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.
Wellington Opera’s Tosca: brilliant casting and gripping pace
Wellington Opera's production of Puccini's Tosca pleased its opening night audience with a brilliant, all-New Zealand cast of singers, gripping momentum and a versatile, stylish design.
Orchestra Wellington’s Wozzeck: triumphant capture of Berg’s conception
Orchestra Wellington’s production of Alban Berg’s opera Wozzeck, a New Zealand premiere, was nothing short of astonishing.
Madeleine Pierard: “sumptuous singing” at home and away
After singing Strauss’s Four Last Songs for English National Ballet, soprano Madeleine Pierard is back in Aotearoa for two operatic roles and an NZSO tour. She talks about vocal fitness and the young stars of TANZOS..
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.
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.
Lexus Song Quest: celebrating young singers
With the much-anticipated return of the Lexus Song Quest this week after a four year wait, some previous winners recall what the prestigious and career-changing contest meant to them.
Soldiers’ lament
A new release of Michael Williams’ 1st Symphony gives welcome longer life to a powerful musical statement.
Singers surviving in a pandemic with London whānau
Singers Madeleine Pierard and Julien van Mellaerts have led New Zealand opera singers in London in a Royal Albert Hall recital to raise spirits and funds during pandemic disruptions.