Case study 3: NZSO at Te Papa

by Catherine Gibbs, music consultant, Wellington

For the third year running, visitors to Te Papa had the opportunity to meet members of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) in person, and to hear and see them play at close quarters.

What?

This popular event began by showcasing different sections of the orchestra – the air was filled with the inviting sounds of strings, brass, percussion, woodwind, and harp playing accessible and fun-filled music from many corners of the museum.

The event concluded with an afternoon concert by the full NZSO displaying their skills in formal concert attire.

Who?

For this case study, we tracked the interactions of three young musicians with the orchestra during the day. We also interviewed their parents and their tutors. NZSO education officer Penny Miles helped with background information.

Why?

Like many performance organisations, the NZSO is committed to a wide range of educational activities designed to establish an ongoing relationship between their performing artists and school students.

Interactive encounters such as the NZSO's day at Te Papa aim to build audiences by enabling young people to have direct involvement with professional performers.

Such events also provide high quality arts learning for young musicians, by encouraging young performers and composers to listen, discuss, and reflect on music in a professional environment.

"We want to enable New Zealanders to get maximum enjoyment and satisfaction from orchestral performance," explained NZSO Chief Executive Peter Walls CEO NZSO. "It was inspiring to see a large audience of young children being drawn into the magic of our music."

next: Programme