The orchestra will be joined by City Choir Dunedin in performing one of the most dramatic, distinctive movements from Brahms’ German Requiem, and its own concertmaster Skyla Murray (violin) will perform as soloist in Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3.
Conductor David Burchell is enjoying working with the Dunedin Youth Orchestra (DYO) again, describing them as "a very talented group of young musicians".
"I’m particularly excited by the fact that this year we can field a complete brass section of 13 players, and we’re performing some music which makes good use of the brass — especially Verdi’s Force of Destiny overture and Berlioz’s March to the Scaffold.
"I’m also looking forward to adding the voices of City Choir Dunedin to the ensemble ... It’s been a while since the choir and the orchestra performed together, and it’s always an exciting experience for both groups.
"The dark and dramatic character of this music has a perfect foil in Mozart’s sunny G major Violin Concerto, with soloist Skyla Murray, whose expressive playing I greatly admire."
Grace Shaw’s Southern Alps Overture, written for the orchestra’s Young Composer award, was a "satisfying and well-crafted work which we have very much enjoyed preparing for its first public performance".
Murray said Mozart’s Violin Concerto No 3 was "special to me as it has the first movement of a proper concerto I ever learnt with my current teacher, Tessa Petersen".
"I’m still as enthralled by all the opera characters that live rent-free in this piece as I was when I was 13."
Shaw said she composed The Southern Alps Overture as a way to connect to New Zealand culture".
"Having my piece played by the Dunedin Youth Orchestra has been incredible, and as a player for the orchestra itself I’ve been able to listen as the players practised and refined the piece into something that makes me smile every single time we rehearse it."
