Sue Paterson NZOM, one of the most influential people in New Zealand Arts Management, has died after a long battle with cancer. Paterson was Executive Director of the biennial New Zealand Festival and annual Wellington Jazz Festival and the Lexus Song Quest. She was a member of the Board of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and loved to share her passion for all aspects of the Arts. Her successor at New Zealand Festival Meg Williams talks about Sue Paterson's legacy and her unique ability to market a show like the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a major success for the Festival.

Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski returns to New Zealand to perform Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He talks with David Morriss about his nationwide tour, his love of the NZSO and how the popular piano concerto – which he doesn’t play very often – reminds him of the New Zealand landscape.

Famed Kiwi actor Mark Hadlow is taking a step off the screen and into the concert hall. He joined David Morriss to talk about Opus Orchestra and his favourite pieces of classical music.

The Wallace International Piano Festival opens tomorrow with a recital from young Canadian pianist Avan Yu. Avan came to international attention when he won the Sydney Piano Competition in 2012, and his Auckland recital comes in the midst of a return concert tour to Australia. Avan talks to Upbeat about his life in music, and affinity with the music of Liszt.

Last weekend the NYO had its Firebird concerts in Wellington and Auckland. The group performed Suites 1 and 2 from De Falla’s The Three-Cornered hat, André Jolivet’s Bassoon Concerto featuring Todd Gibson-Cornish, the world premiere of Josiah Carr’s Redwood, and Stravinsky’s The Firebird. Peter Mechen reviews Friday’s performance

Rae de Lisle is well known as both a pianist and teacher; also as a teacher of teachers, and an expert in the treatment of performance related injuries such as focal dystonia. Rae is Director of the Wallace International Piano Festival. Rae de Lisle talks with Upbeat ahead of the 2018 National Junior Piano Competition and Festival.

Last weekend a new album by the great jazz saxophonist John Coltrane was released to the world, 51 years after his death. Both Directions at Once was produced from tapes discovered among the effects of Coltrane’s first wife. Nick Tipping speaks with saxophonist and composer Jasmine Lovell-Smith about the album, and how it fits into Coltrane’s career.

Orchestra Wellington is playing Dvořák’s 6th Symphony, Britten’s Piano Concerto and Janáček’s Taras Bulba, telling the story of a Cossack warrior who prophesies of the rising of a Tsar against whom no nation shall prevail. We talk with pianist Jian Liu and conductor Marc Taddei.

Australian-born New York-based pianist Andrea Lam is back in New Zealand to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto no 17 with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra tomorrow. She talks to Upbeat about her musical life, including her early career playing with the Sydney Symphony for the first time when she was just 13.

Former NZSO National Youth Orchestra Principal Bassoonist Todd Gibson-Cornish is back as the soloist for The Firebird concerts this week.