New Zealand Opera’s production of La Bohème opens next week in Auckland before traveling to Wellington. One of the most recognizable operas of all, Puccini’s masterpiece touches on themes of youth, love and heartbreak. Lead performers Marlena Devoe and Thomas Atkins join us in the studio.

The head of the School of Music at the University of Auckland is maintaining that he’s “caught up” in the recent restructure just as much as all the other staff.

Fifty of the country’s best young singers will descend on Wellington this week to bring alive works by Brahms, Ben Parry and Leonie Holmes. The National Youth Choir is led by David Squire and he explains how young voices in NZ are going from strength to strength.

International choral conductor and composer David Childs is back home to adjudicate this year’s Big Sing. He speaks about his long career working with choirs in the United States and his attitude to competitions.

Talented conductor Lionel Bringuier returned to Auckland to lead the APO in last night’s concert The Prodigal Son, featuring works from Ravel, Saint-Saens and Prokofiev. Peter Hoar was at the Town Hall.

French conductor Lionel Bringuier returns to lead the APO for the third time in tonight’s concert The Prodigal Son. He’s had a meteoric rise in the classical world. Bringuier’s Auckland concert will be live broadcast on RNZ Concert tonight and features cellist Alban Gerhardt.

Edo de Waart led the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra performing Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony and Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments (1947 Revised Version) and Symphony in Three Movements. Elizabeth Kerr was there.

Festival Artistic Directors Nicholas McBryde and Charlie Unwin discuss the importance of the Dunedin and Nelson Arts festivals to their communities. We find how much emphasis they put on collaboration as opposed to competition and what it takes to maintain a festival long term.

New Zealand Opera recently announced Thomas de Mallet Burgess as its new General Manager. He chooses five favourite pieces of music that speak to him on different levels.

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conductor and Music Director Edo de Waart has told Upbeat how important good funding for the arts is.