

Ristov Duo
Sunday 4 May
Marko Pop Ristov, violin
David Kelly, piano
Part of the 2025 worldwide celebration of Ravel’s 150th birthday anniversary "Love, Passion & Romance” takes the audience on an exciting and emotional musical journey. As the title suggests, the repertoire looks at the different forms of love; from Brahms’ love of nature that inspired him to create the tender and joyous 2nd Violin Sonata, Clara Shumann's sublime and ethereal “Three Romances” to Dallapiccola’s affection for Italian Baroque in his “Tartriniana Seconda” and Ravel’s fascination with the gypsy culture that led him to compose the passionate and exuberant “Tzigane”.
Programme - Love, Passion & Romance
Soni Petrovski | Bric-a-Brac
Luigi Dallapiccola | Tartiniana Seconda
Clara Schumann | Three Romances
Bella Bartok | Romanian Dances
-Interval-
Johannes Brahms | Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major
Maurice Ravel | Tzigane

Their story
Marko Pop Ristov graduated from the Royal College of Music (London) with a BMus in 2009. He attained his Masters in Chamber Music from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, during which time he also performed his Barbican debut in 2012. At 16 he was invited and awarded a scholarship to study with Prof. Pavel Vernikov at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole. Marko has been awarded first prize in several international competitions including Performing Australian Music (London, 2008), Giovanni Batista Pergolesi (Italy, 2003) and Peter Konjovich (Yugoslavia, 2001).
He has appeared as a soloist with Kensington Sinfonia (UK), Orchestra dei Ragazzi (Italy), Bitola Chamber Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra (Macedonia). Whilst in London, Marko received coaching from many eminent musicians and artists.
With his ensemble, the ‘Ristov Piano Quartet’, Marko performed in festivals across the UK, France, Switzerland, Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia. In 2010 the quartet was invited to perform the Rombach piano trio by Pascal Dusapin for the BBC Proms. Since his arrival in New Zealand in 2013 Marko has been a regular player with the APO and ACO as well as section leader of Bach Musica. In 2021 he was awarded a full scholarship to do DMA research at Waikato University. From 2022 - 2023 he toured New Zealand with NBO (the No Borders Orchestra) and the Orion Piano Trio. His newly formed Velkro Ensemble has recently released a recording of Reinhold Gliere's 8 pieces for violin and cello and Brahm's Piano Trio No.1 in B major.
David Kelly is the official repetiteur for New Zealand Opera, and coach/accompanist for The University of Auckland and New Zealand Opera School. Originally from Christchurch, he honed his skills at the Australian Opera Studio in Perth and was a PwC Dame Malvina Major Young Artist (2010).