Upbeat

Chamber Music is coming to the burbs in Auckland, with the second Mt Eden Chamber Music Festival this weekend, bringing together some of the best musicians in the country. Artistic director Simeon… Read more Audio

2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. A National Commemorative event by the Lutheran Church of New Zealand is being held in The Wellington Cathedral of St Paul  to commemorate this… Read more Audio

They say good things come in small packages … and that’s what to expect at the Show Me Shorts film festival. Auckland filmmaker Roseanne Liang’s Do No Harm, which has been selected for the Manhattan… Read more Audio

Choreographer Sarah Foster-Sproull is just a few months into the 2017 Creative New Zealand Choreographic fellowship which allows her to delve deeper into dance practices. One area she’s exploring is… Read more Audio

Guy Buttery is considered a natural treasure in his home land. The multi-award winning multi-instrumentalist has become an ambassador for South African music, unifying different styles of music by… Read more Audio

Simon Brew holds the baton for the last time for the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band this weekend in Wellington. The Director of Music steps down from his role after four years, and will celebrate… Read more Audio

Lyell Cresswell’s new piano concerto was premiered last week by Michael Houstoun and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. The programme also featured Elgar and Prokofiev. Peter Hoar discusses whether… Read more Audio

The NZ Festival first became part of Shelagh Magadza's life around 20 years ago. Her earlier jobs there involved administration and  ferrying artists around Wellington - but since 2014 she has been… Read more Audio

Prepare yourself for a massive magic show simply titled Magicians.

The spectacle is opening its North Island tour in Wellington before heading off to Palmerston North, New Plymouth, and Auckland.

… Read more Audio

Irish folk musician John Leo Carter has jumped off a plane, headed to the Upbeat studio, and is playing the Wellington Folk Festival over Labour Weekend. The Öland, Sweden-based musician’s latest… Read more Audio

A cantata written to mark the 50th anniversary of a mining disaster in Wales, is about to have its New Zealand premiere.  Sir Karl Jenkins wrote Cantata Memoria - For the Children of Aberfan, to… Read more Audio

Michael Houstoun is about to play a new piano concerto, written for him by Lyell Cresswell, working with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

Lyell turned 70 in 2014 and is busier than ever writing… Read more Audio