KORIMAKO
Helene Pohl - Violin
Rolf Gjelsten - Cello
Michael Endres - Piano
The Pohl/Gjelsten Duo shares the stage with internationally renowned German-NZ pianist Michael Endres to form the piano trio “Korimako”.
The name, inspired by the unique beauty and purity of the song of the Korimako/Bellbird, reflects the new ensemble’s aspirations. (“Kori” also resonates with the meanings of vibrancy and energy.) They look forward to bringing their music to life for you as the Korimako brightens the dawn chorus with its reverberant tones. In their frequent collaborations over the years they have enjoyed a real collaborative spark, and a fresh approach to both classics and cutting-edge repertoire informed by a deep understanding of both the structure and the emotional content of the music.
Helene Pohl and Rolf Gjelsten were the cornerstones of the New Zealand String Quartet for 30 years, playing well over 2,000 concerts worldwide, recording dozens of CDs, premiering hundreds of NZ compositions and educating generations of New Zealand musicians. They were both awarded the MNZM honour in 2014 for services to NZ music.
Michael Endres has been described by Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe as, “…one of the most interesting pianists recording today ” and by British Gramophone Magazine “…he is an outstanding Schubert Interpreter “. Among his many recordings ( thirty-three in total) he has won the prestigious French award, Diapason D’or, three times and was also awarded the ‘Choc du Musique’ twice, with The New York Times reviewing “performances with pianist Michael Endres were revelatory”. Michael gained a Master’s degree at the Juilliard School in New York under Jacob Lateiner and chamber music under Felix Galimir. He also studied with Peter Feuchtwanger in London. He has won many prizes such as the Concours Geza Anda (Zurich) and first prize at the International Schubert Competition. His solo recordings include sets of the complete sonatas by Mozart, Schubert, Weber and in particular the rarely heard English composer Arnold Bax. As well as all works of Ravel and Gershwin he has recorded the Songs Without Words by Mendelssohn, Barcarolles by Faure, as well as a 3 CD set of works by Robert Schumann.
2025/2026 Korimako Programmes
Programme 1
Haydn Trio in E Major
Rebecca Clarke “Lullaby and Grotesque” for violin and cello
Ross Harris Duo for violin and cello
Copland Trio “Vitebsk”
Schubert Trio in E Flat Major
Programme 2
Haydn Trio in E Major
Copland Trio “Vitebsk”
Schubert “Notturno” for piano trio
Brahms Trio in C Major
The Pohl/Gjelsten Violin/Cello Duo
Decades of shared performances create musical magic. As the “outer voices” of the New Zealand String Quartet for 30 years, Helene and Rolf performed over 2000 concerts together. As a duo they have performed worldwide and have had numerous works written for them.
Sample Programme 1
Eccles Sonata in G Minor for Violin and Bass
Bach Cello Suite No. 1
Kodaly Duo opus 7
Tabea Squire “Daydream and Dance”
Ross Harris “Wayleggo”
Bach Prelude in G Major
Bach Andante and Allegro from Solo Violin Sonata in A minor
Erwin Schulhoff “Zingaresca” from Duo
Halvorsen Passacaglia “freely after Handel”
Sample Programme 2
Rebecca Clarke “Lullaby and Grotesque”
Gillian Whitehead “Song without Words”
Ross Harris Duo
Erwin Schulhoff Duo
Zoltan Kódaly Duo
To inquire about booking either of these ensembles please Contact me