Art & Entertainment | Book Reviews | Education | Entertainment Video | Health | Lifestyle | Sport | Sport Video | Sensational Hungarian conductor Gábor Káli leads the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra for the first time in Wellington and Christchurch, featuring a folk-inspired masterpiece by his country’s legendary composer Béla Bartók. Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features. Join Pro Individual Find out more The results of the 2025 confidence survey, which the Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE) conducts annually in the last few weeks before the Budget is released, show that the sentiment in the sector is at an all-time low.
Joining the accomplished maestro and NZSO is acclaimed New Zealand violinist Amalia Hall for an unforgettable performance of Bartók’s evocative Second Violin Concerto.
Echoes of Home: Bartók & Dvořák (Wellington, 23 May and Christchurch, 25 May) opens with a homegrown masterpiece: Douglas Lilburn’s Aotearoa Overture, a tribute to New Zealand’s sweeping landscapes and unique cultural heritage.
Rounding out the evening is Antonín Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony, a haunting expression of the composer’s deep love for his Czech roots.
Hall, one of Aotearoa’s most celebrated violinists, made her NZSO debut in 2022 to critical acclaim.
“I had the pleasure of working with Gábor in Macao last year and was so inspired by his deeply committed approach to music. I’m looking forward to performing with my fellow Kiwi musicians in the NZSO once again, as it is always a joy to collaborate with this fabulous orchestra,” says Hall
“Bartók’s second Violin Concerto is a compelling work, filled with lush orchestral textures and virtuosity from all corners. Written in 1939, it was a time when Bartók was becoming increasingly concerned with growing fascism. A fascinating blend of Hungarian folk music, quarter tones and volatile shifts in mood, this concerto is one of my absolute favourites.
“Performing with our country’s national symphony orchestra is always an experience that fills me with pride, and I look forward to seeing you at the concert!”
Maestro Káli played piano and violin at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest before studying conducting. His career skyrocketed after a celebrated debut with the Budapest Festival Orchestra in 2019.
“Every piece is different, and every orchestra is different,” Maestro Káli has said.
“The challenge is always to find a new way or different way with new musicians to cooperate – that’s important.”
While he began conducting at age 18, his dream to become a conductor was sparked when he was just eight years old.
“[That wish] came from instinct. My parents took me to the opera house in Hungary to listen to classical music and I asked ‘what is a conductor? What is he doing?’ I felt I could do it.”
A recipient of the prestigious Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award, he’s recognised as one of the most promising conductors of his generation. His profound expertise in Bartók’s works has earned him accolades and invitations to conduct major orchestras and operas worldwide, cementing his reputation as an innovative and compelling leader in classical music.
Amalia Hall appears with support from Jason Boyes and Nickie Van Der Beek.
Tickets to Echoes of Home are from $22 (NZSO Members) and $26 (non-members). For more information go to nzso.co.nz.
COMING UP
Masterworks: Mozart, Beethoven & Haydn – conductor James Judd, violinist Vesa-Matti Leppänen. Wellington (31 May), Blenheim (5 June), Nelson (7 June), Manukau (10 June), Kerikeri (13 June).
NYO Adventure: Rachmaninov & Strauss
– conductor Adam Johnson, soprano Madison Horman. Wellington (5 July), Auckland (6 July).
Echoes of Home: Bartók & Dvořák
GÁBOR KÁLI Conductor
AMALIA HALL Violin
LILBURN Aotearoa Overture
BARTÓK Violin Concerto No. 2
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 70
TE WHANGANUI-A-TARA WELLINGTON | Michael Fowler Centre| Friday, 23 May| 6.30pm
ŌTAUTAHI CHRISTCHURCH | Town Hall| Sunday, 25 May| 2pm
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