Many of us give up our passions as we get old, but not 98 year old Mel Smith and 95 year old Doug Kelly. The trumpeters are part of the brass section of Christchurch's Risingholme Orchestra and will be showing off their skills at this weekend's 25 Jubilee concert. They chat to Zoë George about the secret to longevity, a lifelong love of music and their advice to those who are considering taking up an instrument later in life.

Dunedin duo, cellist Heleen du Plessis and pianist Terence Dennis repeat their popular recital series exploring the sound colours and moods associated with key signatures. This time it's the key of G. The pair bring out all the colour and passion from both cello and piano in works by Bach, Beethoven and Ravel.

Video games and Shakespearean text don’t often go together, but Hamlet: The Video Game stage show at the Court Theatre brings the story into today. It combines nerf guns, confetti blood and Angry Birds with a reloaded Hamlet which brings a comedic and audience-interactive performance to life.

The Recorded Music NZ Best Jazz Album award was claimed by Jonathan Crayford, for his seven-track East West Moon at the New Zealand Jazz Awards on Sunday night in Wellington. He talks to Zoe George about winning the award, the inspiration behind it, and what jazz really means to him.

He’s been described by The New York Times as being “bold” and that is what New Zealand audiences should expect when German cellist Daniel Müller-Schott takes the stage for a five date nationwide tour from tomorrow.  The star cellist toured with the NZSO four years ago and returns to play the music that first made him want to play cello: Schumann’s Cello Concerto with the NZSO and guest director James Feddeck.

The winter solstice is fast approaching and it’s being celebrated with a mix of food, films festivities and a fiery waterfront procession. Andrew Laking and Simon Christie from Lōemis festival, which is in its second year, explain Neolithic traditions and the importance music plays within them.

Original dance works celebrating Maori and Pacific culture are on show in the capital this week as part of the Kia Mau and Pacific Dance festivals. Choreographer and Artistic Director Tupe Lualua specialises in Pacific Contemporary Dance and theatre. She explains its place in arts and culture in New Zealand and how her two works, one about a burlesque parlour and the other addressing men's roles in Samoan society, fit into the wider conversation.

A record 273 choirs from our secondary schools are taking part in The Big Sing festival, and it's up to the adjudicators to ensure every choir has a fair chance of progressing through to the finals. James Tibbles oversees the Regional Festivals in Canterbury/West Coast and Nelson/Marlborough, a challenging job to say the least.

Three highly talented young violinists took the stage at the Auckland Town Hall to compete for the top prize at the Michael Hill International Violin Competition. Peter Hoar was in the crowd listening to the performances by Ioana Cristina Goicea from Romania, Luke Hsu from the United States and New Zealander Benjamin Baker.

Ioana Cristina Goicea from Romania clinched the 2017 Michael Hill International Violin Competition in Auckland on Saturday night performing the striking Tchaikovsky.