Upbeat for Monday 29 February 2016
Dominic Groom
Upbeat reviewer Dominic Groom places us at the centre of the action for the opening of New Zealand Festival.
Firstly he looks at Miyata-Yoshimura-Suzuki Trio from Japan performing new work by New Zealand composers Samuel Holloway, Dylan Lardelli and Chris Gendall alongside Japanese repertoire. This fusion of East and West with works from these explorative composers played by virtuosic performers Mayumi Miyata (shō), Nanae Yoshimura (koto), and Tosiya Suzuki (recorder) is being repeated in Lower Hutt tonight.
Mayumi Miyata from Miyata-Yoshimura-Suzuki Trio plays the shō Photo: Supplied
Dominic also reviews the performance of "Monteverdi's Vespers 1610" by Italian early music group Concerto Italiano, one of the world's most acclaimed baroque ensembles making their New Zealand debut.
Concerto Italiano Photo: Supplied
Jennifer Shennan
Dance reviewer Jennifer Shennan casts a critical eye over "Speed of Light", by Royal New Zealand Ballet. It features works by Adonis Foniadakis, William Forsythe and Alexander Ekman.
Royal New Zealand Ballet dancers: Tonia Looker and Massimo Margaria: In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (one of the three works that make up Speed of Light. Photo: Maarten Holl
John Psathas
"No Man's Land" by Wellington composer John Psathas is a multi-media, multi-cultural symphony being performed at New Zealand Festival and Auckland Festival this week and then around the country. John Psathas has brought together a huge team of musicians from conflict zones, past and present, to perform on old battlegrounds and filmed them. A group of New Zealand, Greek and Polish musicians will bring "No Man's Land" to life, interacting with performers on video screens around the stage. This feature was made by Lynn Freeman after seeing the accompanying film.
