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About Us
Resonance Ensemble was formed in February 2012 by players and is now firmly established as an integral part of the musical landscape of Christchurch and beyond. Recognised as a high-quality, innovative and flexible orchestral ensemble, Resonance provides opportunities for musicians and audiences to experience both popular and novel repertoire beyond the more standard fare offered by Christchurch’s only fully professional orchestra. Programmes range from music for chamber orchestra, works for larger ensemble, and New Zealand compositions, including new commissions.
The orchestra, conducted by Tony Ryan, rehearses weekly, presenting four concerts per year, and works primarily with Christchurch-based soloists. Previous conductors have included Helen Renaud, Anthony Ferner and Mark Hodgkinson.
Our 2026 concerts are on Sundays at 3pm: 28 June, 13 September and 29 November, so diary the dates now. We look forward to presenting wonderful and innovative programmes for our growing and appreciative audience.
Thanks for your support.
Old World, New World –
Music by French & American Composers
The Piano, 3pm, Sunday 13 September
Conducted by Tony Ryan
Resonance Ensemble's next concert, conducted by Tony Ryan with guest violin soloist Manu Berfkeljon, will once again surprise you with sparkling orchestral gems, some of which are not heard often enough.
But this concert opens with something very well-known – French composer Emmanuel Chabrier’s sunny, spectacular and colourful evocation of Spain – the brilliant and popular España Rhapsody. Chabrier wrote it after a holiday in Spain in 1883, and it was so enthusiastically received at its first performance that it had to be encored. And although Chabrier wrote a considerable amount of other successful music – operas, piano music, and other orchestral works – España made him famous overnight.
From the Old World (Europe) our programme then jumps the Atlantic to the New World (America). Although Samuel Barber began writing his opulent and expressive Violin Concerto in Switzerland in 1939, the onset of the war forced him to return home to Philadelphia where he finished it the same year. Since its première in 1941 Barber’s Violin Concerto has become one of the most frequently performed of all 20th-century concertos. Our soloist for this concert is Manu Berkeljon, recently returned to New Zealand from a professional career in Sweden where she also played this same concerto.
Finally, back to the Old World, and our programme concludes with music by another French composer. César Franck’s Symphony in D minor is less often heard than it deserves. Unlike most symphonies, it has just three movements, the second of which boasts an affecting and eloquent cor anglais solo, pre-empting the famous solo in the Largo of Dvořák’s New World Symphony by five years. Written in 1888, Franck’s symphony is one of a small handful of masterworks by a composer whose principal occupation was as one of the world’s leading organists. Our conductor Tony Ryan first heard Franck’s Symphony as an eighteen-year-old at the first orchestra concert he ever attended. On that occasion the NZBC Symphony Orchestra (now the NZSO) was conducted by Andre Kostelanetz in Canterbury Court, and it has remained one of Tony’s most fondly remembered musical experiences.
As we anticipate Spring in New Zealand, Resonance Ensemble brings you another innovative bouquet of musical blooms that will surely bring a breath of fresh air to raise your spirits.
Tony Ryan is well-known to Christchurch audiences as a conductor, composer, educator, and reviewer. As a conductor he learnt his craft as repetiteur, chorus master and conductor for many organisations including Canterbury Opera where he was assistant to international guest conductors including Vanco Cavdarski, John Matheson, Martin Turnovsky and many others. Since then he has worked extensively as a conductor and composer for Court Theatre, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, the Christchurch Youth Orchestra and others.
In addition to Resonance Ensemble, Tony is the conductor of the Christchurch School of Music Sinfonia and the Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival Orchestra.
Conductor: Tony Ryan
His compositions have frequently been performed and broadcast in New Zealand and abroad, most recently by Resonance Ensemble, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, the Canterbury Philharmonia, and orchestras from the Christchurch School of Music.
His Saxophone Concerto, with stellar saxophonist Alice Morgan, along with a brief Fanfare written in honour of New Zealand composer, John Ritchie, were featured in Resonance's Matariki concert in June 2025. As a teacher Tony led the performing arts at Linwood College for more than thirty years followed by several years working in Kenya and Singapore. Tony also writes on matters of musical interest – check out his website.
Violin Soloist: Manu Berkeljon
Born and raised on the West Coast, Manu began her musical studies in her mother’s studio before continuing with Isidor Saslav and Jan van den Berg and made her solo debut with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra at age fifteen, having joined the orchestra the previous year. After completing a Master of Music (Performance) from the Sydney Conservatorium Manu continued her violin studies with Janet Davies.
Manu’s orchestral career has included contracts with the NZSO, Sydney Symphony, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Since 2011 she has been Associate Principal Second Violin with Dalasinfoniettan in Sweden.
A passionate chamber musician, highlights include performances at Vinterfest International Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music New Zealand national tours, concerts with Dalecarlia String Quartet in Japan and a Composer Portrait concert of Anthony Ritchie in Sweden. She was guest violinist with NZTrio for their series SOAR, and also with New Zealand String Quartet for Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts and Storytellers tour in 2026. Her recordings, Fjärran, Atoll Records, and Nära, Rattle Records, both received critical acclaim — respectively winning and being shortlisted for the New Zealand Music Award for Classical Album of the Year.
As soloist, Manu has performed with orchestras including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Cape Philharmonic Orchestra (South Africa) and, as a devoted advocate for contemporary music, she has premiered several works written for her, including Anthony Ritchie’s Violin Sonata No. 3.
Manu balances an active performing life with a love of teaching, collaboration, and creative projects that cross musical boundaries.
Leader: Cornelia Didenco
Cornelia was born in Moldova, one of the ex-Soviet Union republics and is a graduate of the Moldavian State Conservatorium. She has more than 30 years’ experience teaching and for most of that time has also played in symphony orchestras in both Moldova and New Zealand. During her time in the Moldavian Symphony Orchestra she performed at the Sala Verdi in La Scala, and at other prestigious venues in Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and Romania.
After emigrating to New Zealand, she joined the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and has also appeared as a soloist and in chamber groups, and as the leader of Resonance Ensemble. Since joining the CSO she has toured with them to Japan and has performed with celebrities such as Diana Krall, Cliff Richard, George Benson, Serj Tankian, and Andrea Bocelli.