Features

The Takács Quartet toured NZ last year and on their programme was this string quartet by Haydn. Tonight in Carnegie Hall Live they play the same Haydn quartet, plus music by Shostakovich and Brahms. Audio

Major supermarkets and retailers are phasing out single use plastic bags -  but disposing of the compostable alternatives isn’t easy. Audio

The upcoming New Zealand Music Month Summit will highlight issues facing our local music industry with panels on four different topics: mental health,regional isolation, diversity and women in music. Audio

When the beaches of deserted Pacific islands are strewn with plastic, it's time to act.

A life on the ocean began when a nine-year-old saw an old waka taua on the Waitematā harbour.

Fiji captain Kevin Naiqama will meet with the Bati playing group over the next two weeks to decide whether to end their international boycott in time for next month's Pacific Rugby League Test against Papua New Guinea.

The Papua New Guinea Institute of National Affairs says ultimate responsibility over who gets royalty payments from resource projects rests with the government. Audio

Bruce Hopkins took his father's and brother's ashes back home, just like he promised, and his journey wasn't just hurting himself a lot and losing stuff - many special things happened along the way. Audio

Xena 'the warrior princess' inspired a cult following and the costume worn by Lucy Lawless was gifted to Te Papa when the TV show ended in 2001. Video, Audio

Do you ever hear a piece of classical music that you recognise but don’t know the name of? Zoë George explores tunes you know you know.

In our everyday lives, surprises are not always welcome - but there's nothing that lifts a book or a movie quite like an astonishing twist. Video, Audio

Helen Bowater's piece for solo cello was written in Nelson in 1992 after the sudden death of her partner. #NZMM Audio

Nick Bollinger reviews a brassy, gaudy - and at times surprisingly restrained - set from Tami Neilson. Video, Audio

Husband and wife Kiwi opera stars Pene Pati and Amina Edris are at the top of their game. They came into the RNZ studios to talk opera, San Francisco Adler fellowships and sing a version of 'Lucky'. Audio

Chiefs winger Toni Pulu and Blues utility forward Jimmy Tupou want to play rugby for Tonga but an international call-up remains on ice while they sort their playing futures.

Peter Hoar reviews last night's special presentation in Auckland. Audio

The moth plant is an aggressive vine that smothers and kills plants. A South American import, it multiplies quickly and is big problem in Auckland. An Auckland teacher wants to change that - pod by pod. Audio, Gallery

The Lone Ranger, Clockwork Orange and Guillaume Tell. All the guises of Rossini's classic overture are explained.

The many voices of ngā taonga pūoro (Māori musical instruments) are interwoven with the deep tones of the double bass on Al Fraser and Phil Boniface's album Ponguru. They talk with Trevor Reekie. Video, Audio

An Auckland community garden that had been feared lost to a housing development is harvesting its kūmara crop. Video, Audio, Gallery

The United States says infrastructure development aid projects in the Pacific region should not leave island countries saddled with debt.

With Marlon Williams playing shows around the country at the moment, we thought you'd like to listen to the last concert we recorded of his, at WOMAD 2017.  Audio

A prominent Niuean New Zealander believes he can make a difference if he gets to head the World Health Organisation's Western Pacific region. Audio

Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgård came to the attention of the literary world with six autobiographical novels based on his family, collectively called My Struggle (Min Kamp). Audio