You may have heard of Christchurch Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Music Weekend.

It’s our annual music making event, which has run over one weekend every year since 2019. It’s one of the jewels in the crown of our Ki te Hapori In the Community work, bringing musicians from all over Waitaha Canterbury together to connect with each other and create beautiful music with our CSO musicians.

Pictured: CSO Principal Oboe Jenny Clapp running a wind instrument session – it's all smiles in this room!

CSO’s Chamber Music Weekend (CMW) provides an opportunity for musicians to come together in groups of three to eight, and work intensively on new pieces of music over three days with coaching and guidance from CSO’s musicians. Participants experience performing in an ensemble, improving their playing, discovering new music, and building relationships – often forming bonds that live on beyond the weekend.

From Friday the 5th to Sunday 7th of July, 75 musicians gathered for this year’s CMW at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School. Over that same weekend, our Junior Chamber Music Weekend was held at The University of Canterbury School of Music, for players aged 14 and under, with support from Christchurch School of Music. Waitaha instrumentalists either joined the weekend with pre-formed groups or registered to be put together in a group with others of similar ability.

Pictured: Associate Principal Double Bass Ross Radford in a focused session with a fellow double bassist and a young cellist.

The 2024 CMW started with welcomes and introductions to participants and CSO musicians, followed by the first coaching session, with musicians getting to know their pieces, their coaches, and each other’s playing abilities and styles. Music was carefully selected byour CSO team based on the playing abilities of each member of each group.

Pictured: CSO Principal Horn Emma Eden practicing with a clarinetist in preparation for the final performance.

By Saturday, coaching was in full swing, with breaks for food (thanks to Grizzly Baked Goods and Barrys Bay Cheese!) and feedback from CSO musicians. Sunday morning focused on putting the finishing touches in place before the final showcase performance in the afternoon. This was an opportunity for all groups from both the Junior and Senior Weekends to come together at the Ron Ball Studio of the CSO Centre, Christchurch Town Hall, to share what they’d been working on.

Iain Ward, who has attended CSO Chamber Music Weekend for years, came to our 2024 iteration with a pre-formed group that first connected when they were put together at CSO’s very first Chamber Music Weekend 5 years ago. They now play together regularly and look forward to this event each and every year.

Pictured: Iain Ward and his ensemble receiving instruction from CSO Principal Second Violin Arna Morton.

“Our ensemble came together as a result of the first CSO Chamber Music Weekend. We were put together to form a piano quartet, and we have continued to get together to play every month or two since… We come from different walks of life and really enjoy working on pieces together, with occasional short performances.”He went on to say “I always learn a lot from the CSO musicians, particularly about musicality and ensemble. It's a great opportunity to meet other like-minded amateur players and to learn from their performances and comments about what they have learned. And it's fun! Although we all attend to improve our playing, there is always a great sense of the joy of making music for its own sake.”

Pictured: A clarinetist working on their piece of music.

Whether participants are first-timers or have been attending for years, the weekend offers a supportive and relaxed environment for musicians of all levels. CSO musicians tailor the experience to each participants abilities and are always on hand to provide guidance.

First-timer Rebekah Hanmer said, “It was a fantastic experience. I’d certainly recommend it to anyone keen to play in a group with some expert tuition. We played two per part, which was nice because I never played alone, and I always had someone to have a good laugh with. Also, playing together with a CSO musician was a great experience because they adjusted to the abilities of the group, and it was extraordinary to hear them play. There was nothing I didn't enjoy about it! I'd certainly recommend it to anyone keen to play in a group with some expert tuition and I enjoyed spending time with new friends making music… The final performance was good fun… Our string ensemble performance got off to a shaky start, but I think the spirit of the group shone through with smiles all round which demonstrated the feeling of camaraderie within our group.”

Pictured: A violinist from Junior Chamber Music Weekend.

Across the city at University of Canterbury School of Music at The Arts Centre, Junior Chamber Music Weekend was all hustle and bustle with groups of musicians aged 14 and under occupying rooms in all three levels of the building with CSO musicians present as mentors. If you were standing in the quad, you would’ve heard plenty of music and laughter!

Some participants had been before, but it was a first for many. We caught up with second-timer, Mila Yin (age 12) to check in on how her experience compared to her first time.

Pictured: Mila Yin practicing with another group member.

“This was my second year, and I enjoyed it even more than my first time… It’s a great experience for anyone who likes to play chamber music and meet new people or just wants to try playing in a group for the first time! And the final performance was great. It was amazing listening to the different ensembles together.”

Pictured: CSO Principal Double Bass Bella Zilber working through music with Junior Chamber Weekend musician Alex Dy.

We also chatted to Alex Dy (age 11), another return-attendee to Junior Chamber Music Weekend, to get his take on the experience “It was loads of fun and a great opportunity to play with other young musicians and learn from professional musicians, and the final performance was a great opportunity to perform in a relaxed atmosphere.”

Here's to the next iteration of CSO’s Chamber Music Weekend in 2025!

Pictured: CSO Principal Horn Emma Eden and CSO Principal Bassoon Selena Prior performing with their group a the final Chamber Music Weekend showcase in our Ron Ball Studio, Christchurch Town Hall.

Thank you to KBB Music for their support of CSO Chamber Music Weekend, and to Christchurch School of Music for their support of Junior Chamber Music Weekend.


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