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.
Suite Aotearoa: magic woven from our natural world
Pianist Sharon Joy Vogan conceived, commissioned and performed the new works for the magical album, Suite Aotearoa, collaborating with taonga pūoro specialist Horomona Horo.
New Zealand piano music: walking with the birds
Pianist Jian Liu’s playing on his new 3-disc album of New Zealand piano music is lyrical and luminous, and full of respect for the music.
NZSO’s Mahler 5: brilliance and insight
The NZSO’s Mahler 5 concert showed off the orchestra under the brilliant conducting of Gemma New in a programme celebrating exciting composers and musicians of a younger generation.
Barton and Brodsky: story-telling magic in sound
The programme Barton and Brodsky, touring for Chamber Music NZ, is full of surprises as five brilliant musicians blend cultures, histories and sounds.
Beneath the trees: voices of women of Aotearoa
Beneath the trees: 21x21 is a new album of songs by 21 women composers of Aotearoa, setting words by our female poets. It’s an invaluable addition to the canon of New Zealand song.
NZ String Quartet: Unique counterpoints of Aotearoa
In their new album Notes from a journey ll, Te Haerenga, the New Zealand String Quartet continues its journey through the music of Aotearoa.
Force of Nature: Forest & Bird’s clarion call
A musical project celebrating the centenary of Forest & Bird brings nine new compositions to life and sounds a clarion call about conservation of Aotearoa’s native habitats and species.
At the World’s Edge Festival: intimacy, awe and connection
This week violinists Justine Cormack and Ben Baker will realise their dream of a new chamber music festival in Central Otago.
Salina Fisher: personal music for a worldwide audience
Composer Salina Fisher is composer-in-residence at the inaugural At the World’s Edge Festival in Central Otago. Five of her compositions feature in Festival programmes.
Stroma celebrates its 20th anniversary
An interview with composer Michael Norris, co-director of Stroma, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a concert of music from Aotearoa New Zealand and the world.
Inside, outside and not about gender
A review of a recent concert, “Inside-Out”, by the SMP Ensemble and a postscript about “music by women” in concert programmes.
Love Triangle - the “new” NZTrio on tour
The “new” NZ Trio is touring New Zealand with a programme called InterFusions. Love Triangle, the title of one of the works, sums up their musical approach.