DSO's Principal Guest Conductor James Judd - Conductor for 'Journeys'

The scene is set with a beautiful work of Michael Norris, and it’s followed by a masterpiece of Mozart whose music embraces us all with its profound simplicity and humanity.

Mahler himself expressed the wish that his music would embrace the world, and his magical songs celebrate our shared, pure human emotions with orchestral colours that only Mahler could create.

Sibelius’s approach to orchestration provides a strong contrast to Mahler, often using dark, prime colours to express the deep emotional and spiritual memories, connections between we humans and nature.

I’ll be working with three world-class soloists: Alistair Fraser, Vesa-Matti Leppänen and Jonathan Lemalu. And I’ll be conducting the DSO for the first time as Principal Guest Conductor. Over years of conducting concerts with the NZSO and DSO, I’ve always loved Dunedin. The Town Hall is one of the very best symphonic venues in New Zealand and being asked to conduct your orchestra is truly a great honour