17 Jun 2025
Ria Hall joins forces with Auckland Philharmonia for a powerful Matariki celebration.
“I am incredibly excited, and very nervous at the same time. We've been planning this show together for the last year, and now it's almost upon us, it's quite a surreal feeling,” Ria Hall says.
This Matariki, celebrated artist and cultural force Ria Hall is set to take the stage with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra for a one-night-only concert that promises to be as moving as it will be majestic.
Presented by The Trusts Community Foundation, Matariki with Ria Hall will take place at Auckland Town Hall on 19 June, bringing together Ria’s commanding vocals and kaupapa-driven songwriting with the sweeping might of more than 60 professional orchestral musicians. Auckland Philharmonia's Chief Executive Diana Weir says their Matariki series is just one way they have chosen to honour their commitment to Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
"Auckland Philharmonia is deeply committed to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and upholding a genuine bicultural partnership with tangata whenua. This commitment is reflected in our ongoing Matariki series, which celebrates te ao Māori through meaningful artistic collaboration,” says Diana Weir.
As one of the leading voices of Aotearoa in contemporary Māori music, Ria has long used her music as a platform for wānanga, resistance, and connection, something she plans to bring to Auckland Philharmonia audiences with this show.
“This collaboration is important given the time that we live in. We are in a crucial phase as a nation - what I like to call 're-birthing pains' - as we experience a reawakening of a collective consciousness. This show will prove that worlds can co-exist in harmony, te ao Māori and orchestral traditions, without losing authenticity,” Ria says.
The collaboration is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when genres meet and kaupapa align. As a performer who found her voice through kapa haka and has continually elevated te ao Māori through every creative move, Ria continues to push boundaries, something the Auckland Philharmonia is excited about.
"Our 2025 Matariki concert with Ria Hall continues this kaupapa, bringing together orchestral tradition with Ria’s moving and profound music. Through these partnerships, we seek not only to celebrate the Māori New Year but also to foster greater understanding and connection between cultures, both on stage and within our community,” Diana Weir says.
The performance also marks the beginning of a significant season for Ria. In September, she will return in another major kaupapa – this time as co-curator of Creative New Zealand’s Nui te Kōrero (NTK) event, a biennial arts summit focused on big ideas, bold voices, and the future of the arts in Aotearoa.
“Ko te pai o Ria ki tēnei kaupapa, she brings boldness, depth and integrity to everything she does – as a performer, a thinker, and a leader. She’ll serve as co-curator of Nui te Kōrero, along with Etta Bollinger, bringing her longstanding contribution to the arts and to te reo Māori to the Kaupapa,” says Haniko Te Kurapa, Senior Manager, Te Kaupapa o Toi Aotearoa.
Ria says that along with it being an important kaupapa to bringing ringatoi together to discuss the issues that matter, she knows NTK 2025 will be extra special for her.
“Nui te Kōrero is taking place this year in my hometown - te pito o taku ao katoa - Tauranga Moana. I truly believe that the arts is the most powerful mechanism to galvanise communities. I hope that NTK allows artists to show up unapologetically as themselves with a desire to work towards creating a better Aotearoa. Now is the time. Kia kotahi te tū!” Ria Hall says.
At a time when the arts sector is being called on to evolve and hold fast to the values that make it unique, Ria Hall’s presence across these two landmark kaupapa reminds us of the essential role Māori artists play in shaping the creative and cultural identity of Aotearoa and in all creative spaces.
“I hope that by people seeing and experiencing the collaboration between myself and the Auckland Philharmonia this Matariki, and my contribution to curating the NTK programme for 2025, they will see that arts practitioners have a significant role to play in bringing our nation together. No matter your background or your practice, we are in a unique position to shepherd our country into a more positive present, and future,” Ria says.
Share this
