Five Lines is a collection of writings about music in Aotearoa New Zealand by Elizabeth Kerr. It features short articles, artist profiles and reviews of concerts, operas and albums. You can subscribe - it’s free - at the bottom of any story.
The Unruly Tourists: an opera, a composer and a departing director
NZ Opera’a General Director Thomas de Mallet Burgess commissioned the opera The Unruly Tourists from composer Luke di Somma. The controversial project has just completed its first season in Auckland.
Wellington Opera’s Lucia: all about the singing
Wellington Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor brings together a consistently fine cast of New Zealand singers, thrilling the opening night audience.
New Zealand String Quartet: the wearing of the green
The New Zealand String Quartet collaborated with Irish composer and musician Dave Flynn for a joyous programme on St Patrick’s Day.
Eve de Castro-Robinson premiere: a quiet centre in NZTrio concert
Eve de Castro-Robinson’s new work, the willing air, is the quiet centre of a marvellously curated programme by NZTrio called Homeland 1.
Victoria Kelly’s Requiem: stretching time
As composer Victoria Kelly prepares for the world premiere of her major work, Requiem, she talks about the personal losses, and the poetry, that were her inspiration.
In Bed With Schoenberg: notes from a musical scandal
Writer Dave Armstrong and his violinist brother Donald have boldly created a play about the revolutionary composer Arnold Schoenberg. Could the world be ready for the atonal compositions of this leader of the so-called 2nd Viennese School?
The Earth Child: A Mansfield centenary tribute album
Composer Janet Jennings has curated a brilliant album as tribute to Katherine Mansfield, marking the centenary of the writer’s death and including her own setting of Mansfield’s Earth Child poems.
Music & Memory: a tribute concert for Barry Brickell
Music & Memory was a tribute concert for potter Barry Brickell, a remarkable event devised by Robert Oliver that linked 16th century music for viols, taonga pūoro, words and images to celebrate one of Aotearoa’s most original thinkers.
TANZOS: a springboard for outstanding young opera singers in Aotearoa
Soprano Madeleine Pierard is the head of TANZOS, an exciting new Opera Studio at the University of Waikato. It was the dream of Dame Malvina Major, and her Foundation is a major donor to the initiative.
The media merger has been scrapped - what’s ahead for RNZ Concert?
The proposed merger of RNZ and TVNZ into the entity Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media has been completely scrapped by the government. What does this mean for RNZ Concert?
Soprano Morag Atchison’s debut album: The Distance
Morag Atchison’s debut album features the songs of composer David Hamilton in a beautifully performed recital.
NZ Opera’s Ihitai ’Avei’a - Star Navigator: a journey to understanding
NZ Opera’s production Ihitai ’Avei’a - Star Navigator boldly crosses artistic, cultural and stylistic boundaries while attracting new audiences to the art form.
Michael Houstoun plays Brahms: miniature marvels
Pianist Michael Houstoun marks his 70th birthday with an album from Rattle of Brahms’ intermezzi. He says this introspective music “fits with an older player’s psyche.”
The Queen’s Closet at the Cloverton Arms
CLOVERTON: In Love & Wine, a modern semi-opera by The Queen’s Closet, with libretto by Dave Armstrong and music by Henry Purcell, is splendid entertainment.
Composer Reuben Jelleyman: radical transformations
New Zealand composer Reuben Jelleyman recently won the SOUNZ Contemporary Award for his work Catalogue, composed in Paris. What route has he taken to this prestigious Award, and what happens next?
NZSO Requiem: life and death across three centuries
The NZSO’s “Requiem” concert offered music about life and death from John Psathas, Richard Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Conductor Gemma New brought energetic inspiration to all three works.
NZSO and Mahler’s 4th Symphony: naïve yet profound
Mahler’s 4th Symphony has a genial, naïve quality that belies a profound and sophisticated composition. The NZSO’s recent performance had it all but failed to attract a big audience.
NZTrio: seductive interpretations
The NZTrio are on the road with their Legacy 3 programme.The Wellington performance revealed the Trio at their musical best.
At the World’s Edge: musical bonfire in the mountains
Two violinists have set a musical bonfire alight in the awe-inspiring landscapes of Central Otago. Their second festival was a boldly programmed event in intimate venues, with top-notch international and local musicians.
New Zealand Opera’s Macbeth: opening the gates of hell
NZ Opera’s Macbeth - Verdi’s genius, an outstanding cast of singers, innovative and atmospheric design and contemporary themes make for an unmissable production.