Celebrating Grappelli!

Fiona Pears

7.30pm, Thursday 23 November 2017

Hugely popular violinist Fiona Pears and band will present her tribute to her hero, the great Stephane Grappelli. Besides her amazing technique, Fiona knows how to enjoy herself on stage and that enjoyment is contagious. She's a crowd favourite!

Violinist and composer Fiona started performing as a soloist with orchestras at the age of twelve. Now based in both New Zealand and London, she has forged a career as an international soloist and recording artist.

“Nothing short of brilliant”

The Christchurch Press

Fiona started the violin at the age of five after hearing a performance by Carl Pini where she fell in love with the sound of the instrument. In an interview with the Otago Daily Times she said, “Apparently I stamped my feet and cried ‘I want a violin’, and I got one in my Santa stocking that year!”

By the age of twelve, she was performing concertos with local orchestras on both piano and violin. In the same year she went on to lead the Christchurch Youth Orchestra and co-lead the New Zealand Secondary Schools Symphony Orchestra where she won two national music competitions, one in piano and the other in violin. Fiona then joined the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra - at the age of fourteen!

In her early twenties Fiona began to write her own music in order to create a fusion of the styles of music she loves and has released six CDs. She now lives between New Zealand and the UK.

“Electrifying – extraordinarily animated – featuring rare and natural charisma…”

Quecumber, London

In recent years, she has toured with Dave Dobbyn, Bic Runga, Heather Nova and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, and opened for artists such as Tony Bennett, Ottmar Liebert and the late Victor Bourge. She has also arranged music for recording artists such as Hayley Westenra and The Choirboys.

“The audience couldn’t help but smile as we recognised that here was a musician who not only has an amazingly accomplished technique, but she’s also up on stage having a ball”.

The Nelson Mail

 

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