Benjamin Madden is a proudly born-and-bred Dunedin tenor trained by Pat Scally-Richardson and Judy Bellingham. Since finishing a Bachelor of Music in Classical Music Performance (Voice) and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy at the University of Otago in 2014, Benjamin has been working as a choral director and private singing teacher in Dunedin. Benjamin is an alumni of the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir, the New Zealand Youth Choir, and a current member of Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir. Benjamin attended the 2016 New Zealand Opera School and the 2017 IFAC Handa New Zealand Singing School. Benjamin currently directs choirs for Otago Boys’ High School and Otago Girls’ High School, and teaches instruments (guitar, drums, keyboard, ukulele and singing) at Abbotsford Primary School and Mornington Primary School. Benjamin works with the New Zealand Choral Federation as a mentor for primary school singing leaders as part of their Singing Matters programme, and is Assistant Music Director and Vocal Consultant for the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir.

Benjamin has played a number of operatic roles with Opera Otago. Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro, Monostatos in The Magic Flute, Dr. Ivor Chale in Dearest Maurice (John Drummond), Bob Cratchitt in A Christmas Carol (Phillip Norman, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni) and most recently as Jo in The Woman at the Store by Dorothy Buchanan. He has appeared with the Freemasons NZ Opera Chorus in La Boheme and Madama Butterfly.

Benjamin’s concert performances as a soloist include Ich freue mich in dir (Bach), Evangelist, St John Passion (Bach), Mass in B minor (Bach), Mass in C Major (Beethoven), Messiah (Handel), Mass in C minor (Mozart), Misa Criolla (Ramirez), The Crucifixion (Stainer) .

Outside of singing and teaching music, Benjamin is a big fan of Formula 1, an avid rock climber and a keen runner, enjoying running distances up to and beyond the marathon.

Tahlia is a composer from Te Whanganui a Tara Wellington. She holds a Bachelor of Music in instrumental/vocal composition, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Practice (passed with distinction) where she specialised in film scoring. Tahlia has worked on local projects such as BBC’s The Luminaries, Blue Moon, Loading Docs He Hekenga Tuhura and Haka Haha, and the upcoming TVNZ short series Little Apocalypse. Tahlia joined CANZ in 2023 as Assistant Producer to all four choirs. In her spare time, she writes her own music and sings in choirs within Wellington

Tausala (she/they) is a Samoan New Zealander (Utuali’i and North Shore, Auckland) who is passionate about creating beautiful and impactful music with NZYC. Tausala is a member of the Auckland Chamber Choir, and has been passionate about choirs since her inaugural performance at the Big Sing Finale as a part of Takapuna Grammar School Chorale. They have ten years of Classical Piano and five years of Classical Voice lessons under their belt. Tausala is currently training as a choral conductor through NZCF’s New Zealand Young Conductor Training programme, working as an intern with All Together Now. On the side, they work as a Dean at Diocesan School for Girls’ boarding house.

As a student at Ashburton College, the now internationally acclaimed tenor joined the NZSSC in 1988. See our feature on this champion of the NZSSC.

Natasha Te Rupe Wilson (Te Arawa, Ngā Puhi), soprano, has a Bachelor of Music, (Honours,
first-class), majoring in classical vocal performance, from the University of Auckland. From
2018 – 2019, Natasha was based in San Francisco, where she completed her Post-Graduate
Diploma in Vocal Studies, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of
César Ulloa.
Natasha made her professional debut with New Zealand Opera, and was a Dame Malvina
Major Emerging Artist with the company in 2018. Natasha was a member of the Kiri Te
Kanawa Foundation’s mentoring programme in 2016, and has been supported by the
foundation ever since.
Natasha was recently based in Pittsburgh, PA, as a 2019/20 Resident Artist with Pittsburgh
Opera. Natasha made her United States, mainstage debut, with Pittsburgh Opera, as Rosalba,
in their 2019 production of Catan’s, Florencia en el Amazonas. Natasha also played the role
of Morgana, in the company’s 2020 production of Handel’s, Alcina.
Throughout 2021, Natasha has been performing throughout New Zealand, performing the
role of Lisa, for Days Bay Opera’s La Sonnambula, and Purea, in the world premiere of Tim
Finn’s, Ihitai ‘Avei’a – Star Navigator, with New Zealand Opera. Most recently, Natasha
performed the role of Zerlina, in Wellington Opera’s production of Mozart’s, Don Giovanni,
as well as the role of Marzelline, in the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s concert
performance of Beethoven’s, Fidelio.

See our feature on Benson’s hugely successful career since his days in the NZSSC.

See our feature on Clinton’s time with NZSSC and career development since then.

Lyric Soprano, Madeleine Pierard began her musical life as a pianist and chorister in Napier, New Zealand and later as a member of The New Zealand Youth Choir, The Tudor Consort and Voices New Zealand.

http://www.madeleinepierard.com/