Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s Kiwi Kapers concerts offer school children something extraordinary on Friday 2 September.

Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s Kiwi Kapers concerts offer school children something extraordinary on Friday 2 September.

This year’s three concerts, which are at Auckland’s Aotea Centre, take as their theme ‘superheroes’, and as well as heroic classical favourites such as Beethoven’s third symphony and Wagner’s ‘Ride of the Valkyries’, the orchestra plays tunes from the movies Raiders of the Lost Ark and Spider-Man.

Additionally, the APO will perform a suite of music from the award-winning TV show The Amazing Extraordinary Friends. The music was arranged specially for these concerts by its composer, Tom McLeod.

One of New Zealand’s most popular film and television composers, McLeod did lots of research before writing the music. “I had plenty of inspiration in the form of many great superhero films like Spider-man and Batman,” he says. “I love the music of [film composers] John Williams, Danny Elfman and Edward Shearmur in particular.”

Production company Greenstone has provided video clips from the television show, which recently won an award at the Seoul International Drama Awards.

“The Kiwi Kapers shows are always massive events,” says APO Chief Executive Barbara Glaser. “This year we’re playing to more than 3700 students who will arrive at the Aotea Centre in 70 buses; we’re particularly pleased that 450 kids are coming from the Otara schools we work with for Sistema Aotearoa.

“With Tom’s music and the images from Amazing Extraordinary Friends added to our lighting, costumes and the orchestra, Kiwi Kapers is a real multimedia show that will keep children entertained from start to finish.”

WHO: Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
WHAT: Kiwi Kapers
WHERE: Aotea Centre, Auckland
WHEN: Friday 2 September, 10am, 11.30am and 1pm