Professor Jack C. Richards

The official website of educator Jack C Richards

Sunday afternoon concerts at St Andrew’s

An important venue for musical performances in Wellington is St Andrew’s on the Terrace, a heritage listed building which the St Andrew’s community make available for many kinds of musical events.

The fine pipe organ in the church was built by Jack’s uncle Bill Croft, who together with Jack’s grandfather George Croft, built many highly regarded pipe organs in New Zealand. Jack’s middle name is Croft (hence Jack C Richards).

Jack is the principal sponsor of a lunchtime concert series that has been an important part of musical life in Wellington since 1974. In 2025 with Jack’s sponsorship a new series of Sunday afternoon concerts will be held in the church, the first featuring two outstanding Australian musical prodigies, Joshu Han (piano) and his bother Oscar Han (violin).

Arts, Music, News, Patronage

Viola to Vermont

Dr. Richards is sponsored the participation of Alexander McFarlane in the Yellow Barn Festival. Alexander was one of a select group of international musicians invited to take part in this prestigious and intensive five-week chamber music festival.

To celebrate, Dr, Richards, Moon Won Gyu, and the NZSO held an evening soiree on June 13th. The evening featured a short performance by Alexander and provided an opportunity to connect with other NZSO supporters and staff.

Arts, Music, News, Patronage

Piano Recitals at Tiromoana

Piano recitals by 4 student pianists to be held at Dr. Richards Gisborne residence in July, August, September and October 2022 featuring Tony Yan Tong Chen, Ben Kennedy, William Perry and Otis Prescott Mason.

Arts, Music, News, Tiromoana

Tony Chen Lin & Long Nguyen at Tiromoana

A recital in Gisborne on the 3rd July 2022 by pianist Tony Chen Lin and bassoonist Long Nguyen:

WEBER Bassoon Concerto in F major, Op.75
SCHUMANN Kreisleriana Op.16
ELGAR Romance for Bassoon and Piano, Op.62
TANSMAN Suite for Bassoon and Piano

Arts, Music, News, Tiromoana

Support for Cultural Activities

Jack Richards is an active supporter of musical and cultural initiatives and activities in New Zealand. In 2014 he received the prestigious Award for Patronage 2014, by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand, acknowledging his support for music and the arts.

Past and current support includes;

  • Benefactor of the National Music Centre, to be built in Wellington
  • Patron and sponsor of the New Zealand National Guitar Competition
  • Grants to the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation to support young New Zealand opera singers
  • Co-sponsor of the Composer in Residence Program at the New Zealand School of Music
  • Provision of travel scholarships for semi-finalists in the Chamber Music New Zealand School Chamber Music Competition
  • Sponsor of three CDs by New Zealand musicians – Tony Chen Lin, Lixin Zhang and Tony Yan Tong Chen
  • Sponsored book on the life of composer Jack Body
  • Numerous commissions for New Zealand composers, including Jack Body, Jenny McLeod, John Psathas
  • Commissioning of piano concertos by Gareth Farr, Lyell Cresswell, and Gao Ping which were performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
  • Scholarships and financial support for students in the New Zealand School of Music and in the School of Applied Language Studies, Victoria University
  • Financing for the production of a video of Jenny Macleod’s opera “Hohepa”
  • Sponsorship of participation by young New Zealand musicians in the Edith Fischer Academy, Blonay Switzerland
  • Provision of scholarships for students enrolled in the Toihokura program in contemporary Maori Art, Gisborne
  • Initiation of the Ruanuku Award for excellent in contemporary Maori Art, enabling the Tairāwhiti Museum to acquire a major collection of art by local artists
  • Support for the Tairāwhiti Arts Festival, Gisborne
  • Purchase of works by local and national artists for the collection of Tairāwhiti Museum
  • Funding of an award in the Te Ha Art Awards competition at Tairāwhiti museum
  • Funding of improvements to the Tairāwhiti Museum
  • Funding of a new gallery at the Tairāwhiti Museum – the Jack C Richards Decorative Arts Gallery – the only gallery of its kind in any New Zealand Museum
  • Grant to support upgrades at Whangara Marae
  • The major private sponsor for renovations of the Toko Toru Tapu Church at Manutuke – one of the most important buildings of its kind in New Zealand due to the significance of its carved panels
  • One of the major private sponsors of renovations to the Gisborne War Memorial Theater
  • Grants to support the local chapter of Chamber Music New Zealand
  • Commissioning of art pieces by Gisborne artists for installation in the Gisborne War Memorial Theater
  • Significant contributor to renovations to the Dawson Field Theater, Gisborne
  • Patron and major sponsor of the Gisborne International Music Competition
  • Sponsor of a series of annual summer concerts in support of the Gisborne International Music Competition
  • Sponsor a series of winter concerts in the Tairāwhiti Museum, Gisborne, featuring student musicians from the New Zealand School of Music.
  • Commissioning of sculptures for public spaces in Gisborne

Arts, Music, Patronage, Scholarships

Sponsored Activities in Support of Music and the Arts 2021

  • January: Recitals by Samuel Woosol Jeon – 17 yrs old (piano) & Christine Yesol Jeon – 13 yrs old (cello) at Tiromoana.
  • March: Piano recital by Lixin Zhang, at Waikato University, Hamilton.
  • April: Piano recital by Tony Yan Tong Chen at Tiromoana.
  • April: Piano recital by Jian Liu at Tiromoana.
  • July: Vocal recital by William King (baritone) at Tiromoana.
  • July: Concert by students from the Waikato University School of Music – at Tairawhiti Museum, Gisborne
  • Further events to be confirmed

Other activities:

  • Scholarships for students in the Toihokura Program in Contemporary Maori Arts
  • Patron of the Gisborne International Music Competition                                  
  • Support for the Tairawhiti Arts Festival 2021
  • Grant to the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation to support New Zealand musicians
  • Sponsorship of a CD to be recorded by pianist Tony Yan Tong Chen for Rattle Records
  • Jack C Richards Travel Scholarship, provided to all finalists in the Chamber Music New Zealand School Chamber Music Competition
Arts, Music, News, Patronage

Activities in Support of Musicians

Dr. Richards was active in support of musicians and cultural activities in 2020. Primary among these activities were:

  • Sponsorship of piano recitals by two New Zealand musicians whose studies overseas were disrupted due to the Corona Virus
  • September 6th, Piano recital by Tony Chen at St Andrew’s Church, Wellington
  • October 20th, all Chopin recital by Lixin Zhang at St Andrews Church, Wellington.

A series of house concerts were also organized at Tiromoana in Gisborne:

  • August 30th: Piano recital by Nicholas Kovacev.
  • September 6th: Recital by Will King (baritone) and Nicholas Kovacev at Tiromoana
  • October 20th: Piano recital by Liam Furey
  • November 22nd: Pianist Ya-Ting Liou performed Beethoven’s Diabelli Variatios

Support for other cultural activities included:

  • Support for the Tairawhiti Arts Fair, Gisborne (October)
  • Support for renovations of the kitchen at Tairawhiti Museum, Gisborne
  • Support for the Gisborne International Music Competition (November)
  • Grant to the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation to support New Zealand musicians in the UK
  • Sponsorship of a concert to honour New Zealand composer John Psathias (December)
  • Sponsorship of the New Zealand Classical Guitar Competition (December)
  • Sponsorship of a CD to be recorded by Tony Chen for Rattle Records (December)
Arts, Music, News, Patronage

Concerts in support of the Gisborne International Music Competition 2019/2020

Dr. Richards sponsored a number of fundraising concerts over the New Zealand summer.

On December 15th 2019 at the Lawson Field Theater in Gisborne three outstanding  New Zealand pianists Maria Mo, Lixin Zhang and Tony Tay Tong Chen performed at three concerts:

  • Concert 1:  With music by Ravel, Albeniz, Manuel de Falla, Granados, Marquez
  • Concert 2: With music by Brahms (the complete waltzes), Beethoven, Schubert, and Chopin
  • Concert 3: With music by Berg, Scriabin, Janacek Prokofiev, and Psathas

 On Sunday January 26th 2020 Baritone William King with associate artist Bruce Greenfield (piano) presented the following programme at Tiromoana:

  • Kaddisch — Ravel
  • Dichterliebe — Schumann
  • Silent Noon — Vaughan Williams
  • King David — Howells
  • Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo — Mozart, Cosi Fan tutte

On Sunday February 9th  2020 Sydney pianist Paul Cheung played at Tiromoana. His programme was:

  • F. Chopin — The complete Preludes Op. 28
  • F. Kreisler (arr. S. Rachmaninoff) — Liebesleid
  • S. Rachmaninoff — Sonata No. 2 in Bb minor, Op. 36

Arts, Music, News

Celebrations at City University in Hong Kong

Professor Richards was the guest of honor at celebrations in October 2019 at City University in Hong Kong to mark the 30th anniversary of the Department of English. Professor Richards was the first head of the department.

During his visit Professor Richards gave a public lecture and also sponsored a piano recital by Australian pianist Tony Lee and New Zealand pianist Lixin Zhang.

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Arts, China, Hong Kong, Music, News