University of Otago’s composition lecturer Anthony Ritchie’s career has been intertwined with the DSO’s, including his appointment as Composer-in-Residence in 1993 and 1994, and performances of many of his works since then. The première of his Cello Concerto celebrates our shared history.

The concerto’s soloist is Victoria University’s cello lecturer Inbal Meggido who has performed as soloist with many of the great orchestras and in major concert halls around the world. Her playing has been hailed as a “warm, lustrous, communicative... the performance was sincerity personified!”.

Communication with the audience is important for conductor Brent Stewart:

“I am inspired by making music more accessible for both audiences and performers through understanding and enjoyment.” Beethoven’s seventh symphony, brimming with driving energy and life, and Fauré’s Masques et Bergamasques, which is an enchanting evocation of times past, are the perfect vehicles for this.