New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's at-home performances go international

Section Principal Cellist Andrew Joyce performing at home as part of the first Play Our Part concert on March 25. Photo / Latitude Creative

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's second at-home performance will feature a special guest appearance by acclaimed American violinist Shana Douglas from her home in Britain.

Douglas will duet with NZSO Associate Principal Cellist Ken Ichinose, playing from his Wellington home. The two will perform music by famous 19th century Italian composer and violinist Niccolò Paganini.

The NZSO debuted its new Play Our Part online series of concerts on March 25 featuring the Orchestra's players performing works in their homes during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The second free Play Our Part concert will premiere at 7.30pm today (April 1) on nzso.co.nz/live and can be viewed by smart TV, mobile phone, tablet or computer.

Douglas, Assistant Concertmaster with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Ichinose have played together for more than 10 years.

"We're quite familiar chamber music partners," says Ichinose.

"We thought we'd have a go at putting the Paganini together from opposite sides of the world. It helps that we've performed the duos many times in the past. It is a light, lively piece which hopefully entertains everyone at this time when we are all housebound."

Along with Ichinose and Douglas performing the first movement of Paganini's Three Duetti Concertanti, will be four performances by other NZSO players.

Associate Principal Flautist Kirstin Eade plays renowned Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzolla's Tango-Etude No. 3 Molto marcato e energico.

Double bass player Oleksandr Gunchenko will perform American composer Frank Proto's exceptional Sonata 1963 Mvt. 1.

New Zealand composer John Psatha's Matre's Dance will be interpreted by the NZSO's Section Principal Percussion Leonard Sakofsky.

Play Our Part's finale will be a rousing performance of Italian baroque composer Tomaso Albinoni's Trio Sonata from an arrangement by Douglas Yeo.

The work will be played by three NZSO players in their homes: Section Principal Trombones David Bremner, Associate Principal Matthew Allison and Bass Trombone Principal Shannon Pittaway.

Thousands of people have viewed the first Play Our Part performance and the NZSO has upgraded its website after unprecedented traffic for the March 25 premiere.

Along with the Play Our Part series, the Orchestra will present other digital content to New Zealanders during the Covid-19 restrictions.