Brent Stewart, one of New Zealand’s most versatile conductors, returns to direct a diverse programme which starts with two works reflecting the forces of nature.

Nathaniel Otley is an emerging Dunedin composer who won the prestigious 2024 NZ SOUNZ Contemporary Prize. His new composition (a co-commission with London’s Sinfonia Smith Square) focuses on the changes South Dunedin has experienced, particularly environmental ones. Commissioned by the DSO in early 2024, there was no knowing that in October 2024, South Dunedin would indeed experience a ‘rising tide’.

Piazzolla’s Four Seasons (arranged by the Ukrainian composer Leonid Desyatnikov) is a tango-infused answer to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, even including a few quotations from Vivaldi’s work. The soloist for this work, Amalia Hall, is one of NZ’s foremost violinists whose vivacious playing has been described as having “blazing insight and dazzling virtuosity”.

Mozart’s musical genius is clearly evident in his Symphony No. 39 which showcases his effortless exquisite melodies and lively energy.