🎶 Tainui Tuesdays with Sonia & Nigel – Live in Taupō! Saturday 22 November, 4pm | 12 Kuiwai Drive, Rainbow Point, Taupō

Join us for a magical afternoon of live music by the lake! Beloved Devonport-based band Tainui Tuesdays band (including the Sonia & Nigel duo), bring their joyful and eclectic sound to Taupō for a one-off house concert at Linda’s beautiful lakefront home in Rainbow Point.

Expect an irresistible mix of Americana, British 60s/70s classics, Canadian and Kiwi folk, chanson française, gypsy jazz, waiata, and more — woven together with lush harmonies, guitars, ukulele, bass, drums, keyboard, and accordion. Prepare to dance and singalong, for those who wish to ✨

This is a BYO drinks and food, potluck-style gathering — a true celebration of music, friendship, and connection. Please bring your own deck chair, as we’ll spill out onto the deck and garden if the weather is kind!

💰 Suggested donation: $20–$30 per person (cash at the door or online — link below). Your generosity helps support the five talented musicians who are traveling from Auckland to share their music with you. 🎟️ Tickets available online: www.sonianigelmusic.com/shows Or at the door (please bring cash)

📍 Address: 12 Kuiwai Drive, Rainbow Point, Taupō 3330

Come enjoy an unforgettable lakeside concert surrounded by good vibes and great company 🌅🎵

A practical one and a half hour workshop by Sonia & Nigel duo for guitar and ukulele players 10 years and above. This workshop will be geared toward those with some basic experience of their instrument – be it guitar, ukulele or baritone uke. From seasoned beginners to more advanced players, the exercises, games and songs offered will be tailored to suit a range of playing abilities, with multiple parts to choose from.

Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Nigel Gavin shares insights, tips and riffs gained from 40 years as a professional musician. Co-hosted by French/American singer, songwriter, guitarist and ukulele teacher Sonia Wilson. Sonia leads a ukulele ensemble in Auckland and has performed at various uke festivals around the country.

FUNdamentals of music practice: games, scales, songs and strategies for building joyful and constructive musical habits on your instrument.

Please bring your instrument, a clip on tuner and a music stand if you have one.

$25 per person

Paris born, now Auckland based singer, songwriter and musician Sonia Wilson will be holding a workshop at Hilltop on Nov 16th from 11am to 12.30pm, open to all levels of musical experience.

“Grounded in Sonia’s personal journey with a-capella singing, world music, French music, sound healing, acting and singing in various bands, the aim of this beginner-friendly workshop will be to introduce attendees to a set of tools for accessing their own creativity through voice, body, breath, playfulness and song, increasing self-confidence, listening and expressive skills, improving vocal agility and an introduction to group improvisation. Through a guided process of creative group exploration, participants will be encouraged to strengthen their physical and spatial awareness and connection, as well as learning about the voice, singing and harmony, with a special focus on a couple French tunes."

Gate opens 10.45am for 11am Start. One and a half hour workshop.

Merci beaucoup & à bientôt!

“Sonia Wilson is a living, breathing human Womad Festival. Born and raised in Paris, UK-educated and now based in Auckland, the Franco-American singer, songwriter and musician had a dizzying musical apprenticeship. A member of both gospel and Acapella choirs from a young age, her music has taken her from the streets of Paris, across the Kenyan savannah, through remote Himalayan villages, and then ’home’ to New Zealand. When she’s not performing, Sonia teaches, offering classes in individual and group ukulele, guitar and vocals.” (Peter Malcouronne, Ockham Collective)

$25.00 per person

As a lovely result of our last visit to Wellington with the Unsung Heroes Band, our Sonia & Nigel duo has been invited back to perform at the Hilltop house concert series near the top of the Wellington cable car and botanical gardens. We will be playing a show there on the 15th of November then offering two workshops on the 16th: a French music workshop and a guitar/ukulele/singing workshop after that. Details about the November 16th workshops will be posted soon.

Please book your tickets through Anna's Hilltop website linked below. The address will then be sent to your email.

Merci et à bientôt in Wellington!

"Sonia Wilson & Nigel Gavin Duo Gate opens 7pm Music Starts 7.30pm Saturday 15 November 2025 Auckland based Sonia & Nigel are a multi-cultural acoustic duo featuring French-American Paris-born Sonia Wilson on vocals & ukulele and Kiwi-American virtuoso musician Nigel Gavin on 7-string guitar. After meeting and playing together for the first time at the Whare Flat Folk festival in Dunedin during Sonia’s first visit to New Zealand in December 2014, the pair have become a well-loved duo in the New Zealand folk music scene. They weave French, Kiwi and American songs with their own original compositions and inspiration from their travels around the world. They are also both members of the wonderful Unsung Heroes. Suggested donation $30

"Solely to support our wonderfully dedicated musicians and performers, these Private House Concert get-togethers are not-for-profit. We suggest a donation. Usually $20-60 for one or two performers, and $30-70 for three or more – depending on the artists and whether they’re local or travelling. Parking is free after hours and in the weekends in the on-street coupon parking zones in Upland Rd and Glasgow St. The Cable Car Wilson carpark is chargeable 24 hours, seven days a week, with parking fines if time not purchased. We provide water, teas, coffee and snacks. You are welcome to BYO anything you would like to eat or drink. Thank you for supporting music and musicians!"

Thanks to a concert we performed in Wellington earlier this year at the Wellington Alliance Française on invitation of the French Embassy in Wellington, we have been invited by one of the chefs of the Wellington prestigious Cordon Bleu Culinary School to perform at the 130th Gala Dinner, celebrating the school's establishment in Paris back in 1895!

“Le Cordon Bleu, as a culinary arts school, was founded in Paris in 1895 by the journalist and publisher of La Cuisinière Cordon Bleu magazine, Marthe Distel. On October 15, 1895 the first cooking demonstration ever to be held on an electric stove was staged at Le Cordon Bleu in an effort to promote the magazine and launch the Paris cooking school. From this point on, the international reputation of Le Cordon Bleu spread rapidly. Great chefs came to the school to teach students further contributing to the world-renowned reputation of the school. As a result, students from a variety of countries were enrolling in classes as well as notable figures including Julia Child in 1950.”

This will be a private (invitation only) gala soirée attended by the French Ambassador to New Zealand and honorary guests. We are delighted to experience this event and bring a touch of musical French "joie de vivre" to the table... Merci to the team of Le Cordon Bleu and merci beaucoup aussi to Eric Soulier, Mme l'Ambassadrice and the French Embassy for the initial invitation to Wellington and their ongoing support.

Supporting Kiwi music since 2006 It all started onboard the Arahura in 2006 and continues today - an estimated 5,000 bands have performed on board ranging from Anika Moa to Fur Patrol.

Many of New Zealand's leading musicians have been "cruisin' on the Interislander" while touring the country. Many will be quick to admit that a free ferry trip across Cook Strait made touring easier.

Returning from their South Island tour to continue sharing their music up North, our guests on the 1.15pm Kaitaki Interislander on 12.11.2025 from Picton to Wellington will be the Sonia & Nigel duo. They will be performing from 3 to 4.30pm at the Island Bar and Café.

https://linktr.ee/sonianigelmusic

Our Sonia & Nigel duo is excited to return to Akaroa for our third musical visit to the Grand Hotel. A big thank you to our friend Ben of "Zed" fame for inviting us back to play! The last time we were in Akaroa was to perform as part of the Akaroa French Festival.

This is a family-friendly FREE SHOW, from 6 to 9pm. À bientôt!

Nigel Gavin is a multi award winning musician. Initially a visitor from Long Island, New York, now a resident, Nigel has long been a featured player in New Zealand’s music scene, playing
7 string guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass - indeed, almost anything with strings - with the Nairobi Trio, the Fondue Set, the Jews Brothers, the Blue Bottom Stompers, Lorina Harding, Wayne Gillespie, Whirimako Black, Jonathan Besser & Bravura among others. He has also found time to create and mentor the multi-guitar ensemble Gitbox Rebellion. Gavin is a guitarist with
remarkable versatility who is respected by other players around the world, and who excites audiences with jaw-dropping solos. He continues to work internationally in New Zealand, Europe, Australia and the United States.

https://www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/nigel-gavin

"Sonia Wilson is a living, breathing human Womad Festival. Born and raised in Paris, UK-educated and now based in Auckland, the Franco-American singer, songwriter and musician had a dizzying musical apprenticeship. A member of both gospel and Acapella choirs from a young age, her music has taken her from the streets of Paris, across the Kenyan savannah, through remote Himalayan villages, and then ’home’ to New Zealand. When she’s not performing, Sonia teaches, offering classes in individual and group ukulele, guitar and vocals." (Peter Malcouronne, Ockham Collective)

https://ockhamcollective.org.nz/r-sonia-wilson

After various unsuccessful attempts to bring this duo to Pigeon Bay, we are delighted to welcome Sonia & Nigel at our hall this November.

Sonia & Nigel are a multi-cultural acoustic duo featuring French-American Paris-born Sonia Wilson on vocals and ukulele & Kiwi-American virtuoso musician Nigel Gavin on 7-string guitar. 

After meeting and playing together for the first time at the Whare Flat Folk festival in Dunedin during Sonia’s first visit to New Zealand on a solo round-the-world trip in December 2014, the pair have since become a well-loved duo in the New Zealand folk music scene. They weave French, Kiwi and American songs with their own original compositions and inspiration from their travels around the world.

https://linktr.ee/sonianigelmusic

6pm doors and pot luck, 7pm music. Tickets are on sale online for $20 (+ booking fee) or $25 at the door. We look forward to seeing you there!

Pigeon Bay Community Hall 35 Wharf Road, Pigeon Bay, Banks Peninsula pigeonbayhall@gmail.com

The Sonia & Nigel duo is excited to return to the city of Dunedin for an intimate acoustic house concert at the home of their dear friends Don and Rosie. Dunedin is where the duo first got to know each other over ten years ago at the Whare Flat Folk Festival, where Sonia's aunt Martha Louise was performing with Chris Priestley and his Unsung Heroes Band. It is also in Dunedin that the duo recorded its album "Sweet Paname", produced and engineered by local musician and music producer John Egenes.

Concert in 2 halves with with supper in between. BYOG and small supper plate appreciated.

This show is bound to be a joyful and musical reunion of friends...

Address: 74 Craigleith Street, North East Valley, Dunedin 9010 Tickets on the door: $25 each, no reservations so please arrive early to avoid disappointment as places are limited

Merci beaucoup & see you there. A huge thanks to Don for hosting us...

French-American-Kiwi duo Sonia & Nigel return to the Geraldine Academy of Performance & Arts for an intimate evening of acoustic music and storytelling.