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A quartet of musicians from one of the world’s greatest orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic, are touring New Zealand this month with Chamber Music New Zealand.
The Phileo Quartet, founded and led by Vienna Philharmonic principal first violin New Zealander Benjamin Morrison, will perform at Dunedin’s Glenroy Auditorium from 7.30pm on July 22.
Performing alongside Morrison on their first ever New Zealand tour will be Holger Groh (violin), Robert Bauerstatter (viola) and Wolfgang Hartel (cello).
The Phileo Quartet will present a programme of music by Mozart, Brahms, Korngold and Hugo Wolf — composers who spent the majority of their careers in Vienna and whose music showcases the warm timbres and waltz-like momentum that is the signature of the Vienna Philharmonic.
Originally from Christchurch, Morrison studied music at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University of Wellington before heading over to Austria for further studies.
While he has performed many times as a soloist in New Zealand before, this CMNZ series is the first time he will be touring the country with his Vienna Philharmonic colleagues.
Morrison performs on two main violins — a 1770 violin made by Nicolo Gagliano in Naples, and the other made by his father, David Morrison.
"The upcoming concert tour is a personal highlight for me as it will embrace the two lands I call home," Morrison said.
"The programme we are bringing is a real treat, and I not only look forward to proudly showing my colleagues where I come from, but also to share this wonderful music with Aotearoa."