Sunday night, 8th June 7.30

FIONA PEARS is a dynamic violinist renowned for her diverse musical style and captivating performances. With an extensive career that has taken her to concert halls across Asia, Europe, the UK, Ireland and the US, she has connected with audiences through her unique sound.

She has composed and performed solo with renowned orchestras, including the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. As a composer, Fiona creates most of her own work and has arranged pieces for esteemed record labels such as Universal and EMI.

Fiona has also had the pleasure of performing at iconic venues such as Ronnie Scott's in London and Joe's Pub in New York.

Known for her unique fusion of genres, she draws inspiration from a rich tapestry of musical influences, including Irish, Gypsy Jazz, Classical, Tango, and more. This “melting pot” of flavours creates her distinctive sound.

Currently, she is creating "For the Love of Music," a collection of original compositions that blend her classical and jazz backgrounds into a personal fusion. Based in New Zealand, Fiona remains dedicated to sharing her passion for music and connecting with audiences everywhere.  For more information, please visit www.fionapears.com.

RICHIE PICKARD – Double Bass  - Richie graduated with Honours in Jazz performance from the University of Canterbury in 2005 and has played extensively throughout New Zealand and globally in a range of formats.   As both an electric and double bass player he has performed with international artists including Josh Groban, Elaine Paige and Mary Coughlan and with some of New Zealand’s top musicians, bands, and songwriters including Breaks Co-op, Julia Deans, Dave Dobbyn, Sol3mio, Kevin Field, Anika Moa and Annie Crummer.

Richie’s recording credits include work with Julia Deans, The Eastern, Hawkins, Paul McLaney, Ed Waaka, Oval Office and, most extensively, with songwriter, Nadia Reid, whom he has recorded and performed with for the past decade and recently toured with through Europe and the UK.  Other performance credits include work on ‘Mahana’ film soundtrack, X Factor NZ, Dancing with the Stars and the World of Wearable Arts Festival. 

Most recently Richie has performed in the Court Theatre’s season of ‘Strictly Ballroom’ and the New Zealand premiere season of ‘Come from Away’ with Showbiz Christchurch. 

DAN ROBERTSON – Piano -  For the last 20 years pianist Dan Robertson has been performing both in New Zealand and internationally. He has performed at the New Zealand Arts Festival, with his own trio at the Christchurch jazz festival and with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra for the Last Night of the Proms series. 

Other performances include Dizzy’s Jazz Bar, The Paris Cat, The Melbourne International Jazz Festival, The Eltham Jazz Festival, and the Castlemaine Jazz Festival. Dan has also performed with Trio’s in Seoul, The United States, and with a jazz quintet at the Aurillac Jazz Festival in France.  He is a Fellow of both Trinity College London and Royal Schools of Music, London.