We welcome back Micheal Houstoun to Auckland South. Who better to bring us Rachmaninov's piano virtuosity, which is celebrated throughout the world, than NZ's own virtuoso! Powerful chords, impassioned grandeur, brilliance, lush, technically-challenging pianistic figuration, vigorous Russian statements all around!

In startling contrast, we present the 'Tranquillissimo' from Gorecki's 'Symphony of Sorrowful Songs'. A deeply heart-wrenching soprano voice sings an 18 year-old girl's message, found scrawled on a concentration camp cell wall: 'Mother, do not weep. help me always. Hail Mary!'

We complete the year with music of the popular Russian trio Tchaikovsky, Kabalevsky and Khatchaturian.