Nelson Symphony Orchestra

Nelson Symphony Orchestra presents: Solo Spotlight
2023-06-24 19:30 - 21:30 (Pacific/Auckland) | Nelson Centre of Musical Arts, 48 Nile St, Nelson, 7010, New Zealand
Featuring Natania Ngawhau playing the Launy Grondahl trombone concerto and other outstanding musicians from around the country each performing a concerto movement with the NSO.

Nelson Symphony Orchestra presents: The Rule of 3
2023-09-30 19:30 - 21:30
Beethoven meets Gareth Farr in a triple concerto showdown featuring NZTrio, alongside Ukranian composer Myroslav Skoryk’s famed Hutsul Triptych and Melody. Conducted by James Donaldson, Director of the Nelson Centre of Musical Arts.
Pre Concert Talk by Jason Balla 6.30 – 7.00pm (open to all)
Concert Programme:
Skoryk: Melody
Beethoven: Triple Concerto
Interval
Skoryk: Hutsul Triptych
Farr: Triple Concerto

Nelson Symphony Orchestra presents: Exuberance
2023-11-25 19:30 - 21:30
Rossini – Mozart – Mendelssohn
Get caught up in the energy and excitement of this programme featuring two Italian-linked works plus a Mozart Piano Concerto with soloist Diedre Irons.
Programme:
Rossini: Overture to The Italian Girl in Algiers
Mozart: Piano Concerto No 23, K488
Interval
Mendelssohn: Italian Symphony No 4

Nelson Symphony Orchestra presents: Travel Plans
2024-03-23 19:30 - 21:30
Come on a musical voyage with us as we present works by composers from Germany, Spain, France, Russia, USA and NZ, with guest soloist Owen Moriarty (Guitar) playing Rodrigo’s Concerto de Aranjuez.
Conducted by Beth Cohen.
Programme:
Beethoven – Overture to Fidelio
Fauré – Pélleas et Mellisande
Rodrigo – Concerto d’Aranjuez
Natalie Hunt – Only to the Highest Mountain
Copland – Appalachian Spring
Anthony Ritchie – Albatross in Flight

Nelson Symphony Orchestra presents: Bach and Sons
2024-06-22 19:30 - 21:30
An uplifting evening of exquisitely beautiful music awaits. Come and celebrate the musical genius of the Bach family with the NSO, featuring stunning cello soloist Matthias Balzat.
Conducted by Jason Balla
Programme:
J.S. Bach – Orchestral Suite No. 2
C.P.E. Bach – Cello Concerto in A Major, H. 439
W.F. Bach – Sinfonia in F Major, FK 67 “Dissonant”
J.C.F. Bach – Symphony in Bb Major
J.C. Bach – Sinfonia No. 4 in D Major Op. 18

Nelson Symphony Orchestra presents: Orchestral Dances
2024-09-21 19:30 - 21:30
Saturday 21 September @ 7.30pm
The NSO presents a thrilling evening of glorious orchestral dance music to sweep you off your feet. Showcasing an array of classical favourites including Bach, Tchaikowsky, Strauss, Brahms, Saint-Saëns, Khachaturian, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich.
Conducted by Jason Balla
Please note: Dancers from Ballet Nelson will only join us for our shorter matinee concert on Sunday only.
Programme:
Bach – Chaconne arr Raff
Tchaikowsky – ‘Swan Lake’ suite Op. 20a
J. Strauss – Overture from ‘Die Fledermaus’
Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 5
Saint-Saëns – Danse Macabre Op 40
Khachaturian – Adagio from ‘Spartacus’
Prokofiev – Dance of the Knights from ‘Romeo and Juliet’
Shostakovich – Waltz No. 2
Sunday 22 September @ 3pm
Bring the kids and prepare to be swept off your feet by the talented students of Ballet Nelson as they dance to glorious live classical music performed by the Nelson Symphony Orchestra.
The programme will feature a selection of pieces from the previous evening.
Performance time approx 45 minutes. Suitable for all ages.

Nelson Symphony Orchestra Presents: Orchestral Dances & Ballet Nelson
2024-09-22 15:00 - 15:45
Bring the kids and prepare to be swept off your feet by the talented students of Ballet Nelson as they dance to glorious live classical music performed by the Nelson Symphony Orchestra.
Performance time approx 45 minutes. The programme will feature a selection of pieces from the previous evening.
Suitable for all ages.

Nelson Symphony Orchestra presents: Inspire Me
2024-11-23 19:30 - 21:30
An exciting and varied concert featuring inspiring music from the mentor and the protégé. From the old masters of Beethoven and Haydn, to modern, local talent – Nelson’s own John Rimmer’s piano concerto with soloist Kyoko Takashima, and a premiere performance of Warwick Blair’s Sunset Kiss Darkness Come, a climate change piece especially commissioned anonymously for a first performance by the NSO.
Conducted by Jodie Freeman.
Programme:
Beethoven – Egmont Overture Op. 84
John Rimmer – Your Piano is My Forte, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra; Soloist Kyoko Takashima
Haydn – Symphony No. 94 (Surprise)
Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen Op20; Soloist Angel Tao
Warwick Blair – Sunset Kiss Darkness Come
Wagner: Siegfried Idyll

Nelson Symphony Orchestra presents: American Soundscape
2025-03-29 19:30 - 21:30
American Soundscape: The beauty and spirit of America through music.
Christchurch-based conductor, Beth Cohen (and her dog!) return to Nelson to conduct NSO’s first concert of 2025. She hopes to show Nelson the REAL America – beyond the commercialism, politics and stereotypes portrayed on TV and in the media. Beth writes: “America is a gorgeous country in landscape, spirit, diversity and creativity.”
In this concert you will experience the beauty of America through its orchestral music – Gorgeous landscapes with Grofe’s Grand Canyon suite; American diversity with works by the African-American composers Florence Price and Duke Ellington; spiritual depth with contemporary composer, Carolyn Shaw; the sheer pleasure of life with Philip Glass; the ‘reach for a better place’ and openness to exploration with Aaron Copland; and the exuberance, creativity, and depth of feeling with Leonard Bernstein.
We hope you will enjoy this authentic American musical experience.
EARLY BIRD tickets available until 16th March
PROGRAMME
Copland: Outdoor Overture
Dvorak: 3rd mvt from New World Symphony
Elmer Bernstein: Magnificent Seven
Florence Price: Adoration
Ferde Grofe: Sunrise, Painted Desert & Sunset from Grand Canyon Suite
Caroline Shaw: And the Swallow
Phillip Glass: Facades
Duke Ellington: Selections
Sinatra: I’ve got you under my skin
Bernstein: West Side Story (selections)

Nelson Symphony Orchestra presents: Orchestral Reflections
2025-06-14 19:30 - 21:30
Orchestral Reflections: Celebrating the NSO in our 60th year!
After 6 decades of music making the players of the Nelson Symphony Orchestra under the baton of newly appointed Music Director, Jason Balla, share some of the highlights of 60 years of orchestral concerts in a programme of great orchestral works. Music has been selected from the NSO library, and includes works by Beethoven, Tchaikowsky, Rossini, Berlioz, Britten and more….
The weekend will include a celebrational gala concert on Saturday evening as well as a shortened family matinee concert on Sunday afternoon for the whole family to enjoy together.
Come along and support the NSO as we present for you some of the highlights of the past 60 years and look forward to lots more exciting and entertaining orchestral concerts for another 60!!!
Programme:
Beethoven: Fidelio Overture
Dittersdorf: Sinfonie in C
Berlioz: Hungarian March
Rossini: Overture to The Thieving Magpie
Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty Waltz
Bizet: L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2
Britten Soirées Musicales

Nelson Symphony Orchestra presents: Orchestral Reflections Family Matinee
2025-06-15 15:00 - 17:00
After 6 decades of music making the players of the Nelson Symphony Orchestra under the baton of newly appointed Music Director, Jason Balla, share some of the highlights of 60 years of orchestral concerts in a programme of great orchestral works. Music has been selected from the NSO library, and includes works by Beethoven, Tchaikowsky, Rossini, Berlioz, Britten and more….
The weekend will include a celebrational gala concert on Saturday evening as well as a shortened family matinee concert on Sunday afternoon for the whole family to enjoy together.
Come along and support the NSO as we present for you some of the highlights of the past 60 years and look forward to lots more exciting and entertaining orchestral concerts for another 60!!!

Nelson Symphony Orchestra presents Solo Spotlight
2025-09-13 19:30 - 21:30
A highlight for many, NSO’s biennial ‘Solo Spotlight’ concert returns with stunning performances from talented young soloists from around NZ. Soloists selected will perform one movement of a concerto or an aria of their choice, accompanied by the NSO. Conducted by Andrew Ward.
Programme:
Cimarosa: Overture to Oreste
Schumann: 1st mvt of Piano Concerto (Ozan Biner-McGrath)
Gabriel Pierné: Konzertstück Op.39 (Jessica MacBrayne – harp)
Dvorak: 1st mvt of ‘Cello Concerto (Portia Bell)
Mozart: 3rd mvt of Violin Concerto No 3 (Priscilla Teh)
David Popper: Hungarian Rhapsody (Ryan Yeh – ‘Cello)
Debussy: En Bateau from Petite Suite (orchestra)
Chen Gang and He Zhanhao: 1st mvt of Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto (Eve Lu)
Saint-Saëns: 1st mvt of Violin Concerto No 3 (Ambrose Tarrant)

Handel's Messiah Reimagined
2025-11-22 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-11-23 15:00 - 17:00
Handel’s MESSIAH has been in the concert repertoire since it was written almost 300 years ago. Nelson Symphony Orchestra and Nelson Civic Choir are joined by narrator and soloists to present an exciting new semi-staged version of this much-loved masterpiece.
Whether you know and love Handel’s MESSIAH or will be hearing it for the first time, this refreshing new arrangement, compiled by Music Director Jason Balla, will be a unique way for you to enjoy one of the world’s greatest choral masterpieces ever written. The production presents this much loved choral work from the viewpoint of the composer and those individuals involved in it’s creation and the first performance in Dublin in 1742.
The combined forces of the Nelson Civic Choir and the Nelson Symphony Orchestra under Music and Artistic Director Jason Balla come together for the first time in many years to offer you a unique presentation of one of the world’s most popular choral masterpieces.
Earlybird tickets available until the end of October.

Nelson Symphony Orchestra presents: Mozartiana
2026-03-21 19:30 - 21:30
Mozartiana
Mozart & Tchaikovsky: Homage to Genius
Conductor Jason Balla

Programme:
Mozart – ‘Don Giovanni’ Overture K.527
Tchaikovsky – Suite No.4 Op.61 ‘Mozartiana’
Intermission
Mozart ‘Ave Verum Corpus’ (with guests Nelson Civic Choir)
Mozart – Symphony No. 40 in G minor K.550

Welcome to Nelson Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Mozartiana, an evening dedicated to the timeless beauty and enduring influence of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as celebrated through the artistry of both Mozart himself and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
The concert programme opens with the dramatic overture to Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, a work that has captivated audiences for centuries with its bold themes and emotional depth. We then journey into Tchaikovsky’s Orchestral Suite No. 4, ‘Mozartiana’, a heartfelt tribute composed on the centenary of Don Giovanni. In this suite, Tchaikovsky reimagines several of Mozart’s lesser-known piano pieces, weaving them into a lush orchestral tapestry that bridges the classical and romantic eras.
After the intermission ‘Mozartiana’ continues with the devotional prayer ‘Ave Verum Corpus’ sung by the Nelson Civic Choir and the concert ends with the Symphony No. 40 in G minor – one of Mozart’s most celebrated symphonies.
Whether you are a lifelong devotee or discovering these masterpieces for the first time, we hope this concert programme entitled ‘Mozartiana’ inspires and delights.
Early Bird finishes 8th March

Mozartiana: Family Matinee!
2026-03-22 15:00 - 16:00
Programme includes highlights from the previous evening performance.
Programme:
Mozart – ‘Don Giovanni’ Overture K.527
Tchaikovsky – Suite No.4 Op.61 ‘Mozartiana’
Mozart ‘Ave Verum Corpus’ (with guests Nelson Civic Choir)
Mozart – Symphony No. 40 in G minor K.550
Welcome to Nelson Symphony Orchestra’s Family Matinée! performance of Mozartiana.
The whole family will enjoy this shortened concert, dedicated to the timeless beauty and enduring influence of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as celebrated through the artistry of both Mozart himself and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
The concert programme, designed with the whole family in mind, includes music from the dramatic overture to Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, a work that has captivated audiences for centuries with its bold themes and emotional depth. We then journey into excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Orchestral Suite No. 4, ‘Mozartiana’, a heartfelt tribute composed on the centenary of Don Giovanni. In this suite, Tchaikovsky reimagines several of Mozart’s lesser-known piano pieces, weaving them into a lush orchestral tapestry that bridges the classical and romantic eras.
The concert, presented without an intermission and lasting approximately one hour, continues with the devotional prayer ‘Ave Verum Corpus’ sung by the Nelson Civic Choir and will conclude with movements from the Symphony No. 40 in G minor – one of Mozart’s most celebrated symphonies.
Whether you are a lifelong devotee or discovering these masterpieces for the first time, we hope this concert programme entitled ‘Mozartiana’ inspires and delights.

Harp in Harmony
2026-06-20 19:30 - 21:30
Music, and the instruments used to make it, tells the most evocative stories.
NSO is delighted to present Harp in Harmony, a collaboration with guest conductor Anthony Ferner and renowned Kiwi harpist, Helen Webby, where remembrance, romance, reflection and heroism intertwine.
The concert begins with New Zealand composer Anthony Ritchie’s poignant Remember Parihaka, before Helen takes to the stage for Ernst von Dohnányi’s unique Concertino for Harp and Chamber Orchestra – one of the composer’s later works, written when he was 75, and widely believed to portray his search for a peaceful end to his troubled life.
We end with Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, a masterpiece of rhythm and energy that introduced the musical dynamic ‘fff’ – fortississimo, ‘louder than as loud as possible’ – for the first time ever in an orchestral work. Unifying these three compositions is a feeling of finding hope and peace amid adversity and hardship – a concept that is as relevant today as ever.

Romantic Echoes
2026-09-12 19:30 - 21:30
“Romantic Echoes” brings together works of profound emotion and orchestral colour. Schubert’s Symphony No. 5 offers classical grace and melodic charm, while Wagner’s Götterdämmerung Fantasy immerses listeners in the drama and grandeur of late Romantic opera. Together, these masterpieces highlight the expressive depth and innovation of the Romantic era.
Programme:
Wagner (arr. Iain Farrington) ‘Gütterdammerung: An Orchestral Fantasy’
Intermission
Schubert ‘Symphony No. 5’
Conductor: Jason Balla
