New Zealand’s Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO) has announced that Italian-Danish conductor Giordano Bellincampi will continue as its Music Director until the end of 2024.
The announcement was made in conjunction with the release of its 2021 concert season on 8 November.
“We are thrilled that Maestro Bellincampi has agreed to continue as our Music Director. From the first time that Giordano conducted the APO in 2012 and especially since he became Music Director in 2016, there was an obvious chemistry that has taken the orchestra to a new level. Giordano’s detailed work coupled with his extraordinary musical vision has made an enormous impact on the APO” says APO Chief Executive, Barbara Glaser.
“Our audiences have embraced his passion and obvious love for our country and our city. When we made this announcement at our 2021 season launch on Sunday the response from the audience was spontaneous and heart-warming.”
Maestro Bellincampi is quick to express his enthusiasm for the partnership. “It is a great pleasure working with the APO, we have built a lot of wonderful memories over the years. We approach challenges with the same sentiments, we all believe in the vital role music plays in our lives and amidst this challenging time for our industry we are embracing the opportunity to make new creative choices and let our music-making guide us forward.”
With the Coronavirus pandemic still causing havoc across most parts of the world, New Zealand is now in the enviable position of being able to present live performances to audiences without restriction.
“We feel so grateful that New Zealand is no longer in lockdown and we are once again able to perform for an audience. The atmosphere in our concert hall has been electric now that we’re back together” says Ms Glaser.
“On Thursday 8pm (NZ Time) we will be livestreaming our performance as a gift to music lovers and to our musician colleagues all around the world who are still living without live concerts or in isolation.
We sincerely hope that this challenging time will not last too much longer for everyone. Our best wishes are with you all.”