Starting the year in style: 2011 season opener, at the home of David Yu

In this edition we update you on NZTrio's exciting CONCERTS over the next couple of months, focus in on composer CHRIS GENDALL freshly back from study in the US, and FAREWELL LIFFY our beloved manager who's off to the Hawkes Bay.

CONCERTS

2011 is developing into a hugely busy and exhilarating year, and we want to let you know all about our exciting concerts over the next couple of months. Scroll down to read about some of the upcoming highlights like O Cambodia at Auckland Festival and in Wellington, our Lower North Island Tour and the launch of our 2011 Auckland Museum Subscription Series, including a bonus concert for NZ Music Month.

Check out our next "High Notes" for news of our international tours to England and Europe, Australia and Southern Asia! And you can always check in with our website www.nztrio.com to keep up to date.

14 March: Auckland Arts Festival: Garden Concert, Aotea Square
Although summer might be nearly on the way out, we kick off our Auckland Arts Festival performances with an outdoor show on the TV3 Garden Stage in Aotea Square. Featuring some of our favourite dance-inspired music from around the world, this free, hour-long set includes the sophisticated and sultry sounds of the South American tango, some gritty Brazilian blues, cool New York club stylings, an Australian maninya and the Mediterranean/Kiwi vitality that comes from the pen of NZ own John Psathas.
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17 March: Auckland Arts Festival: O Cambodia

As we write this update, we are in the thick of preparations for our 'O Cambodia' performance in the Auckland Festival. This is shaping up to be a truly unique and must-see collaborative performance - NZTrio on stage with 3 Cambodian musicians on traditional instruments, performing 4 brand new works by NZ composers Jack Body and Gillian Whitehead and Cambodian composers Chinary Ung and Him Sophy. All 4 works are inspired by Cambodia's political journey through the years of Khmer Rouge and on to today. This emotionally charged event will be a unique opportunity to witness personal insights into Cambodia's turbulent history. read more

25 March: O Cambodia in Wellington
For those of you who can't get to our Auckland performance, we are performing 'O Cambodia' in Wellington within the NZ School of Music lunchtime series.
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26-30 March: Lower North Island Tour
Featuring trios by Haydn, Chris Gendall, Kenji Bunch and Tchaikovsky in Featherston, Paekakariki, Lower Hutt and Wanganui
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2011 Auckland Museum Subscription Series: A Brahms Celebration

We are thrilled to announce our 2011 Auckland Subscription Series at the Auckland Museum. Following on from our celebration of Schumann in 2010, this year we will be weaving works of Johannes Brahms through our 4 concerts in the museum's Auditorium. In addition, we are presenting a special NZ Music Month concert in May – a celebration of our favourite NZ compositions, to be performed in the museum's Maori Court. Read More

COMPOSER FOCUS

CHRIS GENDALL Throughout the next few months we are performing Intaglio, a work by NZ composer Chris Gendall. As the first instalment of what we intend to be a regular newsletter article, we introduce Chris to you ahead of our upcoming performances of Intaglio. As an impressive nod to Chris's standing within the composing community of NZ, Chris has very recently returned from doctoral study at Cornell University in upstate New York to take up the New Zealand School of Music Composer in Residence at the Lilburn House in Wellington. Fortunately for us, this means we will have the opportunity to workshop Intaglio with him in preparation for our March performances in the Lower North Island. Read More

Farewell Liffy!

This month we are sad to be farewelling Liffy Roberts who, with her partner Roger King, is relocating from inner-city-Auckland to the extremely beautiful Te Awanga on the Hawkes Bay coast. We are very sorry to see them head away in terms of the loss we will suffer, but we're hugely excited for them. We can completely understand the lure of the vineyard and hope we can come and visit soon!

Liffy has been the trio's manager since 2009. We are extremely indebted to her for all she has done for us as our manager over these past two years. Her unrestrained and generous enthusiasm for everything NZTrio has been so meaningful to us as performers. Not only has Liffy been an invaluable ingredient in helping NZTrio transition from its role at university to its present position of independence, she has been instrumental in the setting up of our fabulous board of trustees and has developed strong relationships for us with all our hugely valuable patrons, partners and funders. Amongst many other things that she has brought to NZTrio, she also introduced us to our wonderful clothes designer, Helen Talbot and our amazingly talented photographer, John Crawford.

We simply would not be where we are today without the huge support that LIffy has provided us, and we are truly grateful for her time and commitment. Thank you Liffy! Here's cheers to your wonderful new life in the Hawkes Bay!!!

Christchurch, you are in our hearts

To all our friends and family in Christchurch, please know that our thoughts are with you at this very difficult time. The three of us have such strong ties to the Garden City (both Justine and Sarah grew up there and studied at Canterbury; Ashley is also a graduate of the School of Music), so it broke our hearts to see our beautiful city in such a terrible state. Our planned April 30 concert at the Music Centre has had to be put on hold for now – but watch this space as we try and find a way to bring our music to the people of Canterbury, soon.

Till next time,
Sarah, Justine and Ashley