Kids and Kognoscenti

We need your help to present a double bill of orchestral encounters for our next exciting project called ‘Kids and Kognoscenti’.

This musical feast consists of two short concerts: Storytime for children and the young-at-heart, and Made in Aotearoa for the musically curious.

About Us.

Opus Orchestra is the professional orchestra for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. We strive to bring exceptional performances of live orchestral music to audiences across our region.

For this project, Opus will be conducted by Music Director Peter Walls, and will be joined by actor Mark Hadlow, and NZSO principal trombonist David Bremner. Another important guest will be composer Ross Harris, whose new work has been written especially for Opus.

About Kids and Kognoscenti.

We initially aimed to perform the ‘Kids and Kognoscenti’ Double Bill in Hamilton, Tauranga, and Rotorua in February and March 2022 – but the concert has been postponed to October this year.

This project follows a similar format to a successful double bill project in 2021.

The first concert, 'Storytime', is for families and anyone who enjoys a good story. Mark Hadlow will narrate two much-loved stories set to music – NZ composer Jenny McLeod’s magical setting of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor and the Nightingale, and Poulenc’s charming version of the French classic The Story of Babar.

The second concert, 'Made in Aotearoa', is for anyone who is curious about new music. This concert will feature both a world premiere and a New Zealand premiere by New Zealand composers – Ross Harris’s brand new Chamber Symphony and Lyell Cresswell’s trombone concert Kaea.

The format will be informal and interactive with introductions to each work and a Q&A with Ross Harris, David Bremner, and members of the orchestra.

Your help is needed!

Through this Boosted campaign, we are crowdfunding to raise money to help pay the artists involved in this project.

‘Kids and Kognoscenti’ represents two things we are passionate about – introducing children to the delights of orchestral music and championing new music. Please help us achieve our goal!

Thank you so much for your support.