Wellington...
SHALL WE DANCE?
A GREAT CULTURAL CAPITAL IS MADE BY YOU.
Join us for our 2027 season and be part of the message: KEEP WELLINGTON CULTURAL! Wellington’s cultural life is important, it’s worth supporting, and we want to be sure it’s worth inheriting.
We don’t just live in Wellington. WE ARE WELLINGTON.
Wellington, shall we?
SHALL WE DANCE?
2027 season subscriptions open
at 1830 on 12 September.
A sneak peek at
YOUR 2027 season...
What if the music we sit still to was never meant to be still?
For centuries, dance taught composers how music should move — how a phrase should begin, where it should turn, when it should arrive, and how to make us anticipate what comes next. In 2027, Orchestra Wellington follows that movement across eight centuries, from medieval ritual and the courts of Versailles to folk traditions, jazz, Broadway, and the concert hall.
Shall We Dance? is a season about music you can feel in your body: music that celebrates, seduces, creates tension and release. Six programmes reveal the dancer hiding inside the orchestra — and invite us to hear the music we thought we knew with fresh ears.
2027 season subscriptions
coming soon
Shall We Dance?
How dance taught Western music to think
“It is one of the great paradoxes of Western classical music that audiences now encounter it almost exclusively in silence and stillness.
We enter a concert hall, take our seats, and for the next two hours scarcely move, applauding only at prescribed moments.
But for much of its history, this image would have been unrecognisable…”
Read Marc's full essay in
your 2027 season BROCHURE
coming soon
Make a donation
The profound impact of live orchestral music exists in its power to move us deeply, stirring emotions and creating memories that stay with us long after the final note fades. But not everyone has the chance to feel the transformative power of music.
As we embark on a new season of unforgettable performances, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to you, our generous donors. Your support sustains our mission, brings music to life on stage, and ensures that the transformative power of orchestral music reaches audiences of all ages throughout our community. Thank you for standing with us – your generosity is the music behind the music.
We are PLAYING FOR YOU.
From unforgettable performances at the Michael Fowler Centre to vibrant events across Wellington’s streets, neighbourhoods, and shared spaces, Orchestra Wellington brings live music to the heart of our city and throughout the Wellington region. We perform alongside leading artists and creative partners, celebrate the moments that matter to our community, and create experiences that are welcoming, exciting, and alive with possibility.