THE FOUR SEASONS: VIVALDI
NZSO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
DONALD ARMSTRONG VIOLIN
 Legend has it that Antonio Lucio Vivaldi
was born in Venice during an earthquake and in all the excitement
he was baptised immediately. Little is known of his music education
other than that his father, Giovanni Battista, a violinist at St
Mark's, was capable of teaching him to a high standard. It took
him ten years to become a priest, during which time he continued
his violin studies. His father had been engaged under the surname
'Rossi' which suggests that the same red hair that earned Antonio
the sobriquet 'il prete rosso' ('the red priest') ran in the family.
 Donald
Armstrong has been Music Director of the New Zealand Chamber
Orchestra since its beginnings in 1987. He is currently Associate
Concertmaster of the NZSO Chamber Orchestra and appears frequently
as soloist. Before returning to New Zealand in 1987 he completed
a Masters degree at the New England Conservatory in Boston, was
principal second violin of the Tivoli Sinfoniorkester in Denmark,
and Concertmaster of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice in France.
He plays a violin by Nicolo Gagliano of 1754.
NZSO Chamber Orchestra personnel
Music Director Donald Armstrong
Violin: Vesa-Matti Leppänen, Ursula Evans,
Andrew Kasza, Anne Loeser, Dean Major, Lucien Rizos, Matthew Ross,
Gregory Squire, Rebecca Struthers, Satomi Suzuki, Andrew Thomson
Viola: Vyvyan Yendoll, Lisa Egan, Belinda Prentice
Cello: Alan Chisholm,Vivien Chisholm, Rowan Prior
Double Bass: Dale Gold
Harpsichord: Douglas Mews
Donald Armstrong Music Director
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