In November 2022, 478 students from 19 schools came together in Manukau to perform with professional APO musicians, thanks to the support of the Freemasons Foundation. The first event culminated in a combined performance of Rossini’s William Tell Overture and Strauss’ Blue Danube Walz.
“A group from Sistema Whangārei travelled for over three hours to join us!” said Thomas Hamill, Director APO Connecting. “The students made huge progress and all left filled with the joy of playing alongside a mass orchestra.”
NZ Assistant Conductor-in-Residence Leonard Weiss also said “everyone felt proud of their achievement, to rise to a new peak in their music-making and be aware of the constant unspoken dialogue that occurs in any ensemble.”
