About the Orchestra
While the statement, “I didn’t know there was an orchestra in Northland!” is sadly all too common, be assured you don’t have to go all the way to Auckland to hear good music.
The Northland Sinfonia has been bringing music to Northland since 1939. We are a community orchestra based in Whangarei aiming to bring together local musicians of all ages to enjoy making music. Our members come from different walks of life but all have a passion for orchestral music. We come together each week to rehearse and hold concerts three times a year across Northland. Rehearsals are weekly on Wednesday night from 7pm til 9pm at the Brass Band Hall on Dyer Street Whangarei.
History
The Northland Sinfonia has been bringing music to Northland since 1939, originally under the name Whangarei Municipal Orchestra. Although the actual date of its formation is lost in the mists of time, our longest serving member, Lawrie Wordsworth, remembers rehearsing above the Old Fire Station some 70 or more years ago.
After a fallow period, the WMO was reborn in 1988 as the Whangarei Orchestra. The orchestra once again flourished as membership swelled. In 1999, in recognition of the many players and supporters who lived outside Whangarei, the title Northland Sinfonia was adopted.
Over the years, concertgoers have been thrilled with performances of works by a wide range of composers and soloists of high calibre. Forum North and St John’s Church Kamo have hosted marvellous concerts under the batons of its many musical directors including John Dylan, Uwe Grodd, Roger McClean, Michael Vidulich, Naotake and Atsuko Fukuoka. Some memorable concerts include the superb “Beethoven and Friends” concert in 2007 when the orchestra combined with Consortium and pianist Atsuko Fukuoka to perform Beethoven’s Choral Fantasie. The “Land and Sea” concert at Forum North in 2010 was said to have “raised the standard” of community orchestras with outstanding soloists Regine Hagg, Eva Harris and Marion Hammond.
If you have memories of the Northland Sinfonia across the years, we would love you to share your stories! Please contact us.
Musical Director
Nigel Harrison
Nigel was born in Lancashire UK and began playing piano aged 5 and clarinet from age 11. He gained a scholarship to Trinity College of Music, London as a Junior Exhibitioner and studied piano there each weekend until the age of 18. He attained Grade 8 in both piano and clarinet and was principal clarinet of the Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra, Surrey, from age 16-18. While at Medical School he played Beethoven's 1st piano concerto and Mozart's piano concerto No 19 in F major with the medical school orchestra and sang lead roles in 5 Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.
On joining the Royal Air Force in 1978 music took a back seat for many years until 1993 he started playing clarinet again. On leaving the RAF in 1996 he joined the Isle of Man's 'Manx Sinfonia' and was principal clarinettist from 1999 to 2006. During that time he was soloist in the Krommer double clarinet concerto.
When he and his wife Caron emigrated to New Zealand in 2006, Nigel took up playing with the Northland Sinfonia and was principal clarinettist from 2006 to 2009 and played the Krommer Clarinet concerto in Eb with the orchestra in 2009. He took up the baton for the first time in January 2009 and has been the Musical Director ever since. When not playing music he works as a Consultant Cardiologist at Whangarei Base Hospital.