A powerful local story of identity, loss and healing will be brought to life through live orchestral music when Opus Orchestra performs The Journey of Mataatua at Baycourt Community & Arts Centre on the afternoon of Saturday, 16th May 2026.
The Journey of Mataatua is a concert opera by Dame Gillian Karawe Whitehead that tells the true story of Mataatua Whare, built by Ngāti Awa in Whakatāne around 150 years ago. Taken overseas without consent, the whare endured years of mistreatment before finally returning home to Aotearoa New Zealand, and ultimately back to Whakatāne in 2011.
Opus Orchestra first performed the work inside Mataatua Whare in June 2025, in a private concert for Ngāti Awa, who were actively involved in the development of the piece. That performance was a powerful moment of cultural connection and collaboration, before the work went on to its first public performance in Dunedin.
The story explores themes of identity, heritage, pain, suffering and healing, expressed through music, voices and visual imagery. Together, these elements create space for reflection and deeper understanding. Not only of this important New Zealand story, but across cultures more broadly.
Mataatua Whare stands in Whakatāne, and the story is deeply rooted in the region. Opus Orchestra is also closely connected to Tauranga, as the only professional orchestra that regularly performs here, with many musicians and its management team based locally.
Presented as a double bill, the concert also features celebrated New Zealand pianist Stephen De Pledge, who will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, often called the Emperor Concerto in the first half of the programme. The pairing offers something for seasoned concertgoers and those attending their first orchestral performance.
To help bring the work to Tauranga and keep it accessible for the community to experience, the upcoming Baycourt concert is being supported by philanthropic partners and local councils through the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund.
Tickets are availablevia Eventfinda
Main Photo: Opus Orchestra inside Mataatua Whare (credit Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa)
