The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is bringing an exhilarating and evocative music experience, featuring classical giants Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Bruckner and more, to Wellington, Nelson, Napier, Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland in April.

Testimony: Shostakovich & Tchaikovsky, directed by the NZSO’s acclaimed Concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppänen, is a rare opportunity to enjoy some of the finest works ever written performed exclusively by the NZSO’s strings.

The concert also includes enthralling music by renowned New Zealand composer Douglas Lilburn and Finland’s greatest composer since Sibelius, Einojuhani Rautavaara.

Ken Ichinose. Photo: Supplied.

Testimony features the NZSO’s talented Associate Principal Cellist Ken Ichinose as soloist for Tchaikovsky’s romantic Andante cantabile, the famous second movement from his String Quartet No.1 arranged by the composer for cello and orchestra.

“Tchaikovsky's Andante cantabile is a treasured melody, especially for any string quartet player,” says Ken.

“For me, the emotion and beauty of this work is drawn from the sheer simplicity of form and musical line.

"We are so fortunate to have an arrangement by Tchaikovsky himself and I very much look forward to performing this particular version for solo cello and orchestra, having previously had the pleasure to perform the original quartet with colleagues from the NZSO a few years ago.”

Vesa-Matti Leppänen. Photo: Supplied.

Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony is an arrangement of his Eighth String Quartet, written after he saw the aftermath of the apocalyptic 1945 bombing of Dresden.

Though he dedicated the Quartet to “victims of fascism and war,” in his later memoir, Testimony, Shostakovich said that the Quartet in fact described himself.

The Adagio from Bruckner’s String Quintet has been lauded as “the pearl of the quintet … one of the noblest, most enlightened, tenderest and most beautiful in sound.”

Rautavaara’s Pelimannit is a suite of fantasies on Finnish fiddle music, while Lilburn’s Diversions for String Orchestra overflows with Lilburn’s love for the Kiwi countryside.

The Testimony tour begins in Wellington on April 12, followed by Nelson, Napier, Tauranga on April 18, Hamilton on April 19 and Auckland on April 20.

The Nelson performance of Testimony is generously supported by NZSO Maestro supporters Roger and Catherine Taylor. Ken Ichinose’s appearance as a soloist on this tour is supported by Susan and Donald Best ONZM.

Testimony

Shostakovich & Tchaikovsky

VESA-MATTI LEPPÄNEN Director

KEN ICHINOSE Cello

LILBURN Diversions for String Orchestra

BRUCKNER String Quintet in F Major, Adagio

RAUTAVAARA Pelimannit

TCHAIKOVSKY Andante cantabile, TH63

SHOSTAKOVICH Chamber Symphony, op. 110a

TE WHANGANUI-A-TARA WELLINGTON | Michael Fowler Centre |Friday 12 April| 6.30pm

WHAKATŪ NELSON | Nelson Centre of Musical Arts |Saturday 13 April| 7.30pm

AHURIRI NAPIER | Municipal Theatre |Tuesday 16 April| 7.30pm

TAURANGA | Baycourt Community & Arts Centre |Thursday 18 April| 7.30pm

KIRIKIRIROA HAMILTON | Dr Gallagher Concert Chamber |Friday 19 April| 4.00pm & 7.30pm

TĀMAKI MAKAURAU AUCKLAND | Town Hall |Saturday 20 April| 7.30pm