Features

French conductor Pierre Bleuse chats with RNZ Concert ahead of directing the Auckland Philharmonia in a deliberately diabolical programme. Audio

Audiences at Opus Orchestra's next concerts get to delve deep into one of Beethoven's best-loved works.  Audio

Happy Birthday to English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams – born 12 October 1872. Find out how this 'cheerful agnostic' had a major impact on 20th century western hymnody. In this week's programme, we’re featuring his arrangements of tunes, as well as some he composed himself. Audio

Wellington Cathedral of St Paul is staging a production of Noye's Fludde - Benjamin Britten's community opera retelling the story of Noah and the Ark. RNZ Concert talks with the director, Jacqui Coats. Audio

Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto talks about his gigs with the NZSO and his family's connection with the creator of a beloved series of children's books. Video, Audio

John Rae and Oscar Lavën talk to RNZ Concert ahead of what they hope will be a pivotal moment in the history of New Zealand jazz.  Audio

NZTrio's Amalia Hall talks about performing a pared-back arrangement of Strauss's Four Last Songs with the soprano Emma Pearson.  Audio

Freelance percussionist Naoto Segawa talks about the march that put him on the road to becoming a professional musician. Video, Audio

Lawyer, politician, church minister, teacher, opera singer: just some of the many and varied occupations of the hymn writers in this week’s episode of Hymns on Sunday. Audio

Saxophonist and composer Louisa Williamson and her band perform 'The Chasm Where We Fall Into Each Other' - inspired by the ancient Patuna Chasm in the Wairarapa - as part of the 2024 Wellington Jazz Festival. Audio

Composer Victoria Kelly explains why she couldn't stick to the script in her latest choral work. Audio

Ahead of his concert with the Auckland Philharmonia, British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor remembers the mystery message that galvanised his career.  Video, Audio

The Bougainville leader is back in the top job after a landslide victory at the polls and has vowed to push ahead with independence from Papua New Guinea. Audio

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Pacific Island leaders took turns addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, speaking on a range of issues - from local to global - that impact their countries. 

A Samoan caregiver is using social media to highlight the realities of caring for someone with dementia. Unoi describes their online platform as his "love letter to Mum", sharing snippets of their daily routine and conversations.

China has exported its village surveillance model to the Solomon Islands, where Chinese police are piloting fingerprint and data collection to curb social unrest, officials and locals confirmed to Reuters.

Pacific communities expressed a wide range of reactions to the late American conservative commentator, who was killed during a live debate at Utah Valley University earlier this month.

The Wellington City Council has voted to approve the transfer of waterfront land to the Fale Malae Trust for a new Waterfront Pasifika cultural centre. The Trust's goal is to promote and share New Zealand's Pacific heritage.

The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) has criticised Aotearoa over the presence of a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) plane in the region. Audio

The female turtle, about 25-30 years-old, was bound in rope in the Koutio mangrove swamp in Dumbéa, New Caledonia.

Listen to the Soweto Gospel Choir's performance 'HOPE' at the Auckland Arts Festival in 2025. The South African choir is known for its powerful blend of African gospel music, freedom songs, and international classics.

In this week’s programme, we’re featuring hymns written or translated by women, including New Zealanders Shirley Murray and Marnie Barrell. Audio

Recently-formed ensemble ldvf is coming to this year's Wellington Jazz Festival in October. RNZ Concert's Nick Tipping catches up with the quartet's drummer, NZ musician Myele Manzanza. Audio

Rising violin star Chloe Chua will be performing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the Auckland Philharmonia this Thursday. She came into the studio to chat with RNZ Concert's David Morriss. Video, Audio