...And, what a finale! So cheekily did they render the playful theme, it seemed positively to wink at us; each of the various variations was likewise immaculately characterised....
(Paul Serotsky, Seen and Heard International)
(Paul Serotsky, Seen and Heard International)
Diedre Irons - Piano
Born in Winnipeg, Canada, Diedre Irons made her debut with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra at the age of 12 playing the Schumann Piano concerto. She graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and was subsequently invited to join the faculty where she taught for the next seven years.
Diedre moved to New Zealand in 1977 and has performed regularly with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia and the Christchurch Symphony, toured under the auspices of Chamber Music New Zealand, and recorded extensively for Radio New Zealand.
She was awarded an MBE in 1989 and an ONZM in 2011 for services to music and in 2007 received the degree Doctor of Music (honoris causa) from Brandon University in Manitoba, Canada.
She taught at the University of Canterbury from 1992-2003 and at the New Zealand School of Music from 2003-2012.