Grammy Award-winning violinist, Maxim Vengerov, will make his New Zealand debut when he performs in Auckland and Wellington this August.
Maxim Vengerov is one of the most in-demand soloists across the globe. Described as a violinist "who reaches places others cannot”, The Sunday Times recently enthused, "With his communicative, colourful and technically near-miraculous playing, and an individual sound recognisable for its seductive richness, he is the nearest thing the violin has today to a household name."
Vengerov’s journey from child violin prodigy to acclaimed soloist, and more recently conductor, began when he first picked up the violin at age five. He sensationally burst onto the international scene in 1984 when he won the prestigious Wieniawski Competition at the age of 10.
Hearing such a supreme artist perform live will be a real luxury, made even the more so as he will be performing Sibelius’ magnificent Violin Concerto at both his New Zealand performances. This technically challenging piece is a captivating listen full of drama that is widely regarded as one of the best concertos for violin. Vengerov comes to New Zealand for exclusive concerto performances as part of a tour of Australasia that includes recitals in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
On the Aotearoa leg of this tour, Vengerov’s first stop is in Wellington, where he will perform with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) at the Maxim Vengerov Plays Sibelius concert on 15 August in the Michael Fowler Centre. He joins impressive conductor André de Ridder and the NZSO to perform this great violin concerto.
Then on 22 August, he will take the stage at Auckland Philharmonia’s The New Zealand Herald Premier Series: Vengerov & Sibelius concert in the superb acoustics of the Auckland Town Hall. Conducted by the veteran Sibelian, Okko Kamu, who also collaborates with Vengerov and the Singapore Symphony following his Auckland appearance, the stars will align for this special event.
Auckland Philharmonia’s CEO, Diana Weir, says, “We are thrilled to bring a soloist of such calibre to the Auckland stage to perform this spectacular Sibelius concerto alongside our musicians. It is fantastic to partner with our national symphony colleagues at the NZSO to bring this important artist to New Zealand audiences.”
“When it comes to virtuosos, Maxim Vengerov is one of the true greats of any age,” says NZSO Acting Chief Executive Kirsten Mason.
“For him to perform in Wellington will be an unforgettable evening for the audience and the orchestra led by the esteemed André de Ridder. For a long time, the NZSO and the Auckland Philharmonia have wanted New Zealanders to experience Maxim live on stage and this is a dream come true.”
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see one of the world’s greatest musicians perform live in Aotearoa, head to aucklandphil.nz/vengerov-sibelius or nzso.co.nz to book.