Crescendo

Famous New Zealanders talk about the music that moves them with the people who make it, celebrating the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's 75th anniversary.

Episodes

Beethoven’s Symphony #5 with Teuila Blakely

December 21, 2022 • 13 mins

Actress and producer Teuila Blakely reveals how the music of Beethoven sustained her in the face of prejudice and racism.

Mark as Played

Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor with Morgan Leary

December 18, 2022 • 11 mins

Musician Morgan Leary discusses the influence of the famous British composer, Edward Elgar, on her musical development and with NZSO cellist Elizabeth Patchett revisits Jacqueline du Pre's stunning performance of his Cello Concerto in E Minor.

Mark as Played

The ENZO version of Split Enz with Eddie Rayner

December 14, 2022 • 13 mins

Legendary Split Enz keyboardist Eddie Rayner explains the genesis of ENZSO, a musical collaboration between the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and a roster of well known singers performing new arrangements of Split Enz songs, including the band’s 1984 hit “Message to My Girl”

Mark as Played

Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz with Miranda Harcourt

December 11, 2022 • 13 mins

Celebrated actor, director and acting coach Miranda Harcourt explores her sense of connection with Symphonie Fantastique by French composer Hector Berlioz, and NZSO bassoonist David Angus gives an insight into the intense experience of playing the piece.

Mark as Played

Johan Halvorsen’s Passacaglia with Emma Dias

December 7, 2022 • 10 mins

Year 12 music student Emma Dias explains her connection with the Passacaglia For Violin and Viola by Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen and describes how she was introduced to the piece by her violin teacher, Gregory Squire from the NZSO.

Mark as Played

Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf with Karen O Leary

December 4, 2022 • 10 mins

Actor Karen O Leary explains her connection with Peter and the Wolf - a beloved piece of music written originally for children, while NZSO flutist Bridget Douglas explains the challenges that come with getting into character for the piece.

Mark as Played

Schubert with Dr Graeme Downes

November 30, 2022 • 11 mins

Rock and roll star turned musicologist Graeme Downes gives a masterful breakdown of the enduring brilliance of Schubert's Symphony #9 in C major, and why it’s had a hold on his heart all these years, while NZSO violinist Haihong Liu has her own ideas about what makes Schubert’s “Great” symphony so great.

Mark as Played

The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky with Witi Ihimaera

November 27, 2022 • 12 mins

One of our most celebrated authors, Witi Ihimaera, recalls how his life changed when he first heard The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky, as a young boy listening to a record player in Gisborne. And NZSO double bass player Alexander Gunchenko explains the fiendish difficulty of playing the piece.

Mark as Played

Nimrod with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

November 23, 2022 • 8 mins

One of Aotearoa's legendary performers, opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, describes the complicated feelings of homesickness stirred in her by Elgar's "Nimrod" while NZSO cellist Brigid O'Meeghan explains why the piece has the power to move listeners, more than one hundred years after it was composed.

Mark as Played

Beethoven's Choral Symphony with Dame Patsy Reddy

November 20, 2022 • 11 mins

Dame Patsy Reddy talks about the enduring power of Beethoven’s famous choral symphony, and NZSO conductor Gemma New explains why the symphony packs such an unforgettable emotional punch.

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com