Acclaimed cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan to perform in New Zealand

PanARMENIAN.Net - The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra tours the South Island with two rising stars this November, Voxy reports.

Acclaimed Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan and returning Australian conductor Ben Northey join forces for the NZSO’s tour In the Hall of the Mountain King.

Already hailed a "seasoned phenom" by the Washington Post, and praised for his "intense focus and expressive artistry" by the New York Times, Hakhnazaryan is emerging as one of the most significant young artists on the world stage. Mentored by Mstislav Rostropovich, one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century, Narek was the only cellist invited to travel on behalf of Rostropovich Foundation, Voxy notes.

In 2011 he was awarded the Gold Medal at the 2011 XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition, the most prestigious prize given to a cellist. Fittingly, he performs Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme in this debut tour with the NZSO.

Tchaikovsky wrote his cello and orchestra piece Variations on a Rococo Theme in homage to Mozart. It’s a beloved staple of the repertoire which puts a cellist through a no-breaks-allowed, high-register ordeal. Composed for German cellist Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, it premiered in Moscow in 1877 with Nikolai Rubinstein conducting.

The concert opens with a popular symphony by Tchaikovsky’s role model Mozart. Symphony No. 31 was composed in the French capital as a crowd-pleasing showstopper for the people of Paris, hence its nickname ‘Paris’.

Completing the program are two works by Grieg.