello Fest. that is being held from the 20th to the 28th of August. Tonight they bring recent prize winners of national and international competitions, and future stars, to deliver a wonderfully moving evening of passionate and out-of-this-world performances.

Among the performers are 

  • Matthias Balzat, who in December placed 2nd in the International Gisborne Instrumental Music Competition, and
  • Sam Lucas who at the beginning of March won the first prize and performed with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Bloch's “Schelomo” in the National NZ Concerto Competition Finals. (This is a work you will enjoy hearing him perform tonight.)

Joining Mathias and Sam are up-and-coming young cellist Hyein Kim and pianists Noelle Dannebring and Liam Wooding performing works by Liszt, Debussy and Schumann.

So as you can see, there is nothing foolish about this exciting mix of sounds, emotions and expressions from the very top level of students at the University of Waikato.

 

PROGRAMME

Zoltan Kodaly                    Sonata for Solo Cello, Op.8, 1st movement

                                           Allegro maestoso ma appassionato

                                           Matthias Balzat, cello

Robert Schumann             Adagio for Cello and Piano, Op.70
                                           (originally for Horn+Piano)

                                           Hyein Kim, cello. Katherine Austin, piano

Claude Debussy                 Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor

                                            Matthias Balzat, cello Katherine Austin, piano

Franz Liszt                          “Harmonies poetiques et religieuses No.7”  Funerailles

                                             Liam Wooding, piano

INTERVAL

 

Claude Debussy                 “Estampes”  3rd movement “Jardins sous la pluie”

                                            1st movement “Pagodes”

                                             Noelle Dannebring, piano

Ernest Bloch                      “Schelomo” for Cello and Piano

                                             Sam Lucas, cello. Francis Cowan, piano