NZTrio

Celebrating ten years together in 2012, NZTrio will continue to thrill national and international audiences with their intimate and exhilarating performances. The trio’s refreshing programmes match classical masterpieces with brilliant contemporary works, mix musical cultures and genres, and involve collaborations with a broad range of international artists.

Violinist Justine Cormack, cellist Ashley Brown and pianist Sarah Watkins first joined forces in 2002 and were Ensemble in Residence at The University of Auckland from 2004-2009. From the outset their artistry, intensity and approachability have captivated music lovers throughout New Zealand, Australia, Asia, South America, the US and the UK. Recent highlights include appearances at the 2011 City of London Festival, the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, further concerts in Beijing and Taiwan, a Kaleidoscopes tour for Chamber Music New Zealand, and a special concert at the Aurora Festival in Sydney, broadcast live on ABC Radio.

The trio actively commissions works by leading New Zealand composers. Their trade-mark eclectic programmes regularly feature the likes of John Psathas, Jack Body, Gareth Farr, Dame Gillian Whitehead and Eve de Castro Robinson, as well as emerging composers, making NZTrio a driving force in the New Zealand music industry.

More recently, their commitment to commissioning new music has expanded to include composers from Asia and Australia. NZTrio regularly collaborates with leading artists from across the artistic spectrum. In the 2011 Auckland Arts Festival, the trio performed with three Cambodian folk musicians in ‘O Cambodia’, a collaborative performance of four new works by New Zealand and Cambodian composers. 

Critical acclaim for the group’s performances extends to their ever-expanding catalogue of recorded work. Their CDs have each been nominated as a finalist for Best Classical Album at the NZ Music Awards, in 2006 (‘Spark’), 2008 (‘Bright Tide Moving Between’), and 2010 (‘Flourishes’).  In October 2011 they recorded a CD of Stuart Greenbaum’s chamber music at the Melbourne Recital Centre, due for release in early 2012.