16 May 2019 - 0 Comments

The New Zealand Guitar Quartet bring an infectious energy to the stage!

Fresh from concert tours in China and Australia and 2018 engagements at the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America Convention and Guitarromania in Mexico, they’ve released two CDs, both featuring commissioned works by Australian and New Zealand composers, as well as original arrangements by Owen Moriarty.

Besides Owen, Jane Curry and John Couch, the quartet has a new member, internationally acclaimed guitarist Vladimir Gorbach.

Their performances of classical, contemporary and world music continue to engage audiences from all walks of life, exploring a diverse range of genres including Balkan, Brazilian, Persian, bluegrass, Celtic, Spanish and flamenco music.

Some comments from their AOTNZ tour in 2017:

“Wow they were wonderful!!!..Not only incredible musicians but so professional and engaging”--Featherston

“Amazing display of technical virtuosity with beautifully chosen programme of new and well known works. Great stage presence and rapport with the audience. …Wonderful and charming musicians.” – Balcairn

“Outstanding.” – Geraldine

Schedule

Saturday 22 June 7.30pm Picton

Picton Little Theatre

$25 Book: Take Note Picton and Alyssums Blenheim

Monday 24 June 7pm Lincoln

The Laboratory

$20 Book: Over the bar or 03 325 3006

Tuesday 25 June 7.30pm Geraldine

St Mary’s Church

$25 Book: LOUK Clothing (no eftpos) 03 693 9793

Wednesday 26 June Fairlie

TBC

Thursday 27 June 7pm Oamaru

Inkbox Theatre

Opera House

$25 Book: Ticket direct and Opera house

Saturday 29 June 8.30pm Invercargill

Chiaroni Gallery

$35 Book: www.ticketdirect.co.nz

Monday 1 July 7.30pm Stewart Island

Community Centre

$25

Tuesday 2 July 7.30pm Alexandra

The Stadium Tavern

Adult $25, Gold Card $20, Child $10

Book: Central Otago i-Sites or on the door if tickets available

Wednesday 3 July 7.30pm Hokitika

Old Lodge Theatre

$20 Book: Hokitika’s Regent Theatre

Thursday 4 July 8pm Barrytown

Barrytown Hall

$20 door sales

Friday 5 July 8pm Reefton

Reefton Club

Adults $20 , Students $10, Family $50

Book: door sales or 03 732 8111 or 03 732 8542

Sunday 7 July 3.30pm Nelson

Nelson Centre of Musical Arts

$35, NCMA staff and students $5, Community Services cards $25

Book: Ticket direct and NCMA website

Tuesday 9 July 7.30pm New Plymouth

4th Wall Theatre

Adult $25, Senior $20, Student $10

Book: www.4thwalltheatre.co.nz 0800 484 925

Friday 12 July 7.30pm Whangarei

The Riverbank Centre

$30 Book: www.whangareitheatrecompany.org.nzand Storytime, Reyburn House Lane

Saturday 13 July 7.30pm Onewhero

OSPA Theatre

$25 Book: www.ospa.org.nz

or the Goodness Grocer Pukekohe

Sunday 14 July 2pm Putaruru

The Plaza Theatre

$20 Book: The Plaza and Eventfinda

Tuesday 16 July 7.30pm Rotorua

St Barnabas Church Hall

16 School Road

$30 cash sales only

Book: 021 0255 1892/07 3575550/027 486 7039

Wednesday 17 July 7.30pm Hamilton

Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts

University of Waikato

Adult $28, Seniors and Unwaged $23, Students and Children $13

Book: www.waikato.ac.nz/academy/whats-on 0800n383 5200 or Academy box office

Thursday 18 July 7.30pm Whakatane

Church of St George and St John

Adult $30, Concession $25, Child $5

Book: The Good Life Whakatane and door sales

Friday 19 July 7.30pm Wairoa

The Gaiety

$25 Book: The Gaiety, i-Site

Saturday 20 July 7.30pm Waipawa

CHB Municipal Theatre

$25 Dinner $15 add on

Book: www.eventfinda.co.nz or CHB Theatre

Sunday 21 July 3pm Norsewood

The Old Dairy Factory

$20 on the door

Biographies

Owen Moriarty: Owen completed his Masters at Massey University in 2003, and continued his studies at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles). Owen has released five CDs, toured with Chamber Music New Zealand and given concerto performances with the National Capital Orchestra (Canberra),as well as New Zealand orchestras. He has recorded with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the New Zealand String Quartet.

Prize winner in several competitions, including the Rotorua Concerto Competition, the Gisborne International Music Competition, the ASTA/Green Competition (California), the Bangkok International Guitar Competition, and the Ivor Mairants Guitar Competition (London), Owen has performed throughout New Zealand, and in Australia, USA, Portugal, Mexico, Thailand, Spain, China, and the United Kingdom.

Jane Curry: Born in the UK and now based in New Zealand, Jane is one of New Zealand’s leading classical guitarists, whose concert engagements in both solo and chamber music settings include concertos with Orkiestra Ars Longa (Krakow Music Academy, Poland) the Mahidol University String Orchestra (Thailand) the Capital Concert Orchestra (Australia) and several New Zealand orchestras.

Jane is head of the guitar programme at the New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University, where she balances solo and chamber music engagements with the coordination of the largest classical guitar programme in the country. She completed a Master’s and Doctoral degree at the University of Arizona.

John Couch: New Zealand born John Couch is an Australian based classical guitarist and is the Director of New Zealand’s premiere classical guitar festival, the Taranaki Classical Guitar Summer School (TCGSS). Couch holds a Master of Music in performance and research (pedagogy), Post-Graduate Diploma in performance and Research, Bachelor of Music and is a Fellow of the Trinity Guildhall (London).

He has featured on five CD album recordings. As a soloist, he has performed in festivals and concert series around Australia, New Zealand, Europe, North America and Asia. He has recorded for and played on ABC Classic FM (Australia), 2CN (Australia), Classic FM (New Zealand), TVNZ (New Zealand), Radio Canada and HCMTV7 (Vietnam), and has featured as a soloist with Australian and New Zealand symphony orchestras. With an interest in creating new music for the classical guitar, Couch has commissioned and had work dedicated to him from leading composers. Premiere recordings of a selection of these works are played regularly on the ABC Classic FM.

Russian born Vladimir Gorbach’s international success began with the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation ‘Live Music now’ artist outreach programme in Germany. He then went on to win many international guitar competitions in and prizes in Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Greece and the USA while performing concert tours in North and South America. He has performed in Carnegie Hall in New York in the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow and Laeizshalle in Hamburg. Vladimir has published a book of solo guitar arrangements and recorded for the world’s largest recording label Naxos.

In 2015 he was appointed as lecturer in guitar at the University of Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music.

Arts On Tour NZ (AOTNZ) organises tours of outstanding New Zealand performers to rural and smaller centres in New Zealand. The trust receives funding from Creative New Zealand as well as support from Central Lakes Trust, Community Trust of Southland, Interislander, Otago Community Trust, Rata Foundation and the Southern Trust. AOTNZ liaises with local arts councils, repertory theatres and community groups to bring the best of musical and theatrical talent to country districts. The AOTNZ programme is environmentally sustainable – artists travel to their audiences rather than audiences required to do the travelling.

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