NZSO angry at being second fiddle at festival

Organisers of next year's arts festival will not be drawn about accusations that the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is being sidelined in favour of an Austrian orchestra.

International Festival of the Arts executive director Alex Reedijk would say only that festival preparations were still in progress, and organisers were in the middle of negotiations with the NZSO.

Mr Reedijk refused to comment on reports of the NZSO's threat to withdraw from the festival, held in Wellington every two years and due to run from February 22 to March 17.

Artistic director Carla van Zon could not be contacted.

NZSO chief executive Ian Fraser said organisers had contacted him since he went public with his belief that the NZSO was being pushed aside.

Festival organisers confirmed plans last week to bring out the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, dubbing it "one of the world's truly great orchestras," with Russian conductor Vladimir Fedosejev and Japanese violinist Daishin Kashimoto.

Mr Fraser said he spoke out because he was unhappy that the NZSO, which is "more than a good orchestra - pushing to be named a great orchestra," was being progressively sidelined by festival organisers.

"I'm really disturbed about the fact that in the 2002 festival it looks like the NZSO won't have a concert hall concert in its own right. I find that baffling.

"It's pretty short-sighted not to offer the orchestra any main bill concert during the festival."

He said he was not opposed to the Vienna Symphony coming out, but he was concerned it was being oversold. "I don't like this ridiculous over-hyping ... There is a world-famous orchestra in Vienna, the Vienna Philharmonic, and I wish they were coming out."

- NZPA