Auckland Phil are putting the twinkle back in Christmas with a sparkling selection of festive concerts for all. The orchestra’s popular Tunes 4 Tamariki concert series for under sixes and their whānau returns to the Bruce Mason Theatre (14 December) and the Auckland Town Hall (21 December) with a show entitled Christmas with Suzy, hosted by Kiwi icon Suzy Cato. Then new this year, the Christmas Cheer concert, presented by Walker & Hall Trust, brings together friends, and families with older tamariki, to enjoy carol singalongs and popular festive tunes in the Auckland Town Hall on 19 and 20 December.
Legendary Kiwi children's presenter Suzy Cato takes the reins of the sleigh in the Tunes 4 Tamariki: Christmas with Suzy concert. In this fun-filled interactive show, Suzy joins the Auckland Phil for Christmas singalong favourites ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ and ‘Jingle Bells’, alongside merry orchestral music, and Suzy’s beloved original songs ‘Sprinkle a Little Sunshine’ and ‘See Ya, See Ya Later’.
Families return year-after-year for these lively concerts that are specially designed for preschoolers and early primary aged tamariki. Kid-friendly elements over the one-hour performances include opportunities to have a go at conducting, sing and dance along with the music, and join a walk through the orchestra while the musicians are playing to see the instruments up close. Ahead of the performances, free pre-concert activities include face painting, a musical instrument show & tell and arts and crafts.
Tunes 4 Tamariki: Christmas with Suzy is delivered by Auckland Philharmonia’s music education programme, Learn & Participate, thanks to the support of Auckland Live, The North & South Trust, and the Margaret Neutze Legacy Fund, and the orchestra’s core funders, Auckland Council, Creative NZ and Foundation North.
At $15 per person, or $50 for a Family Pass, Tunes 4 Tamariki: Christmas with Suzy is a wonderful way for young tamariki to join the fun and get into the spirit of the season.
For older tamariki and adults, Auckland Phil’s new Christmas Cheer concert, held in the spectacular setting of the Auckland Town Hall and full of chart-topping Christmas hits, is just the ticket to get in the festive spirit. Make it an unforgettable night out at the evening performance on Friday 19 December, or take the whole family to the matinee performance on Saturday 20 December.
The sparkling voices of Awhimai Fraser and Nic Kyle, together with the Auckland Philharmonia and The Graduate Choir New Zealand, will get audiences in the yuletide mood with a fantastic festive blend of modern Christmas favourites, orchestral classics and traditional seasonal carols.
Music is at the heart of any celebration, and this concert features popular carols and seasonal favourites ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’, ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You, ‘It’s Beginning to look a lot like Christmas’ and ‘Joy to the World’. Join the Auckland Phil to share in the music and (even) sing-along with whānau and friends to celebrate this special time of year.
Auckland Philharmonia announces its 2026 Season, the 11th under the leadership of Music Director Giordano Bellincampi. This ambitious season takes audiences on a thrilling musical journey through magnificent masterpieces, electrifying premieres and inventive collaborations, performed by world-renowned guest artists, local luminaries, and exciting rising talent.
Global superstars Gil Shaham and Sheku Kanneh-Mason headline a stellar line-up of major international artists making New Zealand debuts in 2026, also including Eva Gevorgyan, Nodoka Okisawa, Anastasia Kobekina and Tomáš Netopil.They are joined by violinists James Ehnes, Benjamin Beilman and Ning Feng, conductors Karl-Heinz Steffens, Elena Schwarz and Samy Rachid, and pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk, who all make welcome returns. A special Matariki collaboration with Waiata Anthems, classic cinema with The Wizard of Oz, homegrown tamariki favourite Kiri and Lou, a blockbuster evening of iconic John Williams film music, and a glittering night of 80s music, also feature in this sensational new season.
Budding Kiwi composer, Justin Villaflores, has been selected as Auckland Philharmonia’s 2026 Young Composer-in-Residence, a sought-after residency programme that supports young New Zealand composers on their path to a professional career.
The Auckland composition student brings to the position an innovative approach that reflects his exploration and involvement in experimental music-making, performance and improvisation. The talented composer, sound designer and multi-instrumentalist is currently in his final year of studies for a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Auckland, specialising in composition, and adds the residency to an already impressive list of achievements in the field.
Auckland Philharmonia’s Young Composer-in-Residence programme is a partnership between the orchestra and the University of Auckland, which supports New Zealand tertiary students to launch their professional careers as composers. The residency is coveted by student and emerging composers as it provides them with the rare opportunity to hear their works performed in concert settings by a professional orchestra. Such an experience has often proved to be a valuable stepping stone for early career composers looking to build their portfolio.
Villaflores composes for a wide variety of genres and contexts, including orchestral performance, video games, short films and commercials, and is already establishing himself as a rising composition star — winning first prize in the NZTrio Composing Competition, Play Our Preludes, Protel Music Technology Innovation Prize, Lilburn Trust Composition Award, Llewelyn Jones Prize, Indie Film Music Contest, and the Cloud Road Music Production Competition. His compositions have also been selected to be performed and workshopped in collaboration with professional ensembles, and he is a current SPLICE Fellowship composer, where his work will premiere internationally at the University of Tulsa and the Hartt School of Music.
Through his compositions, the young composer aspires to bring to light new and underappreciated fusions, and incorporate a variety of multimedia, cross-cultural and cross-genre practices. One of his larger scale goals is to share overlooked social injustices and his personal experiences in his work through an artistic process that values freedom of expression in all art forms.
Under the mentorship of professional New Zealand composers, Villaflores will compose three new works during the residency: two full orchestral works and a piece for chamber ensemble. They will be performed by Auckland Philharmonia musicians at Learn & Participate events in 2026, including the Orchestral Summer School finale performance, a Tunes 4 Tamariki concert, and a bespoke chamber ensemble opportunity suited to Villaflores’ career direction.
Villaflores is excited to commence the residency and see his first piece performed in January.
“"I'm honoured to have been selected as the next Young Composer-in-Residence for the Auckland Philharmonia. It's a privilege to be able to work with such an amazing orchestra and learn from accomplished composers. I look forward to seeing what transpires throughout this collaboration. My many thanks to Auckland Philharmonia and the Learn & Participate team for committing their time to spotlight young composers and foster new music!" he says.
Support from the Freemasons Foundation underpins the Young Composer-in-Residence programme and the opportunities for aspiring professional and tertiary students generated through this University of Auckland and Auckland Philharmonia partnership.
This residency is offered as part of Auckland Philharmonia’s Learn & Participate programme, which aims to give Aucklanders access to opportunities and experiences that inspire a connection with orchestral music. The Learn & Participate programme connects the orchestra’s professional musicians with schools, individuals and communities across Tāmaki Makaurau through events, concerts, and workshops that involve over 20,000 young people and adults each year.
Kick off the spooky season early with an evening of thrilling music performed by the Auckland Philharmonia on 16 October in the Auckland Town Hall. Featuring repertoire that explores themes of nightmares, witchcraft and death, led by spirited and expressive French conductor Pierre Bleuse, this concert is sure to haunt you (in a good way) for some time afterwards.
Berlioz’s spectacular Symphonie fantastique is one of the most spine-tingling pieces of music ever written, and seeing it performed live by a full-strength Auckland Phil is not to be missed. This gripping masterpiece of hallucinogenic nightmares and ghoulish delights was inspired by the composer’s delusional infatuation with an actress he saw perform in 1827, which shocked audiences when it premiered in 1830. This exhilarating work has also featured in horror movies, including Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
The concert opens with a bewitching work by New Zealand composer, Louise Webster, Proof Against Burning. Over four short movements, this intriguing piece considers the gruesome ‘tests’ used in historical trials for witchcraft and whether similar injustices continue to this day.
Also appearing in this mesmerising night of music is Kiwi piano sensation Sylvia Jiang, performing Liszt’s bone-chilling Totentanz (Dance of Death) alongside the orchestra. Totentanz is thought to have been inspired Andrea Orcagna’s famous The Triumph of Death painting, an artwork that left a lasting impression on the composer during his visit to Italy. Incorporating an ancient musical symbol of Death, the Dies irae chant from the Mass for the Dead, this work will have you on the edge of your seat.
7.30pm, Thursday 16 October
Auckland Town Hall
Conductor Pierre Bleuse (Australasian debut)
Piano Sylvia Jiang
Louise Webster Proof Against Burning (Auckland Philharmonia premiere)
Liszt Totentanz
Berlioz Symphonie fantastique
Presented in association with ICBC
Music for this concert has been supported by Anne Norris & Anne Stewart
On Saturday afternoon, 231 talented ākonga instrumentalists from Sistema Aotearoa shone on stage as they performed a glittering programme, including 80s film theme song ‘Ghostbusters’, at Auckland Philharmonia’s Pese! Fasi! Pūoro! event. As well as being an opportunity for the young musicians to perform alongside Auckland Philharmonia players at the Due Drop Events Centre, this community music-making workshop and concert celebrated music and Sistema Aotearoa’s ongoing work in the South Auckland community.
Pese! Fasi! Pūoro! kicked off with a workshop led by Auckland Philharmonia’s professional musicians for tamariki and rangatahi from Sistema Aotearoa, an Ōtara-based music and social development programme. Conducted by Reuben Brown, the 2025 New Zealand Assistant Conductor-in-Residence, together they rehearsed a diverse selection of music, which ranged from well-known classical composers Beethoven and Strauss, through to an orchestral arrangement of Ray Parker Jr.’s theme song to the Ghostbusters movie.
Also on the programme was 'Symphony', a song commissioned by Commonwealth Resounds for last year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa. The song was written by young composers, living in the five regions of the Commonwealth. Siri from India, Jahfari from Antigua and Barbuda, James from Australia, Jacob from Malta and Ajiri from Nigeria. They created the song in online workshops, led by professional songwriters, Pam Sheyne & Richard Harris with composers, Jack Pepper and Alison Cox. A true cross-Commonwealth collaboration, this piece was performed across the globe in 2024 and arranged specially for this concert by staff from SolFa in Samoa and Sistema Aotearoa.
The workshop culminated with a free public concert presented by Tuaratini Ra’a, where an audience of 300 friends and whānau enjoyed the spirited finale performance of the orchestral pieces rehearsed during the workshop. The concert concluded with a special combined performance of ‘Symphony’, paying tribute to the special connection that the Auckland Phil and Sistema Aotearoa have built with the SolFa ensemble in Samoa.
Bringing together the soul-stirring vocals of Aotearoa’s most-awarded solo artist with a full professional orchestra, the Bic Runga with Auckland Phil concert on Saturday 6 September will be an exceptional evening of musical fusion. Featuring Bic Runga performing many of her beloved songs alongside brand-new music, reimagined together with the power of the Auckland Phil, this will be a defining concert for many; one that reconnects us with our past, brings us together in the present, and creates beautiful memories for our future.
Kiwi singer-songwriter Bic Runga’s (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine) iconic tracks have woven themselves into the country’s cultural tapestry for more than two decades, including beloved classics like ‘Something Good’, ‘Precious Things’ and ‘Bursting Through’. Hearing these performed with a full-strength Auckland Phil, her first show with a live orchestra in over 20 years, will be an evening to remember.
Auckland Philharmonia’s popular In Your Neighbourhood concert series takes ensemble performances by its world-class professional musicians to Auckland’s suburbs and communities. In August, experience Auckland Philharmonia brass players showcasing the divine depths of the orchestra’s pitch at In Your Neighbourhood: Tuba Tones concerts in Glen Eden, Devonport and Remuera.
Leading his section colleagues in these concerts is Auckland Phil’s Principal Tuba, Alexander Jeantou, who has curated a fascinating collection of pieces to give his instrument, the tuba, its moment in the spotlight. This wide-ranging programme has it all, from Calvert’s spirited and buoyant French march through to the jazzy, almost cabaret feel of Previn’s Four Outings for Brass.
Alexander Jeantou says, “I’m looking forward to joining my fellow lower brass musicians to explore both the deep, rich sounds that many will be familiar with from our section, but also repertoire that showcases the diverse range of sound that our instruments can produce. There will be some surprises for even the most avid brass enthusiasts!”
The tuba is the largest and lowest pitched instrument in an orchestra’s brass section. Tubists (tuba players) blow into the mouthpiece of the tuba, which is connected to between 3.5 to 4 metres of tubing. Originating from bronze instruments used in Ancient Greece and Rome, the modern-day tuba was invented in the 19th century and originally called the ‘basstuba’ due to its low pitch relative to the other brass instruments.
Auckland Philharmonia’s ever popular In Your Neighbourhood series, proudly supported by Davis Funeral Care, brings music out of the city and into Auckland’s suburbs and communities. These concerts are general admission and tickets are only available through aucklandphil.nz for $30.00 Adult/Senior and $15.00 Student/Child.
6.30pm, Monday 18 August
Glen Eden Playhouse Theatre
6.30pm, Tuesday 19 August
Holy Trinity, Devonport
6.30pm, Thursday 21 August
St Luke’s Church, Remuera
Featuring Alexander Jeantou, Principal Tuba, and fellow Brass Section players
Previn Four Outings for Brass
Danielsson Capriccio da camera
Calvert Suite from the Monteregian Hills
Danielsson Concertant Suite
Böhme Sextet
Get a slice of everyone’s favourite cheese-loving duo at Wallace & Gromit in Concert, Auckland Philharmonia’s action-packed family show on 23 August in the Aotea Centre. Combining award-winning animated film with live orchestra, including a full screening of The Wrong Trousers and its infamous train chase scene, this will be a grand ol’ time for both tamariki and adults alike.
Inventor Wallace and his faithful canine pal Gromit star in this entertaining show, along with their buddy, Shaun the Sheep, and dastardly criminal mastermind, Feathers McGraw. Join Wallace as he prepares to perform his musical masterpiece My Concerto in Ee Lad with help from his trusty chum, Gromit… what could possibly go wrong?!
Gather the pups and scurry along to Auckland Philharmonia’s Hairy Maclary’s Greatest Hits children’s concert on Saturday 26 July in the Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna. With sensational singer and storyteller Jackie Clarke leading the pack, joined by the Auckland Phil, the beloved stories of Hairy Maclary, and his friends from Donaldson’s Dairy, are brought to life on stage.
Tamariki and their whānau will dig seeing their favourite Hairy Maclary and Friends tales told through music and songs, including ‘Slinky Malinki, Open the Door’, ‘Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack’ and ‘Scarface Claw’.
Auckland Philharmonia announces an artist change to its upcoming concert, Classic Series: Tchaikovsky's Violin, on Thursday 25 September 2025.
Singaporean rising violin star, Chloe Chua, will step in for her New Zealand debut as the soloist for this concert, performing Tchaikovsky’s much beloved and lyrical Violin Concerto.
Ms Chua first came to international attention at age 11 when she was awarded joint first prize at the 2018 Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists. She was subsequently appointed as Singapore Symphony’s youngest ever Artist-in-Residence, a position she held from 2022-2024, and featured as soloist in the orchestra’s recent tour of Australia. In addition to her chart-topping recordings, she has also garnered a wide following as a frequently featured artist by YouTube stars TwoSet Violin.
The Classic Series: Tchaikovsky's Violin programme also includes Suppe’s bubbly Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna: Overture, followed by Haydn’s cheerful Symphony No.93, one of the composer’s 12 magnificent ‘London’ symphonies. And to finish, Stravinsky reimagines Tchaikovsky’s works in his ballet The Fairy’s Kiss, a potpourri of his predecessor’s music.
Chloe Chua replaces the previously advertised, Clara-Jumi Kang, who is no longer able to join us for this concert. The concert title and music programme are unchanged.
New concert details:
Classic Series: Tchaikovsky's Violin
7.30pm, Thursday 25 September
Auckland Town Hall
Conductor Shiyeon Sung
Violin Chloe Chua
Suppé Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna: Overture
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Haydn Symphony No.93
Stravinsky Divertimento from The Fairy's Kiss
Get swept into the world of 18th century Paris as an unforgettable tale of true love unfurls at Auckland Philharmonia’s Pub Charity Opera in Concert production of Verdi’s La traviata. Right from its famous duet, the ‘Brindisi’, La traviata’s story of passion and loss is one of the most romantic and moving operas ever written. This sublime semi-staged production features a stellar cast of singers, who will perform alongside the powerful sound of Auckland’s full-strength professional orchestra on Saturday 5 July in the Auckland Town Hall.
Translated as ‘The fallen woman’, La traviata tells the tragic tale of one of the most compelling female characters in opera, Violetta Valéry. Verdi’s music is about raw dramatic power, thrilling voices and memorable melody, and La traviata is one of his most beloved operas.
British conductor and arranger Peter Manning can boast a fascinating career, collaborating with celebrated ensembles around the world from the BBC Symphony Orchestra to The Dallas Opera. In Baroque & Beyond: Water Music, Auckland Philharmonia audiences will hear Manning’s arrangement of Time Past, Time Present, Time Future by Michael Tippet.
Time Past, Time Present, Time Future consists of the slow movements from Tippett’s String Quartets Nos.1, 2 and 3 arranged for string orchestra. What draws you to Tippett’s string quartets?
Peter Manning Michael’s quartets spanned his whole creative output. They each have very different textures, rhythms, pace, speed and emotional content. In so many ways Nos.1, 2 and 3 created — like Beethoven's quartets from his three great periods — the raw material for some of Tippets creative design and some of his inspiration. I spent much time with him discussing Beethoven, as Beethoven was one of his favourite composers. There are some great parallels here in the importance of structure, style and balance in Michael’s work which owes itself directly to Ludwig van Beethoven.
Tippett’s music often looks backward to earlier styles — Baroque, Renaissance — while still sounding unmistakably modern. How did you approach translating that blend into a string orchestra setting?
PM I was deeply moved by his love of baroque rhythm, baroque acapella music, Elizabethan music and the rhythm of earlier poetry. Tippet also embraced all that was original in chord and rhythm structures from English plainchant, including the music of Tallis, Byrd, through to the works of Purcell and beyond. This really formed a vast shape of sound to work from for me in extending the form for string orchestra as an arranger.
Were there any technical challenges in expanding a string quartet’s intimate language for a fuller ensemble?
PM The main consideration was translating the flow of the music and its pulse for the larger group. As a direct result of that I chose the lyric movements of the quartets as they both embody the central musical/architectural shape and offer the ability to widen the language of the musical performance.
The biggest challenge is really to understand what not to include in the doubling of parts and indeed the sound colour, such as when adding the bass to the cello and other lines. Similarly when utilising the higher range of the viola there is the question of how that matches with all the parts and is then combined with the lower violin writing.
What do you hope a modern audience, perhaps unfamiliar with Tippett, will take away from hearing this piece performed today?
PM I believe that Michael is truly one of the great composers in his ability to create a musical dialogue with living audiences of today and his translation of sound and epoch embraces everything from Elizabethan and Baroque to modern dances. His music really shows the liveliness of our vital lives as well as employing the most moving, joyous and lyrical aria form in his writing.
For audiences that enjoyed this work, can you suggest another piece of Tippett’s they might enjoy, and why?
PM I would suggest the Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli. Primarily as it is also for string orchestra and features string soloists from within the orchestra, which is always great! And which embodies both old and new music in one magnificent whole of the most virtuosic, soulful and stunning music. It is also a perfect length at 20 minutes.
Baroque & Beyond
7.30pm, Thursday 12 June
Holy Trinity Cathedral
