The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Te Tira Pūoro o Aotearoa is the country’s national full-size, full-time professional orchestra. One of the world’s oldest national symphony orchestras, it has been delighting audiences with memorable concerts and recordings since 1946. From Kerikeri to Invercargill, the NZSO is continually on the road, touring as many as 100 symphonic concerts, as well as dozens of dedicated concerts for children and small communities each year. The Orchestra performs in concert halls, schools, marae, hospitals, parks, rest homes and even on railway platforms. You’ll hear the NZSO on radio, television, in movies, via music streaming services and on CD and follow on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok and Linkedin. The Orchestra's extensive Community and Education programmes take our music to children and young people up and down New Zealand, giving them a chance to get up close and personal with our players and inspire them towards a life-long love of music. The NZSO has a long history on performing on film soundtracks, including Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and the Netflix hit Wish Dragon. In 2016 the NZSO was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance: a recording of Zhou Long and Chen Yi’s ‘Humen 1839’ conducted by Darrell Ang, released in 2015. Since 2020 Hamish McKeich is the Orchestra’s Principal Conductor in Residence.