Shostakovich: UNPACKED

Name: Shostakovich: UNPACKED
Start: 2025-10-28T09:00:00+13:00
Location: Nelson Centre of Musical Arts

Schedule

Tue, 28 Oct, 2025 at 09:00 am

UTC+13:00

Location

Nelson Centre of Musical Arts | Nelson, NE

Take a front row seat to the raw emotional power of one of the 20th century’s most defiant musical voices.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Dmitri Shostakovich, the New Zealand String Quartet will take to the stage alongside award-winning pianist, Jian Liu, to explore some of this legendary composer’s most powerful chamber music.
The programme features an exciting new composition, ‘Of Sorrows’, by student composer, Estella Wallace. Estella is the recipient of the Finlayson Prize, developed by the New Zealand String Quartet Trust in partnership with New Zealand School of Music - Te Kōkī and SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music and generously sponsored by Hon. Christopher Finlayson. The prize invited students to compose a new piece for string quartet inspired by and responding to the life and works of Dmitri Shostakovich.

This new piece will sit alongside Shostakovich’s celebrated Piano Quintet before the evening comes to its climactic conclusion when award-winning pianist Jian Liu joins beloved NZSQ founding member, Gillian Ansell MNZN for his Viola and Piano Sonata, the last piece he ever wrote.
Ending in hushed silence, and in almost total darkness, this concert will not only leave you deeply moved by what Shostakovich experienced throughout his own life but also inspire reflection of what we as human beings still experience throughout our world today. Don’t miss your chance to witness this incredible piece of chamber music, firsthand.
New Zealand String Quartet
Gillian Ansell (viola)
Peter Clark (violin)
Anna Van Der Zee (guest violin)
Andrew Joyce (guest cello)
Collaborating artist – Jian Liu (piano)
Made with support from The Diessl Family, New Zealand School of Music & Creative New Zealand.
Supported by RMF Law.