CSO - Phoenix

The opening concert of the 2019 Lamb and Hayward Masterworks Series celebrates our return to the Christchurch Town Hall with a concert sparkling with orchestral delights.

Phoenix, by acclaimed composer Christopher Cree Brown, has been specially commissioned to commemorate the occasion.

Russian composer Igor Stravinsky’s exhilarating Firebird Suite is an exotic fairytale, where good ultimately triumphs over evil. Originally composed for the Ballets Russes, this remarkable work dazzles the listener with an incredible array of orchestral colour.

Two of New Zealand’s most exciting pianists, Michael Houston and Tony Chen Lin combine for this special evening to perform Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos.

The concert concludes with Italian composer Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome. This evocative tone poem captures the moods and sounds of Rome, including the ebullience of children at play and the contemplative atmosphere of the catacombs, before reaching a thrilling climax as the mighty legionaries of Ancient Rome march by.