Secretary Rice with members of the New Zealand Trio (Photo Ola Thorsen).

Top Kiwi Musicians Entertain Secretary Rice

During her visit to Auckland, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was entertained at Government House Auckland, by New Zealand composer John Psathas and the New Zealand Trio. In honor of the Secretary's visit the NZ Trio played the second and third movements of John Psathas's work for piano, violin and cello entitled "Helix".

John Psathas was a recipient of a US State Department funded International Visitor Leadership program in April this year where he visited his American counterparts in universities and orchestras in the United States. Dr. Rice is a classical pianist and Prime Minister Clark had given her a copy of John's CD "View form Olympus" which features American saxophonist Joshua Redman, when she visited Washington in 2006.

John is New Zealand's most internationally recognized contemporary composer and was the composer of the ceremonial music for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

The NZ Trio is resident at Auckland University and all are graduates of higher degrees from American Universities. Justine Cormack (Violin) did a MMus at San Francisco Conservatory and her DMA at SUNY Stonybrook. She went to San Francisco on a Fulbright Scholarship. Sarah Watkins (Piano) MMus and DMA at Julliard in New York. Ashley Brown (Cello) has an Artist Diploma from Yale.