During a scorcher of a week in January, 84 budding instrumentalists stepped out of the sun and into a fun week of music-making at our Orchestral Summer School. This year, we joined Summer School forces with NZ Opera for the first time to present an arrangement of Kiwi children’s opera, Red! (Little Red Riding Hood, with a twist).
Over the course of our Orchestral Summer School’s five-day intensive training programme, intermediate and secondary school-age instrumentalists, alongside our professional musicians, rehearsed, then performed, a programme of orchestral repertoire favourites. They were joined by 21 intermediate school-age singers, plus NZ Opera singers, to present an arrangement by Kiwi composer, Lucy Mulgan, of her children’s opera Red!. This was a unique opportunity for the students to be mentored by professional musicians and singers through lessons, workshops and rehearsals.
Red!, is an opera based on the classic fairytale, Little Red Riding Hood, but integrates relevant themes for today’s teenagers about standing up to bullying, finding independence and the power of inter-generational relationships. Mulgan specifically created an arrangement of her opera for the Summer School to suit a full symphony orchestra.
The Summer School week culminated with the orchestral students and Auckland Philharmonia musicians performing the fun Summer School Finale concert in the grand setting of the Auckland Town Hall to a record audience of around 450 people. NZ Opera’s students and singers joined them on stage for the combined performance of Red!.
Thank you to the Lion Foundation, our core funders, and wonderful donors for their support for our Summer School. If you would like to find out more about how to donate to support Auckland Philharmonia Learn & Participate initiatives, such as this Summer School programme, head to our Future Fund and Notes Fund.
