Rhapsody Rotorua bringing hundreds of kids to town

Members of the Western Heights High School jazz band perform at WorldStrides Rhapsody Rotorua at the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre in 2017. Photo / Ben Fraser

Music and Māori culture will take centre stage for premier youth musicians as hundreds of students fill Rotorua for Rhapsody Rotorua next week.

Now in its 19th year, Rhapsody Rotorua will feature more than 800 students from more than 20 Australian and New Zealand schools coming together to make music, be adjudicated, and perform three free public concerts.

With a backdrop celebrating Māori culture and the sights and smells of Rotorua, it will show the overseas visitors the beauty of New Zealand from July 1 to 7.

The week-long celebration of young talent and music will be put on by educational travel company WorldStrides, with orchestral and band performances by New Zealand and Australian top school music groups.

WorldStrides was founded in 1967 by a school teacher and has taken more than 9 million students around the world on educational travel experiences for more than 50 years.

On the list of Rotorua places they will visit is Tamaki Māori Village, Te Puia, Ogo and Velocity Valley.

But it will not be just fun and games. Students will undertake masterclasses and workshops and have their performances adjudicated by world-renowned musicians.

The young musicians will be busy in local schools on July 2, performing at Lynmore Primary and Westbrook Primary in the morning and Kaharoa School and Bethlehem College Chapman in the afternoon.

The participating schools will also perform two free public concerts for the community.

Destination Rotorua international trade manager Patrick Dault said it was a great event, showing off the "sublime educational potential" of the city.

The attractions and activities were something students from New Zealand and abroad loved when coming, he said, and they were able to enjoy the rich cultural heritage.

WorldStrides performing arts programmes leader Karen Philips said performing on stage in front of the Rotorua community reaped tremendous benefits for the students.

"Uniting students from different countries and cultures to share their passion for music creates a truly remarkable event," she said.

"It's an immensely rewarding experience for everyone involved in the festival."

The seven days will finish up with the students' shared passion for music, beating through the hotel ballroom at a dance party.

And if you thought it was just the students who would be having a ball, think again, as the free shows promise high quality and talent with performances to suit all musical tastes.

Tickets are free and are available from Ticketmaster.co.nz or at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.

Free concerts:

Wednesday July 3, 1pm: School Performances from local and international ensembles. Harvest Centre
Thursday July 4, 7pm: School Performances from local and international ensembles. Harvest Centre
Friday July 5, 7pm: Gala Performances from Honours, Festival Bands, Orchestras and Choirs; plus Rodger Fox Quartet with jazz singer Erna Ferry. Harvest Centre

The Harvest Centre will host:
• Adjudication sessions, July 2
• Matinee performance, July 3 at 1pm
• Concert performance, July 4 at 7pm
• Gala performance, July 5 at 7pm