DSO's Principal Guest Conductor James Judd - Conductor 'Bach and the Birds'

Another important Baroque composer is Telemann, and we’ll be performing a light-hearted composition depicting the antics of Don Quixote, Rodd Biss’s composition ‘Four NZ Bird Songs’ is a heart-felt statement of about some of New Zealand’s iconic birds, and I am very much looking forward to performing them with soprano Rebecca Ryan. Given the avian theme, it's a perfect occasion to programme Haydn’s delightful symphony nicknamed ‘The Hen’ (‘La Poule’). Perhaps our challenge with any concert repertoire is always to engage as much as we can with the composers’ intentions and spirit, whilst at the same time living the music through our personal life experiences and inviting the listeners to engage with the music in their own way.