Magic Carpet String Quartet presents BLOOM | Oxford

Indulge in beautiful uplifting music that reflect Aotearoa's blooming season...

Programme

String Quartet No.4 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

String Quartet No.1 - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Morning Birds - Sarah Fouhy

String Quartet No.2 - Ludwig van Beethoven

Blooming - Rakuto Kurano

Salut d'Amour - Edward Elgar

The programme features Mozart's cheerful string quartet in C major, Rachmaninoff's "unfinished" string quartet that he wrote at the age of 17, a new commissioned work "Morning Birds" by young New Zealand composer Sarah Fouhy, one of Beethoven's earlier string quartets (he wrote 16 during his lifetime) - his string quartet in G major, a new work by the Magic Carpet String Quartet's violinist Rakuto Kurano, and the concert concludes with Elgar's famous Salut d'Amour.

Magic Carpet String Quartet

Rakuto Kurano - Violin

Cameron Stanley - Violin

Harry Kim - Viola

Boudewijn Keenan - Cello

Described as a musician with “flair and panache” (Christchurch Mail), 22-year-old musician Rakuto Kurano has established himself in New Zealand as an award-winning performer & composer. He is active as a performer, composer, recording artist, and as a director of numerous music projects across New Zealand. Kurano is an Artist in Residence at the Aspiring Lifestyle Village in Wanaka.

Cameron Stanley lives in Wanaka and plays both the violin and viola. He currently plays in the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and the Hawkes Bay Orchestra as well as in local orchestras and chamber groups. Cameron grew up in Auckland and started playing the violin at age 6, and from age 11 learned with Mary O'Brien. In 2018 he performed a double viola concerto with the Devonport Chamber Orchestra.

19-year-old violist Harry Kim is a first-year student studying viola with Professor Mark Menzies at the University of Canterbury. After playing the violin during childhood, he moved on to viola after his teacher at the time introduced him to the instrument. In the past 5 years he has fallen in love with the viola, discovering new aspects about the music and the instrument itself.

Boudewijn Keenan is currently a first year student at the University of Otago, studying Music and French. His passion lies with the cello, which he is studying as part of his music degree under Dr Heleen du Plessis. Boudewijn has been a member of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra for three years, including as principal cellist in 2020. He also has experience performing with several groups throughout Dunedin, including the Dunedin Youth Orchestra, the Southern Youth Choir and the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra.

This concert is presented by the Magic Carpet Music Trust, with support from the Waimakariri District Council Creative Communities Scheme.

Wine Sponsor: Maude Wines

Clothing Sponsor: Devold New Zealand