Martinborough Music Festival

Brendan Smyth

Tickets for this years are fast selling out—and public sales are only just underway!

Chamber music fans are in for a treat in September, with ten international stars playing works including favourites by Mozart, Schuman, Rachmaninov and Elgar along with exciting new compositions by acclaimed New Zealand composers Salina Fisher and Anthony Ritchie, professor of composition at Otago University.

Ritchie has written a composition for Todd Gibson-Cornish, a young virtuoso oboist, with whom he has had a long association, says festival co-artistic director Donald Armstrong, associate concertmaster with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO).

“Anthony has known Todd since he was very young, and also his father Nick Cornish, principal oboe with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra,” says Donald. “Anthony is delighted to write a new piece for Todd, who is now such a superstar.” Co-artistic director Wilma Smith, former concertmaster of both the NZSO and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, is excited about playing the new work. “I’m so looking forward to playing with Todd, one of New Zealand’s absolute stars and Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s principal bassoonist. And he’s going to feature in some of the most exciting music of the festival, including this premiere performance.”

Featuring in the four concerts of the festival (22-24 September) are international and New Zealand stars UK-based violinist Benjamin Baker, NZSO principal oboist Robert Orr, pianist Laurence Matheson, violists Wenhong Luo and Amanda Verner, and cellists Ashley Brown (of NZTrio) and festival favourite Mattias Balzat.

Anthony Ritchie’s Quintet for Bassoon & String Quartet will be performed at the festival’s final concert on Sunday 24 September. A link to ticket sales and further information about the concerts and soloists is available at the festival website: martinboroughmusicfestival.co.nz