Stories for Supporters – New musical arrangement for The Firebird
Hamish McKeich creates a new arrangement of The Firebird for RNZB’s 2025 Season
The Firebird will soar anew in 2025 with a fresh energy, and for the first time for this production, a live orchestra. RNZB Principal Conductor Hamish McKeich is creating a new arrangement of Stravinsky’s legendary score, offering audiences in Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch a powerful, immersive musical experience.
Originally composed for a large orchestra, The Firebird poses logistical challenges for most theatre pits in Aotearoa. McKeich, renowned for his innovation and versatility, has created a special arrangement of the score with reduced instrumentation, a version he calls “the greatest hits from The Firebird.” Drawing inspiration from Stravinsky’s 1919 and 1945 suites, his adaptation retains the magic and complexity of the original, while making it viable for live performance in New Zealand venues.
"I know the ballet well. Stravinsky had what we call a purple patch. He wrote it in 1910 and Petrushka a year later and The Rite of Spring, over just a few years. They’re three of the most ground-breaking pieces of that era, all 20th century music. He was on a roll."
Swan Lake by the Royal New Zealand Ballet, May 2024. Photo credit: Stephen A’Court.
McKeich will conduct live performances in collaboration with Orchestra Wellington, the Auckland Philharmonia, and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. This marks the first time this production of The Firebird will be performed with live music as recorded music was used when it premiered in 2021.
With a career spanning continents and over 100 world premieres, McKeich is well-known for championing contemporary and experimental music. As Principal Conductor in Residence with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the driving force behind the NZSO’s acclaimed “Shed Series,” his reputation for breathing new life into orchestral music makes him the perfect choice for this ambitious project.