Martin Riseley – violin, Inbal Megiddo – cello and Jian Liu – piano bring three strong piano trios. The Fauré and Brahms trios are two of the most loved chamber works for piano trio. Walter Kaufmann (1907–1984) was a composer, conductor, ethnomusicologist, and teacher who fled Europe for Bombay in 1934 before later moving to Canada and the United States. This trio has not previously been recorded, though Te Koki plan to remedy this.
Christchurch-born Martin Riseley is a violinist and Head of Strings at the New Zealand School of Music. Riseley began violin studies at age 6 and gave his first solo concert at 10. From 1994 to 2009 he was concertmaster of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. He graduated from the Juilliard School in 1996 with a Doctor of Musical Arts.
He has performed with most leading New Zealand orchestras as well as several in Mexico, appearing on both national radio and television in both countries. He has also performed as soloist in Australia, Japan, and Great Britain. His solo and chamber concerts have appeared on national CBC radio.
Hailed by some of the cello greats as a serious, major talent, and a very musical musician, Inbal Megiddo has been performing since she was three, counting Rostropovich among her teachers. An advocate for the music of minority and suppressed composers, she has given the Australasian premières of concertos by Weinberg, Barber, and Villa-Lobos, with critics describing her performances as “superb…virtuosic, brilliant and powerful.” Her enthusiasm for contemporary repertoire has resulted in premières of a concerto New Zealand-based composer Anthony Ritchie wrote for her, as well as works by Ezra Laderman, Ross Harris, David Brubeck, Ofer Ben Amots, Douglas Lilburn, and Michael Williams, with ongoing collaborations with distinguished composers Laurence Sherr, Lori Laitman, and John Psathas. She is on the faculty of NZ School of Music Te Koki of which she was a foundation member.
Internationally celebrated pianist Jian Liu has performed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. His artistry has taken him to some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, and he has been a featured soloist with national orchestras in Ukraine, China, New Zealand – NZSO, Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington – as well as Yale Philharmonia, among others. He has also recorded many CDs, one of which, Debussy Sonatas and Piano Trio, has been nominated as Best Classical Artist in the New Zealand Music Awards. Having premièred and recorded many New Zealand compositions, Dr. Liu is also a champion of New Zealand music. In 2021, his New Zealand Piano Works publication project was awarded the Creative New Zealand Arts Grant.
He has a long list of international prizes to his name and has played in many festivals; his performances being recorded for broadcast. He is a dedicated chamber musician and frequently collaborates with NZSO musicians. He is the founding pianist of Te Kōkī Trio, the resident trio at New Zealand School of Music. Dr. Liu numbers Takács Quartet among the international musicians with whom he has worked. Committed to education, Dr Liu served for four years on the faculty of the Yale Department of Music. He is currently the Deputy Head of School and Head of Piano Studies at New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University of Wellington, where he has established his reputation as an outstanding pedagogue and overseen the development of the performance curriculum.
How to buy tickets:
Single tickets are $40, or $10 for those under 26. A school child attending with an adult who has purchased a full-price ticket is free.
Direct ticket purchases without fees:
Directly booking with us by Internet banking or direct deposit to Wellington Chamber Music Trust – account: 38-9015-0271891-00 (please include your name in the details). Please also send an email to sundayconcertsnz@gmail.com with the names for the tickets and so that we can email tickets to you.
Other ways to buy single tickets:
• booking online at: Eventifinda Bookings
• booking over the counter at ‘Visitor i-Sites’ in Wellington, Lower Hutt, Carterton, Masterton and Martinborough
• phoning Eventfinda: 0800BUYTIX or 0800 289 849
Note: Eventfinda will not accept postal bookings or payment by cheque. Tickets for all online and phone bookings will be emailed to you.
• at the venue: from 2.30pm on the day of the concert (cash only). Sunday 15 August3:00 pm, St Andrew's on The TerrraceWalter Kaufmann Trio in A minor
Gabriel Fauré Trio in D Minor Op 120
Johannes Brahms Piano Trio No 1 in B major Op 8 | 
