Auckland Philharmonia Celebrates Music for All in 2024 Season

Auckland Philharmonia Music Director, Giordano Bellincampi, says, “The 2024 Season is filled with extraordinary music that is sure to move audiences. I can’t wait to showcase the brilliance of our fine musicians alongside a swathe of exceptional international artists. We look forward to sharing many more wonderful and heartwarming moments with our concertgoers next season.”

Bellincampi is particularly pleased to be sharing some Italian-inspired delights in 2024; starting with Mendelssohn’s wonderful ‘Italian’ Symphony in February, through to Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio ltalien in November, these will be peppered throughout the year. Another such delight will be the orchestra’s annual collaboration with the talented musicians from the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), coming together as a massive orchestra to perform Respighi’s fantastic Roman Trilogy – Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome and Roman Festivals.

Alongside Bellincampi, Auckland Philharmonia’s Principal Guest Conductor, Shiyeon Sung, will continue her brilliant work with programmes featuring prize-winning and rising star Korean violinist, Inmo Yang, performing Unsuk Chin’s luminous Violin Concerto No.1, as well as Bartók’s Second Piano Concerto performed by audience favourite, French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.

The New Zealand Herald Premier Series returns with a line-up of 12 concerts of familiar favourites, bold masterworks, eclectic contemporary, and new works, performed alongside internationally acclaimed soloists and conductors.

Highlights of the 2024 series include: masterworks by Rachmaninov, Sibelius, Mendelssohn, Bruckner, Mussorgsky, and Tchaikovsky, as well as some beautiful, rarely programmed gems to expand horizons by the likes of Berlioz, Vaughan Williams, Penderecki, Martinů, and Takemitsu.

Auckland Philharmonia continues its commitment to bringing a diverse line-up of the world’s top artists to the Auckland stage. A real highpoint of the season will be the performance of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto by Grammy Award winning violinist Maxim Vengerov, who will add Auckland Town Hall to his impressive concert hall list alongside Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Centre.

Other renowned artists to look out for performing as part of The New Zealand Herald Premier Series in 2024 include trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth, and conductors Sir Andrew Davis and Jonathon Heyward, who are all making their Auckland Philharmonia debuts. Popular artists returning include cellist Julian Steckel and pianists Yeol Eum Son, David Fray, and Ingrid Fliter. In this series, we are also showcasing our own acclaimed Concertmaster, Andrew Beer, performing the New Zealand premiere of Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto.

Auckland Philharmonia’s beloved Bayleys Great Classics brings known and loved majestic orchestral masterpieces to the concert hall, including the Seventh Symphonies from both Dvořák and Beethoven and piano concerti from Mozart and Brahms.

Opera in Concert is a highlight of every Auckland Philharmonia season, and 2024 is no exception with the epic Tristan und Isolde, one of Wagner’s best loved operas. From its famous opening ‘Tristan chord’, this magnificent opera is one of the most significant pieces in the repertoire. Exploring this sublime and powerful score with the Auckland Philharmonia will be an outstanding ensemble cast that includes Manuela Uhl, Katarina Karnéus, and familiar New Zealand heldentenor, Simon O’Neill. They will be complemented by the New Zealand Opera Chorus.

The popular Baroque & Beyond series returns this year to the Holy Trinity Cathedral and will feature two of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti in April. Then in October, the exciting world premiere of a new work for percussion from New Zealand composer, Gemma Peacocke, will be performed alongside a selection of brass works that celebrate the grandeur and majesty of brass instruments.

Following the sell-out success of this year’s Auckland Philharmonia Matariki concert, in 2024, Matariki with Ché-Fu & The Kratez will see the powerful sound of an Auckland Philharmonia 70-piece orchestra join forces with New Zealand hip-hop and R&B legend, Ché-Fu, for an unmissable night of musical fusion.

We’ll also have two iconic movies with live orchestra next year; in August, families can relive the magic of Disney’s animated classic, The Lion King, as the Auckland Philharmonia performs the beloved Oscar®-winning score by Hans Zimmer and Oscar®-winning songs by Elton John and Tim Rice. Celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2024, the whole family can enjoy watching this classic movie, made even more moving with live orchestra accompaniment.

In October, audiences can experience the spectacle of the multi-award-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, named one of the 10 best movies of the millennium by Time Magazine, and featuring Tan Dun’s epic score played live by the Auckland Philharmonia.

Auckland Philharmonia’s Learn & Participate programme connects Auckland’s diverse communities with the orchestra and offers musical experiences for everyone. In 2024, our popular In Your Neighbourhood, Community Classics, Tunes 4 Tamariki (formerly APO 4 Kids), and Community Bash events will return, along with many more educational and community events to be announced in 2024.

Learn & Participate event highlights next year include Tunes 4 Tamariki: Toi Time in April, which will see the TVNZ Toi Time presenters join the Auckland Philharmonia to explore the magical world of music in this interactive one-hour concert specially designed for the under-sixes. Our music series, In Your Neighbourhood, supported by Davis Funerals, will take music out into the suburbs so that Aucklanders can enjoy the orchestra’s talented musicians closer to home. For fans of Shakespeare, our 2024 Community Classics concerts will celebrate music inspired by the famous Bard and offer an uplifting afternoon for the whole whānau where they can see our musicians perform for free.

Priority booking for the 2024 Auckland Philharmonia Season is now open. With over 40 concerts to choose from, all it takes is booking four tickets to enjoy subscriber benefits including best seats, savings on individual ticket prices and no booking fees. Public ticket sales for most events go on sale through Ticketmaster from Thursday 25 January 2024.