Greytown Music Group – A Piano in the Wind

Sunday 12 May, 4 pm

Wellington-based group “A Piano in the Wind” will be performing in Greytown for the Greytown Music Group’s next concert on Sunday 12 May. The players all perform regularly together in Orchestra Wellington and at other musical events in the region. They say they are very much enjoying the opportunity of working together on gorgeous repertoire for their instruments. 

A Piano in the Wind will be performing the two most prominent quintets for piano and winds: the Mozart and Beethoven Quintets in E flat major.  After its premiere in 1784, Mozart described the quintet to his father as the best thing he had written in his life. It is believed that Beethoven’s quintet may have been inspired by Mozart’s, being written in the same key and for the same instrumentation.  The quintets are often paired together in a programme. Both works include beautiful piano writing balanced against opportunities for the wind instruments to shine with wonderful melodies. 

The varied programme will also include Chopin’s beautiful Nocturne Opus 48 number 1, performed by pianist Rachel Thomson. The Nocturne has variously been described as one of Chopin’s greatest emotional achievements and a “masterly expression of a great powerful grief.” Rachel studied piano first at Victoria University of Wellington and then at Cleveland Institute of Music in the USA. She works with the NZSO, Orchestra Wellington, and Christchurch Symphony, as well as being a teacher, adjudicator, and accompanist.

The woodwind players in the group all performed in Greytown last year as members of the octet Wellington Winds, and are looking forward to returning, with a piano in their midst.

Oboist Merran Cooke also began her studies at Victoria University, followed by post graduate study with Christian Schneider in Cologne. She is principal oboist with Orchestra Wellington, also works in the criminal team at Crown Law, lamband combines her legal and musical interests by running a choir of about 50 lawyers as Counsel in Concert.

Clarinetist Mark Cookson studied in Wellington, Brisbane, and Chicago, following which he was a freelance clarinetist for 10 years in London. He has performed with the NZSO, Queensland Symphony, and the Royal NZ Air Force Band, and currently plays with Orchestra Wellington.

Bassoonist Leni Hoischen grew up in Germany, studying in Cologne and Amsterdam. She worked with several European orchestras, but since moving to NZ she has played regularly with the NZSO and Orchestra Wellington.

Horn player Shadley van Wyk who also studied at Victoria University, is the section principal for Orchestra Wellington, and plays with the NZSO, Christchurch Symphony, and Auckland Philharmonic when required.

The concert will be at 57 Wood St, Greytown on Sunday 12 May at 4pm. Admission $25. Bookings are essential: please call Ed and Juliet Cooke on (06) 3049 497 or email on efjac@xtra.co.nz.