Michelle Walsh to lead CMNZ into the future
"Music has consistently been a cornerstone of my life, and I am absolutely thrilled and deeply honoured to take on the role of CEO for this prestigious music organisation. My passion lies in forging pathways for people across Aotearoa to savor the finest live music experiences, be it through our concert tours or community engagement initiatives.”
Michelle became a part of CMNZ in 2022, serving as the Head of Marketing & Development, bringing with her 13 years of experience in a similar capacity with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. Before venturing into the arts sector, she cultivated her career in marketing, communications and brand management, both in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom, with a diverse range of experience spanning not-for-profit and corporate sectors.
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Artist Spotlight: Q&A with NZTrio cellist Matthias Balzat
Adding a viola and double bass, NZTrio He Taonga Wairere will be creating a quintet in the upcoming tour of NZTrio+ to perform Schubert's ebullient and beloved Trout Quintet. We caught up with NZTrio cellist Matthias Balzat and asked him about touring, what he's most looking forward to in the upcoming NZTrio+ tour, and which artists he'd most like to work with.
Artist Spotlight: Q&A with award-winning author Tina Makereti
Ā mua is a groundbreaking new work commissioned by Chamber Music New Zealand for our 2026 season. Incorporating kupu (word), taonga puoro, and orchestral string instruments, it's an exploration of how the past, present and future intertwine and connect. "Ki te Whai Ao, ki Te Ao Marama. Light comes into the world. Matter spirals into being. The history of humanity rolls out—longer and more fascinating and complicated than we can imagine, and you have lived many lives through it, coming into and out of being," writes award-winning author Tina Makereti (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangatahi-Matakore, Pākehā), who collaborated with composer and multi-instrumentalist Riki Gooch to create Ā mua. We caught up with Tina and had a chat about writing, her creative process and the experience of working with musicians.
Artist Spotlight: Q&A with trumpeter and composer Cameron Pearce
Trumpeter and composer Cameron Pearce draws on colours from composers Aaron Copland, Steve Reich and Gabriel Fauré and trumpeters Kenny Wheeler and Ron Miles for his original works that he'll be touring with Symposium Brass as part of CMNZ's 2026 Season, Te Hiringa Oro - The Experience of sound.
Artist Spotlight: a Q&A with composer and multi-instrumentalist Riki Gooch
For our 2026 season, Te Hiringa Oro – The Experience of Sound, we commissioned a work called Ā mua, combining kupu (spoken word), taonga puoro, cello and viola. A collaborative creative endeavour by award-winning author Tina Makereti (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangatahi-Matakore, Pākehā) and composer, conductor and multi-instrumentalist Riki Gooch (Ngāti Wai, Patuharakeke, Ngaati Maahanga), it's a unique and intimate journey through time and space, blending Māori futurism and universal human stories in an intimate and evocative performance. We caught up with Riki and asked him a few questions about his creative process and the show.
50 Years of Avant-Garde Sound
For half a century, New Zealand’s legendary and most adventurous contemporary chamber music ensemble, From Scratch, have created performances where sound, image, and invention collide.
Passing the Torch
In the middle of her daughter Emily’s performance in the Otago District Rounds of the Chamber Music Contest, Philippa Fotheringham’s Garmin watch told her that her heartrate was abnormally high.
