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Maria Mo

Host of Days

Photo of Maria Mo

Maria is based in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland where she lives with her impressive cat Samson. A multi-award winning pianist, Maria loves combining her twin passions for music and talking in her work with RNZ Concert.

Maria has performed in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and across Europe as both solo recitalist and chamber musician. She has toured as concerto soloist with Opus Chamber Orchestra, the Trust Waikato Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Youth Orchestra. Maria also had the honour of being selected to perform for the South Korean President Moon Jae-In on his inaugural trip to New Zealand in 2018.

Studying piano with Katherine Austin, Maria graduated from the University of Waikato with a Master of Music with First Class Honours in 2009. Maria was the pianist of Leonari Trio, which won Royal Over-Seas League Arts/Pettman International Scholarship in 2009 and played in prestigious venues and events including St. Martin-in-the-fields and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Leonari also toured with Chamber Music New Zealand in 2012 to critical acclaim.

In 2013, Maria graduated with Excellence under Professor Doris Adam at the Vienna Conservatory and received further training from Professor Christopher Hinterhuber at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Maria completed a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Waikato in 2022 where she researched the legacy of the renowned pianist Janetta McStay who was New Zealand’s first full-time lecturer in piano at the University of Auckland.

Maria Mo joined RNZ Concert as a casual presenter in October 2023 and took a permanent role hosting Days each Saturday and Sunday in July 2024. 

RNZ Programmes

  • 4lgdl5l days internal cover png

    Days

    Join Nick Tipping for a journey through the great works of classical music, some shorter classics, and the odd ear-catching surprise.

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Search results for Maria Mo

  • Settling the Score 2024!

    music
    1 Oct 2024

    RNZ Concert's Settling the Score poll is back for 2024. RNZ Concert presenter Maria Mo is taking the opportunity to create a soundtrack to the movie of her life. Audio

    This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

  • Hymns on Sunday, 15 September 2024

    music
    15 Sep 2024

    Celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori this week with a selection of hymns from Hīmene Māori - a project to document, record, and publish Māori hymns and waiata. Audio

  • Lilburn Lecture 2023: Unknown Country: Listening for the Sound of Aotearoa New Zealand - Nick Bollinger

    music
    3 Dec 2023

    Award-winning writer, musician, and broadcaster Nick Bollinger delves into diverse corners of Aotearoa's musical past and present to investigate what it is that differentiates New Zealand pop music… Video, Audio

    This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

  • Hymns on Sunday, 17 September 2023

    music
    17 Sep 2023

    We're celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Maori this week and feature recordings by Haatea Kapa Haka from Himene Maori - a project to document, record, and publish Maori hymns and waiata. The project is led… Audio

    This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

  • Martin Lodge: A Celebration of his Music and Life

    music
    9 Nov 2022

    Recorded in the Dr John Gallagher Concert Chamber in Hamilton, 9 November 2022. Audio

    This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

  • Hymns on Sunday, 14 August 2022

    music
    14 Aug 2022

    We’re marking the Feast of the Assumption of Mary with hymns including Immaculate Mary and Mō Maria. It’s an especially important time for New Zealand Catholics as St Mary of the Angels Church in… Video, Audio

  • Music feature: Maria Mo on the influence of Janetta McStay

    music
    1 Feb 2022

    For our Tuesday music feature today we're diving into the history of music teaching in Aotearoa. Maria Mo is our classical music correspondent and today she's going to tell us about Janetta McStay's… Audio

    This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

  • Classical music with Maria Mo

    music
    7 Sep 2021

    Classical pianist Maria Mo has curated a playlist for our listeners of classical pieces that knocked her off her feet the first time she heard them. Audio

    This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

  • Hymns on Sunday, 15 August 2021

    music
    15 Aug 2021

    Marian hymns feature in Hymns on Sunday this week, marking the Feast of the Assumption of Mary on 15 August. It's a particularly significant time for New Zealand Catholics as they rededicate Aotearoa… Video, Audio

    This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

  • Voices of Women celebrates the successful struggle to gain female suffrage

    music
    25 Aug 2020

    "Voices of Women" is a new CD from Waikato composer Janet Jennings, setting to music words spoken and written by a range of women poets including Ursula Bethell, and Christina Rossetti, and iconic… Video, Audio

    This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions.

  • 2018 Easter Church service

    spiritual practices music
    1 Apr 2018

    This Roman Catholic Mass from the Auckland Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph has Pa Peter Tipene as celebrant.  Audio

  • Lorde, LCD Soundsystem, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen among Grammy nominees

    music
    29 Nov 2017

    American rappers Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar have received the most nominations with a total of eight and seven respectively. Pop singer Bruno Mars received six and Khalid actor Donald Glovers' alter ego…