National Youth Orchestra To Take Audience On A Musical Adventure
Rising opera star Madison Horman will join the NZSO National Youth Orchestra for an unforgettable evening of artistry and passion in Wellington and Auckland next week.
NYO Adventure: Rachmaninov & Strauss, in association with the Adam Foundation, features Horman, a 2024 Lexus Song Quest semi-finalist, performing the exquisite 4 Lieder Op. 27, a set of songs originally composed as a wedding gift for composer Richard Strauss' wife, soprano Pauline de Ahna.
With her refined talent and fresh experience from the Royal Academy of Music, Horman is poised to bring these romantic and expressive works to life in a way that is both intimate and breathtaking.
NYO Adventure includes the world premiere of glacier by NZSO NYO 2025 Composer-in-Residence Luka Venter, offering a fresh and bold addition to the orchestral repertoire.
Audiences can also revel in the daring and charismatic energy of Strauss' Don Juan, followed by the sweeping emotions of Rachmaninov's Second Symphony —a masterwork that dances between moods of deep longing, playful charm, and soaring passion.
NYO Adventure also marks the New Zealand debut of acclaimed Canadian conductor Adam Johnson.
From conducting Canada's top orchestras to collaborating with rock stars, Johnson is proving himself one of his homeland's best talents in orchestral conducting, including engagements with Opéra National de Paris and orchestras in Spain, Germany and the United States.
Music Director of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and Canada's Guelph Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Johnson completed his tenure as resident conductor of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM) in 2019 and has conducted over 90 concerts with the OSM. He recorded his first full album, Riopelle Symphonique, with the OSM in 2022 and won an Opus Prize with the famed orchestra in 2018.
Don't miss the chance to support and celebrate these talented young musicians as they make their mark in the world of symphonic music.
Tickets to NYO Adventure are $10. To book and for more information go to nzso.co.nz.
NYO Adventure: Rachmaninov & Strauss
in association with Adam Foundation
ADAM JOHNSON Conductor
MADISON HORMAN Soprano
R STRAUSS Don Juan
R STRAUSS Lieder
LUKA VENTER glacier (World Premiere NZSO NYO 2025 Composer-in-Residence)
RACHMANINOV Symphony No. 2
TE WHANGANUI-A-TARA WELLINGTON | Michael Fowler Centre| Saturday, 5 July| 7.30pm
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
22-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Letters: Why don't we have a Question Time for the public to press our politicians?
Concert radio The RNZ Concert programme is an oasis in a desert of negative news in the world dominated by bigotry and prejudice. The interviews with musical guests performing often with the NZSO and other talented musicians such as the superb recently crowned New Zealand youth choir contact are a joy to hear – the interviewees are not verbose and egocentric but are appreciative, informed music lovers like myself. Margaret Ward, New Zealand Waikato medical school The short course opening to graduates at the new Waikato medical school, concentrating on training for general practice and rural medicine, raises two questions. Will the new doctors have a different form of medical registration to those who undergo the longer training at Otago and Auckland Universities, thereby restricting their work to areas in which they are specialised? Secondly, will their qualification be recognised worldwide as a complete or limited medical training? Stewart Hawkins, St Heliers. Building costs The cost of building construction throughout New Zealand – already in crisis – is worsening as more and more building projects fold almost on a daily basis. Has anyone noticed? Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay. Property buy-outs It is understandable that the Government cannot continue to fully compensate home owners when properties are damaged and destroyed through natural events. However, when the authorities encourage and permit housing to be built on flood plains and unstable land, then they should be made responsible to fully compensate those affected by random natural events. Insurance companies will not insure property that is deemed high risk, and no doubt banks will be reluctant to lend to buyers of dodgy housing. If we want to maintain confidence in the housing industry, support should be provided when common sense is not followed. Kay Agar, Onehunga. Homelessness Homelessness is becoming a major problem worldwide and appears to be driven mainly by drug and alcohol addiction. I watched an interesting news item from America that showed the extreme lengths they are going to in order to help their homeless. They provide financial support, meals, drug rehab programmes and shelter. In exchange, they require participants to participate in drug rehab and submit to regular drug tests. Unfortunately, people would rather live on the streets and use their welfare payments on drugs and alcohol. Where do we go to from here? If they won't help themselves, what can be done? Jock MacVicar, Hauraki. Naked little man I understand there have been a number of complaints about the nude skier in Lotto's recent TV advertisement. However, the little man who advertises Pak'nSave has been cavorting naked across the screen for years without any complaint. In today's politically correct society, couldn't that be interpreted as some form of discrimination? David Trower, Auckland Central.
Scoop
22-07-2025
- Scoop
Mana Moana Wellington Shows With Signature Choir And NZSO Now Sold Out
Press Release – NZSO Mana Moana celebrates two worlds of music, with the NZSO led by acclaimed conductor Brent Stewart, and each performance hosted by talented actor and comedian Tofiga Fepuleai. Wellington has again embraced the hit show Mana Moana and its spectacular fusion of symphony and songs of the Pacific. Both performances by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the 50-strong Wellington-based Signature Choir this Thursday and Friday at the Michael Fowler Centre are sold out. Mana Moana celebrates two worlds of music, with the NZSO led by acclaimed conductor Brent Stewart, and each performance hosted by talented actor and comedian Tofiga Fepulea'i. 'We are incredibly humbled and grateful to return home to two sold-out shows,' says Signature Choir Founder and Music Director Helen Tupai. 'After selling out back-to-back performances at the iconic Sydney Opera House in June, coming back to where our Mana Moana journey began and reuniting with the world-class NZSO is the perfect way to close our 2025 Mana Moana season. These sold-out shows are a testament to our communities' unwavering support, and we cannot wait to put on an unforgettable homecoming show!' Following 2022's sensational debut in Wellington and a hit performance with the NZSO in Auckland in 2023, Mana Moana reached new heights this year with a second show at Auckland's Spark Arena in May. Sydney audiences loved every minute of the choir's historic performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra last month. 'What an incredible performance! The energy in the room was electric. So privileged to experience this iconic moment,' an audience member told ABC Pacific. Wellington audiences on 24 and 25 July will again experience an energetic, unique, and emotional celebration, bringing traditional and contemporary songs from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. The exciting music selection blends beloved favourites from the previous shows with fresh new arrangements, offering an even richer experience for audiences. The stunning mix of traditional and contemporary songs includes the Samoan classic Manu o le Vaveao, Nepituno —written by Queen Salote Tupou III to commemorate the 1953 Royal Tour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's visit to Tonga—and an exhilarating medley featuring some of the most iconic Fijian songs, and much more. In 2022 a collaborative journey between the NZSO and Signature Choir to celebrate and promote the languages and stories of Pasifika. Their aim was to create high-quality audio recordings and videos of Pasifika songs in partnership with RNZ. This was then followed by a live performance at the Michael Fowler Centre where audience-recorded videos from the show have accumulated in over 1 million views on social media, highlighting the massive impact Mana Moana had and resulted in an incredible musical experience in 2023 and 2025 at Spark Arena.
Scoop
22-07-2025
- Scoop
Mana Moana Wellington Shows With Signature Choir And NZSO Now Sold Out
Wellington has again embraced the hit show Mana Moana and its spectacular fusion of symphony and songs of the Pacific. Both performances by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the 50-strong Wellington-based Signature Choir this Thursday and Friday at the Michael Fowler Centre are sold out. Mana Moana celebrates two worlds of music, with the NZSO led by acclaimed conductor Brent Stewart, and each performance hosted by talented actor and comedian Tofiga Fepulea'i. 'We are incredibly humbled and grateful to return home to two sold-out shows,' says Signature Choir Founder and Music Director Helen Tupai. 'After selling out back-to-back performances at the iconic Sydney Opera House in June, coming back to where our Mana Moana journey began and reuniting with the world-class NZSO is the perfect way to close our 2025 Mana Moana season. These sold-out shows are a testament to our communities' unwavering support, and we cannot wait to put on an unforgettable homecoming show!' Following 2022's sensational debut in Wellington and a hit performance with the NZSO in Auckland in 2023, Mana Moana reached new heights this year with a second show at Auckland's Spark Arena in May. Sydney audiences loved every minute of the choir's historic performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra last month. 'What an incredible performance! The energy in the room was electric. So privileged to experience this iconic moment,' an audience member told ABC Pacific. Wellington audiences on 24 and 25 July will again experience an energetic, unique, and emotional celebration, bringing traditional and contemporary songs from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. The exciting music selection blends beloved favourites from the previous shows with fresh new arrangements, offering an even richer experience for audiences. The stunning mix of traditional and contemporary songs includes the Samoan classic Manu o le Vaveao, Nepituno —written by Queen Salote Tupou III to commemorate the 1953 Royal Tour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's visit to Tonga—and an exhilarating medley featuring some of the most iconic Fijian songs, and much more. In 2022 a collaborative journey between the NZSO and Signature Choir to celebrate and promote the languages and stories of Pasifika. Their aim was to create high-quality audio recordings and videos of Pasifika songs in partnership with RNZ. This was then followed by a live performance at the Michael Fowler Centre where audience-recorded videos from the show have accumulated in over 1 million views on social media, highlighting the massive impact Mana Moana had and resulted in an incredible musical experience in 2023 and 2025 at Spark Arena.
