The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO) is a symphony orchestra based in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

. Its principal concert venue is the Auckland Town Hall. The APO is the accompanying ensemble for performances by NZ Opera and the Royal New Zealand Ballet in Auckland. The APO's patrons are Dame

Catherine Tizard Dame Catherine Anne Tizard (née Maclean; 4 April 1931 – 31 October 2021) was a New Zealand politician who served as mayor of Auckland City from 1983 to 1990, and the 16th governor-general of New Zealand from 1990 to 1996. She was the first ...

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Dame Kiri Jeanette Claire Te Kanawa , (; born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron, 6 March 1944) is a retired New Zealand opera singer. She had a full lyric soprano voice, which has been described as "mellow yet vibrant, warm, ample and unforced". Te ...

and Dame Rosanne Meo.

History

In 1980, 19 musicians of the collapsed Symphonia of Auckland founded a new cooperatively run orchestra under the legal entity of the Auckland Philharmonia Society Inc. This was made possible by a local business man Olly Newland, who, at some financial risk to himself, held what assets remained of the Symphonia, and organised several public rallies to garner support. He continued to serve on the Board of Management for some years afterwards. From 1980 to 2005, the Auckland Philharmonia Society focused on artistic management of the orchestra, and delegated financial responsibility to a Board of Advisors and Management. In 2005, a structural change in the organisation produced two principal stakeholders, the Auckland Philharmonia Society and the Auckland Philharmonia Foundation. The Society concentrates on artistic and operational functions, whilst the Foundation focuses on management of the APO's capital assets fund. John Hopkins was principal conductor of the APO for 8 years. Other conductors who have worked as artistic advisors to the APO include

Edvard Tchivzhel Edvard Tchivzhel (Russian: Эдвард Чивжель) (pronounced CHIV-gel) (b. January 29, 1944) is a Russian-born conductor and music director of the

, Vladimir Verbitsky and

Enrique Diemecke Enrique Arturo Diemecke (born July 9, 1952) is a Mexican conductor, violinist and composer. He is currently the Artistic General Director of the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and music director of the Buenos Aires Philharmonic and the Flint Sym ...

Miguel Harth-Bedoya Miguel Alberto Harth-Bedoya (born 1968) is a Peruvian conductor. He was formerly music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2020 and chief conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra from 2013 to 2020. He is currently Direct ...

was music director of the APO from 1998 to 2005. From 2009 until 2015, the orchestra's Music Director was Eckehard Stier. In February 2015, the APO announced the appointment of Giordano Bellincampi as its next music director, effective in 2016, with an initial contract of 3 years. Other affiliated APO conductors have included

Roy Goodman Roy Goodman (born 26 January 1951) is an English conductor and violinist, specialising in the performance and direction of early music. He became internationally famous as the 12-year-old boy treble soloist in the March 1963 recording of Alleg ...

, principal guest conductor from 2009 to 2011. The APO maintains several artistic partnerships with entities such as the Auckland Festival, the

Michael Hill International Violin Competition The Michael Hill International Violin Competition is a biennial music competition for violinists aged between 18 and 28. It was founded by Michael Hill in 2001 as the Michael Hill World Violin Competition. Hill remains a major sponsor, claiming t ...

, and the

Atamira dance company Atamira Dance Company is a Māori people, Māori contemporary dance company in Aotearoa (New Zealand) based at the Corban Estate Arts Centre in Auckland. History In 2000, the company was founded from a vision of Jack Gray (choreographer), Jack ...

. Its educational work includes a partnership with the

Ministry for Culture and Heritage The Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH; ) is the department of the New Zealand Government responsible for supporting the arts, culture, built heritage, sport and recreation, and broadcasting sectors in New Zealand and advising government ...

in the Sistema Aotearoa programme (based on the '' El Sistema'' programme from Venezuela).

Music Directors

(1998–2003) * Eckehard Stier (2009–2015) * Giordano Bellincampi (2016–)

Composers-in-Residence

*1990

Ivan Zagni Ivan Zagni (born 16 October 1942) is a New Zealand-based musician and composer who has been a member of bands such as Jody Grind, Big Sideways and Avant Garage, and has recorded albums with Aynsley Dunbar, Elton Dean, Don McGlashan and Peter Scho ...

*1991

Eve de Castro-Robinson Eve de Castro-Robinson (born 9 November 1956 in London, England) is a New Zealand composer, professor and graphic designer. Her compositions include orchestral, vocal, chamber and electroacoustic works. She studied at the University of Auckland ...

*1992

Andrew Perkins Andrew Perkins (born 31 December 1961) is a New Zealand composer, choral conductor and teacher. He has had a number of works recorded and performed internationally. Early life and education Andrew Perkins was born in Warkworth in 1961. In 198 ...

*1993 Martin Lodge *1994

Helen Bowater Helen Bowater (b. 16 Nov 1952) is a New Zealand composer. She was born in Wellington into a musical family, and studied piano and violin with Gwyneth Brown. In 1982 she graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in music history and ethnomusicolo ...

*1995

Nigel Keay Nigel Keay (born 1955) is a New Zealand composer. He has been a freelance musician since 1983 working as a composer, violist, and violin teacher. Nigel Keay has held the following composer residencies: Mozart Fellowship, University of Otago 1986 ...

*1996 Jaz Coleman *1997

Leonie Holmes Leonie Joyce Holmes (born 1962) is a New Zealand composer and lecturer at the University of Auckland with an interest in music education. Early life and education Holmes was born in Auckland in 1962. She began learning piano at age six and at ...

*1998 Jonathan Besser *1999 David Hamilton *2000 – 2001

Gillian Whitehead Dame Gillian Karawe Whitehead (born 23 April 1941) is a New Zealand composer. She is of Māori Ngāi Te Rangi descent. Her Māori heritage has been an important influence on her composing. Early life Whitehead was born in Hamilton in 1941 ...

*2002 – 2003 John Rimmer *2004

Dylan Lardelli Dylan Lardelli (born 1979) is a New Zealand composer and guitarist. He is of Māori Ngāti Porou and Ngāi Tūhoe descent. Early life Lardelli was born in Wellington in 1979 of Ngāti Porou and Ngāi Tūhoe descent. He attended school in Ha ...

& Anthony Young *2005 – 2006 Ross Harris *2007 – 2008 Gareth Farr & Karlo Margetić (Young Composer in Residence) *2009 Chris Adams *2010 – 2011 John Psathas *2012 – 2013

Jack Body John Stanley Body (7 October 1944 – 10 May 2015) was a New Zealand composer, ethnomusicologist, photographer, teacher, and arts producer. As a composer, his work comprised concert music, music theatre, electronic music, music for film and da ...

*2014 – 2015 Kenneth Young *2016 – 2017 Karlo Margetić The Composer in Residence position was discontinued in 2018.

References

External links

*
University of Melbourne biography of John Hopkins
{{authority control New Zealand orchestras Musical groups from Auckland