NZSO Packs Up and Leaves Wellington

- For an International Tour with Jeremy Wells

The players of the New Zealand Symphony
Orchestra (NZSO) have packed up their beloved instruments and tucked
away their music scores as they prepare to embark on their most
prestigious international tour ever.

By invitation only, the NZSO will be touring five different countries,
playing at the Shanghai expo and eleven concerts in the most renowned
concert halls in Europe. These include the same concert halls where
Mahler, Brahms, Bruckner and Richard Strauss once performed.

Peter Walls, NZSO CEO, says, "The NZSO is developing an enviable
reputation in the symphonic world. Our commitment to artistic excellence
is putting New Zealand on the world stage."

To capture the excitement of the tour, the NZSO and television
personality Jeremy Wells have teamed up for a unique fly-on-the-wall
documentary, 'The Grand Tour'.

Jeremy Wells, an unlikely classical music enthusiast, will be on the
road with the NZSO from late October to mid November during the
international tour that coincides with the 64th anniversary of the
NZSO's first rehearsals. The documentary will be a chronicle of the 90
players as they travel and perform, capturing all the hard work, tears
and tension along the way.

"Having been an observer from the sidelines I thought it was time to
align myself with something a little more cultured than birds or
half-baked local celebrities. The NZSO was an obvious choice," says
Wells.

NZSO Chief Executive Peter Walls says, "The life of a musician in an
orchestra is demanding, it requires extraordinary amounts of talent and
dedication. New Zealand audiences will find it illuminating to have an
inside look at life as a member of the touring NZSO."

With a tightly packed tour the NZSO players will also be tested
physically, which is why they will be travelling with their own physio.

"It is imperative that the players be in top condition both physically
and mentally," explains Peter Walls.

The logistics required to move the orchestra around the world is also no
mean feat. Forty cubic metres of equipment with be transported in
temperature-controlled conditions from New Zealand to Shanghai to Europe
and home again. More than 70 instruments weighing 3,500kg will follow
the 94 musicians across the globe.

All of this will be captured in 'The Grand Tour' which will take
audiences on an entertaining journey, combining the architectural
magnificence of Europe's great halls with comic and satirical
encounters. The documentary will provide a fresh look at classical music
from an observer's point of view.

'The Grand Tour' is being produced by Perendale Productions with Wells'
long time collaborator Paul Casserly directing. Together the duo has
made shows including 'Eating Media Lunch' and 'The Unauthorised History
of New Zealand'.

The 90 minute documentary will screen on Prime television in mid 2011.
To connect with the NZSO during the tour visit
www.facebook.com/newzealandsymphonyorchestra and www.twitter.com/nzso