Three celebrated musicians reunite on stage for a special centenary celebration
When violinist Tessa Petersen, cellist Heleen du Plessis and pianist Terence Dennis step onto the stage together on 1 August at the Town Hall, it will be more than just a performance – it will be a celebration of a century of music-making at the University of Otago.
All three are senior lecturers at the University’s School of Music and acclaimed performers in their own right. To mark the School’s centenary year, they will join forces as soloists in Beethoven’s rarely performed Triple Concerto with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra under the baton of acclaimed conductor Umberto Clerici.
The concerto is unlike any other by Beethoven, combining the brilliance of a piano trio with the power and colour of a full symphony orchestra. Rather than competing for the spotlight, the three soloists engage in an intimate musical conversation, making the work as rewarding to watch as it is to hear.
The programme also includes Brahms’s much-loved Symphony No. 2, a work renowned for its warmth, lyricism and joyful spirit, together with New Zealand composer Dorothy Buchanan’s evocative Peace Overture, which opens with the distinctive sound of a Pacific log drum.
Clerici, whose previous appearances with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra have been warmly received by audiences, returns to lead what promises to be one of the orchestra’s musical highlights of the year.
This special concert celebrates not only great music but also the enduring partnership between the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and the University of Otago, recognising the musicians and teachers who continue to inspire new generations of performers.
Get your tickets here: https://www.dso.org.nz/events/clerici-conducts-beethoven-s-triple
