Herd your cubs, pups and tadpoles to Tunes 4 Tamariki: The Fantabulous Animal Orchestra - Auckland Philharmonia’s latest interactive children’s concert!
This animal-themed music extravaganza features a delightful Kiwi children’s storybook brought to life on stage though music, art and storytelling, alongside a zoo-full of singalong tunes.
From graceful swans to busy farmyards and cheeky spiders, this lively concert brings favourite creatures to life through fun and familiar songs and music. Presented by beloved Kiwi children’s entertainer, Kath Bee, audiences will delight in the classic The Swan from Carnival of the Animals, toe-tapping fun with 'Old MacDonald had a Farm', the breezy charm of 'Incy Wincy Spider', and more orchestral surprises along the way.
The star of this musical menagerie will be a special symphonic retelling of award-winning New Zealand author Donovan Bixley’s sumptuous children’s story The Fantabulous Animal Orchestra. Sharing this fantabulous story with tamariki in a new and exciting way, Donovan Bixley will narrate his book live, accompanied by colourful illustrations from the book on the big screen. The story will leap off the page as the orchestra performs Kiwi composer Camryn Nel’s brilliant orchestrations of Bixley’s story, painting each character and moment through sound.
As well as being a fun and thought-provoking tale, The Fantabulous Animal Orchestra introduces children to the instruments of the orchestra and environmental themes about the importance of biodiversity. This story transports them to a fantabulous world where each creature plays its part in perfect harmony, with a honking of horns, a slither of scales and a bumbling buzz in the air!
This preschooler-friendly one-hour concert features opportunities for the audience to have a go at conducting, sing and dance along with the music, and join a walkthrough of the orchestra to see the instruments up close. There are also free pre-concert activities, including facepainting, arts and crafts, and an Instrument Show & Tell that encourages children to discover how instruments work.
Details:
- Venue: Auckland Town Hall
- Date: 12 April 2026
- Time: 12.30PM or 2PM
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