CELEBRITY TOURS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 20, 14 April 1927, Page 14

CELEBRITY TOURS

FAMOUS ARTISTS COMING Among visitors to Auckland at the present time is Mr. P. E. Haskovitch, a Russian impressario, who has been fortunate in interesting several wealthy Sydney people—lovers of the artistic in the best sense of the word —-who, under the title of Concert Tours, Ltd., propose to introduce several musical artists of the very highest rank to Australia and New Zealand. Among the artists already secured under contract are Efrem Zimbalist, a violinist of the greatest culture, who ranks in America and Europe with Ivreisler, Madame Frances Alda (wife of Signor Gatti-Cazzaza), one of the prima donnas of the Metropolitan Opera House, New York; Miseha Elman, the famous violinist; possibly Josef Hoffman, who has few, if anv, peers as a pianist (with whom negotiations are now proceeding) ; Maria Kurenko, the brilliant Russian lyric soprano; and next year Benjamino Gigli, the successor to Caruso, and acknowledged to-day as the foremost dramatic tenor of the operatic world. Mr. Haskovitch is in Auckland to make arrangements for. the coming of Zimbalist (who is the husband of Alma Gluck, a famous operatic artist), who is to give performances in Auckland on May 17, 19 and 21. He describes Zimbaiist as an artist of the highest and widest culture, not only as a performer, but as a contributor to the literature of the violin, as a composer and transcriber of note (he composed the opera “Honeydew,” which was a great success both in America and England), and also as one whose knowledge and learning have classical backgrounds, and is sufficiently catholic in thought to keep apace with the times in political economy, sociology, and everything artistic. Zimbalist, who is 37 years of age, is an aristocrat in art, and is much sought after in cultural circles, both in Europe and America.