World famous Violinist, Natalia Lomeiko is returning, with her husband, Violinist/Violist Yuri Zhislin. 

What a treat to have two Violin/Violin Viola Professors at the Royal College of Music in London entertain us! 

Pianist Sarah Watkins is a frequent visitor to Queenstown Lakes.  She was accompanist  for 2022 AWE Festival and several Wanaka Concert Society concerts over the years. That Natalia and other superb performers choose her to accompany them, says it all.

### **Natalia Lomeiko Violin**

Natalia Lomeiko launched her solo career at the age of seven with the Novosibirsk Philharmonic.  A few years later she was invited to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School, hailed by Menuhin as ‘one of the most brilliant of our younger violinists’. 

After completing her studies at the Royal College and the Royal Academy of Music she won several prestigious international competitions, including first prize in the Premio Paganini in Italy and The Michael Hill in New Zealand.

She has appeared with major orchestras around the world, including St Petersburg Radio Symphony, Tokyo Royal Philharmonic, New Zealand Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia, Melbourne Symphony, Royal Philharmonic and many other orchestras. 

Natalia has performed chamber music with such renowned musicians as Gidon Kremer, Tabea Zimmermann, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Shlomo Mintz, Boris Pergamenschikov, Isabelle Faust and Yuri Bashmet. 

She has recorded for Dynamic, Foné and Trust Records with pianist Olga Sitkovetsky. In 2010 she was appointed Professor of Violin at the Royal College of Music in London.

### **Yuri Zhislin Violin/Viola**

Yuri Zhislin became the BBC Radio Two Young Musician of the Year in 1993 and has performed throughout Europe, America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. 

He regularly appears both on the violin and the viola at festivals around the world. His chamber music partners have included María João Pires, Dmitry Sitkovetsky and Natalie Clein. 

Zhislin is the founder and Artistic Director of the Russian Virtuosi of Europe, an ensemble that brings together some of the finest young Russian musicians based in Western Europe. 

He is currently a Professor of Violin at the Royal College of Music in London and gives master-classes throughout Europe. His début recital CD for the Somm label in 2005 was received with great critical acclaim.

### **Sarah Watkins Piano**

Sarah’s passion for accompanying and chamber music has led to an impressive career as a performer and recording artist. 

She is perhaps best known to New Zealand audiences as a founding member of NZTrio. After 16 years in that role, Sarah now enjoys a wide variety of collaborations with musicians all over Aotearoa.

Sarah has been an official pianist for the Michael Hill International Violin Competition since its inception in 2001. 
 
 She regularly appears as a freelance player in the APO, and has also performed as concerto soloist with the APO, ACO and St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra. 
 
 In 2014 Sarah recorded Chris Watson's "sing songs self" for solo piano and orchestra with the NZSO, a composition which was awarded the prestigious 2015 SOUNZ Contemporary Award.

 An award-winning recording artist, she was named Classical Artist of the Year with violinist Andrew Beer at the 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards, for their CD “11 Frames”; ‘Sway’ (NZTrio, 2017) and ‘Gung-ho’ (2009, with NZSO principal trombonist David Bremner). 

Sarah and Andrew were both previous winners of the Vodafone NZ Music Award for best Classical album.

Sarah is a graduate of the University of Canterbury (NZ) and the Juilliard School (NY), where she earned both MM and DMA degrees in collaborative piano. She maintains an active private teaching practice, and is on staff at the University of Auckland. 


Natalia Lomeiko with Yuri Zhislin 

### **The Programme**
A journey into French music through the ages: from the intensely emotional world of Baroque, including New Zealand composer Alex Taylor’s own response, through to the vibrant colours of Ravel’s impressionism, and into the irresistible swing of guitarist Django Reinhardt and the grandfather of jazz violin, Stéphane Grappelli, with the Hot Club de France.

### **About the Trio**
Les Voisins	 (Neighbours) is a coming together of worlds, neighbours, and friends. Violinist Justine Cormack and cellist James Bush grew up next door to each other in Christchurch and have remained close friends throughout their diverse careers: Justine nurturing and promoting the best of New Zealand music through her performances with NZTrio, James pursuing the freedom and energy of Baroque performance practice with many of Europe’s top groups. While performing, they met Australian lutenist and guitarist Simon Martyn-Ellis, a sought-after theorbist who exudes musicality, warmth, and positivity.

### **The Artists**
Justine Cormack, violin
James Bush, cello
Simon Martyn-Ellis, theorbo and guitars

### **The Repertoire**
ROBERT DE VISÉE
Prélude and Passacaille (Solo Theorbo)

JEAN MARIE LECLAIR
Sonata for Violin and Continuo, Op 2, No 1 in E minor
Adagio, Allegro ma poco, Sarabanda, Allegro

ROBERT DE VISÉE
Prélude and Allemande: La Plainte ou tombeau des Mesdemoiselles de Visée, filles de L'Auteur from Suite in C minor (Solo Theorbo)

MARIN MARAIS
Sonnerie de Ste. Geneviève du Mont-de-Paris

ALEX TAYLOR
Ordre (new NZ work)

—interval—

MAURICE RAVEL
Sonata for Violin and Cello
Allégro, Très vif, Lent, Vif

DJANGO REINHARDT
Nuages, Sweet Georgia Brown, Minor Swing



Les Voisins

A monumental programme featuring cornerstone works of the violin and piano repertoire. Menzies and Endres, both renowned soloists, come together to impress their own mastery on these giants.

The virtuosic duo invites audiences in to find new and exciting ways of experiencing well-known works in a fresh and exhilarating way.

### **About the Duo**
A newly-formed duo featuring the celebrated German pianist Michael Endres and internationally-acclaimed violinist/violist Mark Menzies, two masters at the height of their careers brought together in New Zealand.

Having first performed together playing Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata, Michael and Mark had an instant connection. They have since gone on to perform chamber music together at the Akaroa Music Festival and, more recently, played a featured recital as part of the UC/Arts Centre Chamber Series which included Schnittke's Quasi una sonata.

### **The Setlist will include:**

FRANZ SCHUBERT 
Rondo BrillIant in B minor D895 (op 70)

ALFRED SCHNITTKE
Violin Sonata no 2, ‘Quasi una sonata’

– Interval –

SALINA FISHER 
Mono no aware (物の哀れ)

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Violin Sonata no 9, op 47, ‘Kreutzer’



Menzies/Endres Duo

#### **The Programme**
Hailed as “bold and stylistically varied” (The Modernist, PBS FM), Ben Wilcock’s latest album The River Tethys includes a harmonious mix of contemporary takes on jazz standards and original melodies.

Audiences can expect to hear impressive improvisations and refreshing arrangements of classics such as 1930s show tune Star Eyes and Dizzy Gillespie’s Groovin’ High. Some of Aotearoa’s best known and most impressive jazz musicians, Wilcock’s outfit brings acoustic music which ebbs and flows, with up-tempo sections and melodic ballads.

#### **About the Quartet**
Accomplished pianist Ben Wilcock is joined by the talented Tristan Carter on violin, Dan Yeabsley on double bass, and award-winning drummer John Rae. When these renowned Wellington musicians come together as an ensemble, they deliver the most dynamic voice and melodic clarity with jewel like compositions, whilst staying true to their jazz roots.

Ben Wilcock, piano
Tristan Carter, violin
Daniel Yeabsley, bass
John Rae, percussion

#### **The Setlist will include**
Sol Draconi Septum
La Rosita
Grooving High
First Gate
Butterfly
T'ien Shan
Aenae
The Stinger
Chitchatuk
Secret Life of Music
Star Eyes


Ben Wilcock Quartet

Due to popular demand the programme will include well-known and loved repertoire for cello ensemble and soprano voice, as well as newly arranged songs for cello ensemble. 

As usual, Cellists of Otago will present an innovative programme with a great variety of items, which the audience will love.

Further information about this concert will be provided closer to the concert.

Fabulous Cellist Heleen du Plessis 

When Laurence Matheson and Matthias Balzat met in February 2020 to play trio concerts for Wilma & Friends, they hit it off instantly, both musically and personally. 

We decided to play more together and the Argyle Trio was born. However, a pandemic intervened to keep us on opposite sides of the planet until these 2023 concerts which will be our long-awaited reunion. 

Beethoven’s C minor Trio is such a perfect gem, it’s hard to believe it’s his Opus 1 and it’s the ideal springboard into the totally different world of heart-on-sleeve Slavic romanticism. 

Dvorak’s famous “Dumky” trio features a passionately lamenting cello – dumky being the plural of dumka, an epic ballad or song of lament. 

Less familiar, but a powerful work of unbridled passion, Smetana’s early trio is dedicated to his eldest daughter who had just died aged four from scarlet fever. 

He was a generation older than Dvorak and his rhapsodic trio of clearly elegiac character is a milestone of romanticism, in a way forecasting the music that would soon come from Brahms, Dvorak and others.

The latest WCS events in Wanaka

Natalia Lomeiko with Yuri Zhislin

Les Voisins

Menzies/Endres Duo

Ben Wilcock Quartet

Fabulous Cellist Heleen du Plessis

Argyle Trio

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The latest WCS events in Wanaka

Natalia Lomeiko with Yuri Zhislin

Les Voisins

Menzies/Endres Duo

Ben Wilcock Quartet

Fabulous Cellist Heleen du Plessis

Argyle Trio

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