School concerts and master classes bring music to life

A musical Easter week is in store for Queenstown as musicians and singers get set to spread their tunes throughout the town at a series of workshops and events.

The Whakatipu Music Festival will showcase classical, jazz singer-song-writer, Broadway hits and taonga pūoro performances by some of Aotearoa’s leading musicians as well as a new generation of performers and local talent.

Presented by the Hill Family Foundation for Art and Music, the Whakatipu Music Festival will include free and ticketed events as well as numerous workshops presented across the region from April 12 to 18.

Some will be in intimate, boutique settings, others in public spaces and on established stages.

Budding violinists are invited to a workshop with Robin Wilson, who’s on a rare trip back to New Zealand from Melbourne, where he is the head of violin at the prestigious Australian National Academy of Music.

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s principal flautist Bridget Douglas will be giving tips to woodwind students and teachers at another workshop, while Stephen De Pledge will teach an open piano class to some of the district’s best up-and-coming talent.

Queenstown primary and secondary schools pupils will be treated to school-time concerts, with a mix of musicians and singers set to take to the stage to inspire young performers.

The festival will culminate with a grande finale performance that will include Colour in Autumn, a piece written especially for all the musicians involved in the festival and to mirror the April surroundings.

Main Image: Musicians collaborate in a session during the 2021 Whakatipu Music Festival.