You’ve recently moved to Wainuiomata, how’s that going?

I absolutely LOVE the Hutt Valley.  There’s s a genuine sense of community, almost every day I talk to my neighbour over the fence.  The morning commute is atrocious, but my late evening drive takes only minutes.

Your new Bichon Frise puppies, Boris and Dmitri, have a fine pedigree …

Their Dad, born in Russia, is a New Zealand champion show dog, and their grandad who lives in Russia is a world champion show dog. I should mention that we will not be taking these boys to dog shows, but did want to make sure our puppies came from a healthy bloodline.  They are gentle, playful, cunning, and super fast. Their most annoying habit is escaping! They seem to think now it is a game to continually find weaknesses in the fencing of our massive backyard.  They recently broke through into my neighbours’, had a quick play with their dog, and then broke through another fence and played with their dog…. a gargantuan female bullmastiff. You can see the boys here.

You’ve said you used to find choral music boring …

Yes, but over several years I’ve been involved in a huge amount of choral research and performance, and I now find anything with voice significantly more exciting than purely instrumental music.

You’re Head of the Music Department at Wellington East Girls’ College, Music Director of The Orpheus Choir of Wellington and Sub-Principal Percussionist with Orchestra Wellington. What’s been your career highlight so far? 

There are so many, but conducting The Rite of Spring is certainly one of them. You can watch here.

What’s great about NZSSC?

I love the fact that all the students and staff are so different from one another, and yet we come together in this very unique context and create astoundingly unified music.

And the challenges?

The chaos that occurs right before a concert. I often find myself quietly solving a problem right before the concert begins and then suddenly remember I too am a performer and need to get my head into that space.

How would you describe the 2017/18 choir?

Every choir begins with a slightly higher standard, which provides the music team with an exciting challenge of meeting their potential.  Compared to the last choir, I feel this choir is less fragmented in their social groups.  This makes a positive difference in rehearsals, touring and performing.

Can anyone learn to sing?

Yes!!  And the operative word is ‘learn’.  Often people say they are tone deaf but speak with varying pitch-inflection.  The common problem is that people try to sing in a register not suitable for them, often unable to discern the correct octave.

Do you still get nervous when you perform?

Now and then I get so nervous I feel sick.  The last time I felt that way was conducting a concert with Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony and Britten’s Four Sea Interludes.  There were hundreds of musicians on stage, following a very limited rehearsal period.  My mind was racing with what could go wrong.  The build-up was awful, but the nerves disappeared the moment I started conducting. As I get older, I’ve got better at managing anxiety before a concert.  I’ll  distract myself by doing something unrelated like watching Rick and Morty or Family Guy.

Other favourite TV shows …

The X-Files, Boston Legal, The West Wing.

Facebook or Instagram …

What’s Instagram?

What’s on your playlist?

In my own time, I don’t tend to listen to music.  Most of my day is already full of it.  However, I’m very eclectic in my ‘popular’ music tastes. I’m currently at my Mum and Dad’s place in Whangamata, and on the drive up I listened to The Smashing Pumpkins, Nina Simone, System Of A Down, and a lot of 50s pop.

What were you like as a teenager?

A total geek and a teacher’s pet.  Really into electronics, computer programming, physics and music.  I had two very close friends, one girl and one ginger boy.  We were basically the Harry Potter trio — I was Harry.  I remember being overly committed. Nothing has changed.

Since I was 13, I was determined to be a secondary school music teacher.

Any advice for your teenage self?

Come out.

Read more about the NZSSC music team here.

Under the direction of Dr Andrew Withington, NZSSC gathers New Zealand’s finest young voices and offers a once in a lifetime opportunity — a two-year membership to learn from top vocal teachers and teachers that culminates in an international tour.

Despite the euphoria of making it into this prestigious choir, eight of the 57-strong choir will be feeling extra nerves as they gear up to perform in front of their ‘home crowd’. An astounding six students from the Manawatu, Carson Taare, Daniel Hodgetts, Robin Park, Josiah Nevell, Keun Hee Lee (PN Boys High School) and Shania Mika-Tamihana (PN Girls High), are preparing for the Palmerston North concert on the 21st. Amelia Foster from Woodford House and Sam Harris from Central Hawkes Bay College are looking forward to the Napier concert on 20 January.

The students are following on from some of our biggest opera names. In 2016, NZSSC celebrated its 30^th anniversary with an impressive alumni, including Simon O’Neill, Johnathan Lemalu, Christopher Bruerton, Anna Leese Guidi and Hawkes Bay soprano Madeleine Pierard.  Former Havelock North High School student, Benson Wilson, is another alumnus inspiring current members. Benson won the 2016 Lexus Song Quest and has gone on to study at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

Arriving in Hawkes Bay on January 17, the choir — made up of 13-18 year olds from all over New Zealand — will be rehearsing at Lindisfarne College leading up to the two concerts. This vibrant, young choir will offer a dynamic, multicultural repertoire, including works by Eric Whitacre, Shawn Kirchner, Pachelbel, Sydney Guillaume, David N. Childs and Puanaki Whanau.

In July 2018, NZSSC will head to Hong Kong to attend ‘Belt & Road’ World Choir Festival as well performances in Shanghai. In 2016, the choir had a blast on tour to Canada and as Guest Choir at the  International Choir Kathaumixw.

Read the Stuff article.

Read the Stuff review of the Manawatu concert.

New Zealand Secondary Students Choir Concerts
www.nzsschoir.com

Saturday 20 January, 7:30pm
Waipu Cathedral of St John, Napier, tickets here

Sunday 21 January, 2:15pm
Palmerston North Boys High School’s Speirs Centre, tickets here

For more information, interviews or images, contact:

Rachel Healy, PUBLICIST. 027 5277732, rachel@rachelhealy.co.nz

That’s until Greta’s father, John Melhuish, reminded her he’d sung there for many years, as had his father, his uncle, his cousins …. In fact, John’s not even sure how many of the Melhuish clan have been in the St John’s Cathedral Choir.  Amelia and her mother Natalie Stent both currently sing in the choir!

Amelia, from Woodford House, is the one of two Hawkes Bay students in NZSSC, our prestigious national choir for fourteen to eighteen year olds.  The other is Sam Harris from Central Hawkes Bay College (image attached). Greta, who was Head Girl of Wellington East Girls College in 2017 (John was Head Boy at Napier Boys in 1978) is NZSSC co-leader with Morgan King from Dilworth College.

NZSSC gathers New Zealand’s finest young voices and offers a once in a lifetime opportunity — a two-year membership to learn from top vocal teachers and consultants culminating in an international tour. In July 2018, Sam and Amelia will travel with the choir to Hong Kong to attend ‘Belt & Road’ World Choir Festivalas well performances in Shanghai. In 2016, NZSSC had a blast on tour to Canada and as Guest Choir at the  International Choir Kathaumixw.

Arriving in Hawkes Bay on 17 January, the 57-strong choir  will be rehearsing at Lindisfarne College in the lead-up to the Napier concert.  Under the direction of Dr Andrew Withington, this vibrant, young choir will offer a dynamic, multicultural repertoire, including works by Eric Whitacre, Shawn Kirchner, Pachelbel, Sydney Guillaume, David N. Childs and Puanaki Whanau.

All the students are following on from some of our biggest opera names. In 2016, NZSSC celebrated its 30^th anniversary with an impressive alumni, including Simon O’Neill, Johnathan Lemalu, Christopher Bruerton, Anna Leese Guidi and Hawkes Bay soprano Madeleine Pierard.  Former Havelock North High School student, Benson Wilson, is another alumnus inspiring current members. Benson won the 2016 Lexus Song Quest and has gone on to study at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

New Zealand Secondary Students Choir in Hawkes Bay
Saturday 20 January, 7:30pm, Waipu Cathedral of St John
Adults $20, Students $10 with ID, tickets here

For more information, interviews or images, contact:

Rachel Healy, PUBLICIST. 027 5277732, rachel@rachelhealy.co.nz

Simon is an internationally acclaimed tenor who performs in some of the world’s most magnificent venues. And it all began in NZSSC in 1988! (Actually it began even before that with some wonderful teachers at Ashburton College). We fired Simon some questions …

How did you come to be in the choir?

At Ashburton College, I was very active in sports but my forté was music. I had three teaching mentors who developed my musical skills and love of performing, Gordon McGhie, Roderick Lonsdale and Robert Aburn. Robert was a huge influence and he steered me towards auditioning for NZSSC where I performed the only solo song I knew, The Music of the Night from Lloyd Webber’s Phantom! I cringe now but Roger Stevenson (previous NZSSC Director) must have seen potential, like he did for so many others, and he gave me a chance. It was the highlight of my year!

You have fond memories of NZSSC then…

I’m often asked how I got started in my operatic singing career. The answer is NZSSC—it  gave me my love of singing, it thrust me into wanting to develop my instrument to the highest level.

To be surrounded by like-minded young adults, all of whom I held in the highest respect, and make great music, it’s the bee’s knees! I had always been into music—piano, brass, rock, jazz, musicals, but the choir opened the door to the classical repertoire of singing. It was a new experience for me as a young musician.

NZSSC was the catalyst for my vocal development. I am so grateful to Roger Stevenson and his wonderful colleagues.

And you got to go on tour…

We went to the  1990 Pacific Basin Choral Festival in Honolulu, Hawaii. Two years earlier, I’d been part of the Canterbury Youth Band attending the Pacific Basin Brass Festival (playing the Euphonium) so I knew how fun it was going be. We sang the hell out of our repertoire and the judges rewarded the incredible level of polish Roger demanded from us. We performed a spiritual, ‘The Solid Rock’ with the great Robert Wiremu as soloist. I felt like I was part of a mid-Alabama State Baptist church choir! I was in awe of Robert’s voice, it was an honour to be in the backing choir.

How did you get to attend the Manhattan School of Music?

In life you get unexpected opportunities, sometimes good, sometimes not so good. My enrolment at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music came about through a disastrous debut in the role of Rodolfo in the Canterbury Opera production of La Bohéme. After that, I thought, ‘I better go and learn how to sing’! My teacher at the time, Frances Wilson, facilitated the application and I was accepted into the Masters programme on a 90% merit scholarship. Frances is another person who has guided me for much of my time studying voice, and throughout my career.

Seems like you are constantly travelling now …

Luckily I love flying and enjoy the travel—right now I am in Basel, last week Lausanne, Melbourne and Auckland and three weeks ago New York City and Munich. I’ll spend a week in Auckland and return to Europe for Die Walküre in Valencia, Spain.

Years ago, I remember watching a documentary on Italian Mezzo Soprano, Cecilia Bartoli where she complained about all the travel. I thought it would be a dream! Well, for the past twenty-two years I have travelled the globe studying, performing and now also as a voice teacher/coach.

I do miss my family terribly though. We live on Birkenhead Head Point in Auckland, our own slice of kiwi heaven, so my schedule means I am away for much of the year. I am indebted to my wife Carmel for bringing up our glorious children when I’m not there.

How do  you prioritise your performances and travel commitments? 

My priority is to perform in New Zealand as much as I can while I’m singing at the highest international level. My managers in London schedule my work for the season—they do an amazing job,  I am contracted with the finest orchestras and opera companies and with the most prestigious conductors on the planet. It is a thrill, a great honour, to perform with the New York Philharmonic one weekend, return to New Zealand and immediately commence rehearsals and perform at the Nelson Opera in the Park the following one. I don’t feel any difference in my standard of performance and view both with  exactly the same energy and professionalism.

Words of wisdom for our current members …

Keep singing! Some of you will audition for the NZ Youth Choir, as I did, and love it, as I did. Not everyone should or can be a professional musician or a professional opera singer, many ex-choir members are involved with music in many guises with careers in something completely different.

Whatever you do with your life, remember the wonderful times in the choir, thank the people involved and those who got you there—and keep in touch with your choir friends!

Read more about Simon on his website.

It was also in Crete where Ned met his wife Katina—a love story portrayed in author Patricia Grace’s 2009 book, Ned & Katina. Kaylim (pictured front centre) is one of 55 members of this internationally-celebrated choir, which is gathering in Wellington for intensive rehearsals and performances this week. As well as performing on ANZAC Day for the choir’s patron, her Excellency the Right Honourable Dame Patsy Reddy, and national and international dignitaries, the following day the choir sings at parliament—at the invitation of Hon Chris Hipkins, Min of Education.  The week culminates in a concert at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Saturday 28^th, with a dynamic and diverse repertoire conducted by Dr Andrew Withington. Details and tickets here. And there’s one more chance to catch them in Wellington—the 10am service at St Paul’s Cathedral, Sunday 29^th.

NZSSC gathers the country’s finest young voices and offers a once in a lifetime opportunity, a two-year membership to learn from top New Zealand vocal teachers and consultants. The choir really does change lives, some members have gone on to achieve international careers,  including Johnathan Lemalu, Christopher Bruerton, Tecwyn Evans, Anna Leese Guidi, Madeleine Pierard, rising opera star Benson Wilson and acclaimed operatic tenor Simon O’Neill (ONZM).  Simon has just accepted a role as the choir’s vice-patron.

Simon O’Neill credits NZSSC as the catalyst for his international operatic career, which sees him performing in some of the world’s most magnificent venues. Simon joined NZSSC in 1988 as a school boy at Ashburton College, he went on to the NZ Youth Choir before studying at the Manhattan School of Music. In the past few weeks, Simon has performed in New York, Munich,Basel, Lausanne and Melbourne and is currently in Valencia, Spain. “NZSSC gave me my love of singing,” he says.

In the July holidays, NZSSC will briefly gather in Auckland before travelling to Hong Kong and Shanghai to perform. Their tour includes working with top Hong Kong school and university choirs to present a new commission from NZ composer David Hamilton. Sung entirely in Mandarin and Maori, this will be a new challenge. In Hong Kong, they’ll also attend the Belt & Road World Choir Festival.

Read the Stuff article.

New Zealand Secondary Students Choir in concert in Wellington
Sat 28 April, 7.30pm at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Thorndon, Wellington
Adults: $25, seniors: $20, students: $10, intermediate and primary school students: FREE

Tickets online: www.nzsschoir.com/events/wellington-concert or on the door

For more information: Rachel Healy, PUBLICIST T: 0275277732 E: rachel@rachelhealy.co.nz 

And he’s done it!  Songs of the Moon and Stars will have its world premiere at the Auckland concert on 7^th July, before being shared and performed with Hong Kong’s Wah Yan College Kowloon Boys Choir and the Hong Kong Baptist University’s choir, Catoria. The project has evolved from NZSSC’s 2016 tour as Guest Choir to International Choral Kathaumixw where they first met Wah Yan, crowned ‘Choir of the World’ as winners of the festival’s top award.

David, where do you even begin when faced with a new choral commission?

Finding the right text is often the biggest challenge. Once I have that, I usually work quite quickly. The text ‘tells’ you what the music is going to be like.

Sometimes I have writer’s block, but there’s nothing like a deadline to unleash the creative urge again.

For this work, I was interested in the request to combine Chinese instruments with the choir. I’ve been wanting to explore Chinese instruments and this gave me a great opportunity to learn more about the erhu—a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, and guzheng—a 21-stringed zither.

It’s my first time working in Mandarin. Luckily my partner is originally from Taiwan so he helped me, and I had advice from a couple of other Chinese speakers I know. It was definitely an added challenge getting the right script into the score (Chinese has traditional and simplified forms).

We’re excited you’ll be joining us in Hong Kong—direct from Rome. Tell us what you’ve been up to …

I’m about to head to Italy where the top choirs from Westlake Girls and Boys High schools will perform, first off at St Peter’s in Rome! I was asked to write five new pieces for the Sunday afternoon Mass performance. The choirs are also singing three works of mine in a choral festival and competition in Florence.

In May, I attended the premiere of one of my works at Carnegie Hall. It came about through conductor Dr Jennifer Flory from Georgia College, who has performed and commissioned several works from me.

You’ve been involved with NZSSC for a while now …

The choir has sung and recorded several of my works over the years, although this is the first formal commission. I’ve also been a tutor for them and went on tour to Canada with the choir in 2000. I’ve always admired NZSSC so was delighted to be asked to write a new piece.

How did you discover your love of music?

Growing up in Taupo, there were limited opportunities to extend my interest in music. I only got involved with choirs when I went to Auckland University. Singing the Verdi ‘Requiem’ with the University Choral Society had me hooked, and I’ve been singing in choirs ever since. I also dived into composition during that time, and haven’t looked back. Peter Godfrey was my head of department, and very supportive of me.

I was a foundation member of the NZ Youth Choir and was delighted when they took two of my works, including a newly commissioned piece on the choir’s first tour. I’ve been a member of Auckland Choral since 1982 and am now its president.

You’re also a conductor and teacher, what keeps you going?

My students can still inspire me—maybe it’s an unusual way a student sets a text, or an ingenious manner of writing for an ensemble. I hope I have managed to instill my love of music in them, a willingness to explore new music, and be prepared to expose themselves to unusual and difficult pieces of music.

Like most creative people, there’s an inner drive to create and express yourself. I particularly enjoy writing choral music, but I’ve written for most forms and ensembles. I’ve always been keen to explore different composers and styles of music, although I am very fond of contemporary American music.

What are you most proud of?

My favourite work (and possibly best) dates from 1985, The Moon is Silently Singing for double choir and two horns. Often the piece I like least is the one I’ve just finished—I’m just glad to get it done and sent off! With time though, I come back and re-evaluate a work’s merits. Occasionally I finish a piece and think ‘yes, that’s a good one’!

Any advice for our members studying composition?

Compose! Compose lots of music. Take every opportunity to write music, and if necessary create your own opportunities. Offer to write for people. And listen to lots of music, in many different styles, from all eras. Learn from other composers and be involved as a performer. Join a choir and learn what music feels like from the inside.

Learn more about David’s work on his website

This internationally-celebrated choir will present a dynamic and diverse repertoire including the world premiere of David Hamilton’s new work, Songs of the Moon and Stars, combining Maori and Mandarin lyrics.

Well-known in Auckland as a respected teacher and choir leader, David is one of NZ’s most accomplished and widely performed composers. His works are performed by choirs all over the world, most recently in Italy, Japan, Singapore and the US. NZSSC has previously performed David’s compositions but this is the first time it has commissioned a work. “The brief was specific but challenging,’ says David, “It required text in Mandarin and Maori as well as being able to be performed by the entire 55-strong NZSSC and by an all-boys choir”.

In Hong Kong, the choir will perform at the Belt & Road World Choir Festival. NZSSC Artistic Director, Dr Andrew Withington says, “We are excited to be reunited with the Wah Yan College Kowloon Boys Choir who will perform David’s work with us. We first met the boys at a choral festival in Canada when we were ‘guest choir’ and they won ‘Choir of the World’”.

The Auckland concert will be a home-coming for the 20 local members, seven of whom are from Dilworth College, including Viliami Lutui, who is also in the NZ Secondary Schools Rugby team, and Takerei Komene, Auckland Youth Choir’s conducting intern. Takerei describes NZSSC as ‘a life-changing experience’, watch him interviewed: www.nzzschoir.com

Every two years, NZSSC gathers the country’s finest young voices and offers a once in a lifetime opportunity, a two-year membership to learn from top New Zealand vocal teachers and consultants.  Some members have gone on to achieve international careers,  including Johnathan Lemalu, Christopher Bruerton, Tecwyn Evans, Anna Leese Guidi, Madeleine Pierard, rising opera star Benson Wilson and operatic tenor, Simon O’Neill (ONZM).

Read the Stuff article

New Zealand Secondary Students Choir farewell concert in Auckland

Sat 7 July, 7.30pm at Michael Park School, Ellerslie, Auckland.
Adults: $25, seniors/NZCF: $20, students: $10 with ID, children 12 and under: FREE
Tickets online: www.nzsschoir.com/events/farewell-concert-auckland or on the door

After ten years leading this internationally celebrated choir, Andrew is leaving for new adventures at the conclusion of the 2017-2018 choir cycle.

Andrew’s final performance with the choir will be at the Big Sing Finale, 1 September in Wellington.Andrew has led the choir on international tours to Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa. At the 2010 International Choral Kathaumixw, the choir received ‘The People’s Choice Award’ and first place in the adult mixed choir competition. NZSSC returned to the Kathaumixw in 2016 as the invited Guest Choir, and Andrew led one of the juries. Andrew has adjudicated and run choral clinics in New Zealand and internationally, and is an advisor for the New Zealand Choral Federation and the International Choral Kathaumixw.

Hugely respected by his students and colleagues, Andrew has recently completed his PhD, focused on creating his own system to teach choirs to more reliably and consistently sing in tune. Listen to an interview with Andrew discussing this research with Kim Hill on RNZ.

Nearing the end of their two-year membership, the 55 members of the current 2017-18 choir, all aged between 14 and 19, is about to embark on a tour to Asia. It’s the culmination of hundreds of hours of rehearsals and performances under Andrew’s tutelage. In Hong Kong, NZSSC will perform with school choirs and take part in the Belt and Road World Choir Festival as Resident Choir. In Shanghai, the choir joins the Vienna Boys Choir Shanghai Choir for a shared concert. They’ll perform for the New Zealand Consul General in both cities.

Before the choir departs New Zealand on Sunday, they’ll present a farewell concert in Auckland tomorrow  Saturday 7 July, tickets here: www.nzsschoir.com/events/farewell-concert-auckland

We all wish Andrew well in his next endeavors and celebrates the amazing level of choral singing that he has achieved with NZSSC over the past ten years.

Applications for the role of Artistic Director  open next week.

Listen to a Radio NZ interview of Andrew speaking with Kim Hill.

Rachel Healy, PUBLICIST, T: 0275277732, E: rachel@rachelhealy.co.nz 

Winner of the 2016 Lexus Song Quest, Benson was once just a boy from Havelock North, infamous in NZSSC for a particularly bad hair day.

We fired him five quick questions …1. Tell us about the time you …

Dyed my hair on tour? Apparently this story has been told every year as ‘what not to do on tour’! Here’s the official version. In my second cycle of NZSSC, we went on tour to Kathaumixw in Canada. Shortly after arriving in Powell River, my buddy Kaluani and I decided to dye our hair blonde. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out blonde, it went ginger. Kaluni was told to dye his back to black, but I kept the ginger! So if you see any videos or photos of the choir with a ginger Samoan, yeap that was me …

2. What made you audition for NZSSC way back in 2006?

An alumnus of the choir, Tamsyn Miller, heard me sing at school and organised for me to attend the audition in Auckland.

3. What did NZSSC give you?

NZSSC introduced me to the universal power of music and made me realise that I am blessed to be able to offer this gift to the world.

It also gave me a taste of what it’s like to make music at a high level, and the effect good, honest music-making can have on one’s soul. Not only did music bring 55 high school students from all different backgrounds together, I witnessed music bringing audience members to tears, making them laugh or roar with applause as we finished our haka.

4. Any tips for our current members, that are not to do with hair?

Be humble, work hard, play hard. Be a good colleague!

No matter how far you go in life, never be too big to acknowledge those who have helped you along the way and never forget where you come from.

5. How did three opera singers come to be performing in Mangere this weekend?

To help support my studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, I’m part of a very special concert in Auckland this weekend, all details are here.  The event will also feature two other NZSSC alumni, Isabella Moore, winner of the Lexus Song Quest in 2014, and Thomas Atkins, currently a young artist at the Royal Opera House in the UK. You can get your tickets now.

Highlights of my first year in London have included roles in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and the Act I quartet of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Coaching sessions with Lada Valesova were invaluable to me. In December last year, I successfully auditioned for the Samling Artist Programme, which pairs talented young singers and piano accompanists at the start of their careers with world-class professionals for a week of intensive training and masterclasses.

I am in awe of the venues I have been blessed to perform in and the colleagues that I have met along this crazy journey towards becoming an opera singer. I feel like London is a city that just continuously gives.

“I am thrilled to be working with the prestigious NZSSC choir. I now can say that I have made the ultimate trifecta in NZ choral music. I have been involved in all three of the national choirs of New Zealand. As a member of the New Zealand Youth Choir for 6 years and Voices NZ Chamber Choir for 7 years, I am now very proud to be directing this young, vibrant, talented choir.” says Susan.

A well-known Soprano and choral conductor in her hometown Christchurch, Susan is the second female Music Director in the 32-year history of the choir.

Susan’s professional career began in 1986 with Canterbury Opera, singing the role of a Genie in Mozart’s Magic Flute. She has since performed in many productions as a chorus member, cover and in main roles. After completing a Bachelor of Arts at Canterbury University, she went on to achieve a Diploma of Teaching at Christchurch College of Education and a Diploma and Bachelor of Music in Voice at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. She is currently an Itinerant Teacher of Music with the Forte Unit in Christchurch, working at Burnside High School where she teaches voice and conducts three choirs. Susan was Music Director of the Jubilate Singers and in 2017 took on the position of Music Director of the University of Canterbury Chamber Choir – Consortia.

“Sue is an inspiring musician, singer and conductor. She embodies many of our values and underpins a pathway for choral singers in this country,” says Linda Webb, former chair of the NZSSC Trust and now trustee of Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand. ”NZSSC has just merged with Choirs Aotearoa and all three national choirs are managed by the same team; Sue has already been part of the extended team for several decades and now will hold a key role in our artistic team.”

NZSSC is a nationally auditioned choir of13-18 year old singers. Around 55 young singers join the choir for a two-year cycle, which usually culminates in an international tour. Founded in 1986 NZSSC has won numerous awards at competitions including four first places at Kathaumixw, Canada, the title “The World’s Choir” at the Hong Kong International Youth & Children’s Festival and a Gold Award at the World Choir Games in Xiamen, China.

The 2019-20 NZSSC will embark on its first full-length training course in April in Wellington with Susan Densem at the helm. A South Island tour is planned for October taking NZSSC to Densem’s hometown Christchurch.

END

For further information and interview requests, please contact Arne Herrmann, ceo@choirsnz.co.nz