Upbeat

Gareth Farr’s fabulous at 50: he gives us his career highlights. Pianist Lisa Crawley reveals what’s really going on inside her head when she plays for tips, and we find out the true story behind the… Read more

New Zealand Festival tonight hosts a special collaboration, between the NZ String Quartet and Taonga Pūoro player Rob Thorne. It includes works by Gareth Farr, Gillian Whitehead, and Salina Fisher… Read more Audio

This is New Zealand is a new exhibition at City Gallery Wellington, exploring the role of art in asserting and questioning notions of national identity. The title is taken from the three-screen film… Read more Audio

How do we define what New Zealand is? City Gallery’s Robert Leonard tries to answer the question through art; then Rob Thorne explains his new works with the New Zealand String Quartet & we feature a… Read more

The King’s Singers are celebrating 50 years with performances in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland this week. The Grammy award winning choir is joined by Voices New Zealand, celebrating their 20th… Read more Audio

Standing and delivering is not enough on the opera stage anymore according to New Zealand singers Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Simon O’Neill. The former Cantabrians discuss working together on Tosca, their… Read more Audio

Mozart’s Don Giovanni – not, perhaps, a cast of thousands, but certainly with eight principal singers. But not in this production for the Wellington Fringe Festival – Stuart Coates has condensed the… Read more Audio

Men’s voices are today’s feature. We find out how you condense Don Giovanni into a solo show with singer Stuart Coates. Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Simon O’Neill talk Tosca, we celebrate 50 years of the… Read more

War-stories from late nights playing piano in dodgy hotel bars make up a new show by visiting Australian musician Lisa Crawley. Audio

Phil Dadson and his sound art group From Scratch make sounds using custom-made instruments; some involving PVC pipes, jandals. The group have a new show and exhibition at the Auckland Arts Festival… Read more Video, Audio

One of the most loved ballets has been given a makeover for the Auckland Arts Festival. Akram Khan’s Giselle features a fresh score performed by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Justin Gregory… Read more Audio

A death of a child throws a family into turmoil. The mother is accused of the death, but she seeks help to prove herself innocent. Lynn Freeman reviews the play about privilege, life, death and… Read more Audio