Sarah has a a Bachelor of Choral Music Education from Butler University (hons) and a Master of Music from The University of Auckland. After living and teaching English in the Kingdom of Tonga, Sarah fell in love with the South Pacific and moved to NZ in 2009. Her music teaching career began at Waiheke High School, where she established the school’s first choral programme.

Sarah now leads a thriving choral programme at Macleans College, overseeing five choirs and more than 400 students. Alongside her choral work and role as head of curriculum music, she has directed community choirs, including working as part of the directorship team at All Together Now.

Sarah has been a passionate choral singer since the age of seven when she joined Essex Children’s Choir. Since then, she has sung with show choirs, university chamber and madrigal choirs, and was part of MUSE: Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir. In NZ, Sarah has sung with Sister Shout on Waiheke Island and Auckland Chamber Choir. Sarah currently sings with Luminata Voices.

Takerei Komene (Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau-a-Apanui) is a takatāpui conductor, singer, and composer based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. They sing in the Auckland Chamber Choir, 8bit Vocal Ensemble, and Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir. Previously, they were a member of the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir, and choir leader of the New Zealand Youth Choir.

Takerei is actively and regularly engaged as a choral conductor in secondary schools, having conducted choirs at Kristin School, St Paul’s College Ponsonby, Auckland Grammar School, Takapuna Grammar School, and currently Epsom Girls Grammar School and Westlake Girls High School. They developed the Lower Voices Choral Festival, which brings together lower-voice choirs from around Tāmaki Makaurau. The festival had a successful first outing in May of 2024, and is well on its way to become a fixture in the Aotearoa choral landscape.

As a composer, they have had the honour of writing works for many commissions for groups ranging from community choirs to ensembles at the professional level. In 2025, they were commissioned by the BBC Singers to write a work to be jointly performed by them and Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, titled Ranginui, which was premiered in November of that year at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London. Their works have been performed in Australia, the US, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium, the UK, Hong Kong, and all across Aotearoa.

Denzel Panama is a singer, composer and conductor based in Tāmaki Makaurau. He completed a Bachelor of Music (Honours) in Classical Performance and Choral Conducting at the University of Auckland, studying under the tutelage of Dr. Te Oti Rakena.

As a performer, Denzel has sung with a range of leading ensembles including the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir, the New Zealand Youth Choir, Voices New Zealand, the Graduate Choir, and the Auckland Chamber Choir. Alongside his performance work, he is a dedicated music educator, currently working as a Vocal Coach and Choir Director at St Cuthbert’s College. His teaching practice is grounded in building strong, inclusive environments that foster both musical excellence and a deep sense of belonging for young singers.

Denzel has been appointed as the 2026 Pasifika Conducting Intern with Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand, where he will work under the mentorship of Fiona Wilson and Jono Palmer. As part of this role, he will join the Choral Academy as an intern in July 2026.

Sarah has a a Bachelor of Choral Music Education from Butler University (hons) and a Master of Music from The University of Auckland. After living and teaching English in the Kingdom of Tonga, Sarah fell in love with the South Pacific and moved to NZ in 2009. Her music teaching career began at Waiheke High School, where she established the school’s first choral programme.

Sarah now leads a thriving choral programme at Macleans College, overseeing five choirs and more than 400 students. Alongside her choral work and role as head of curriculum music, she has directed community choirs, including working as part of the directorship team at All Together Now.

Sarah has been a passionate choral singer since the age of seven when she joined Essex Children’s Choir. Since then, she has sung with show choirs, university chamber and madrigal choirs, and was part of MUSE: Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir. In NZ, Sarah has sung with Sister Shout on Waiheke Island and Auckland Chamber Choir. Sarah currently sings with Luminata Voices.

Hailing from the UK, Jessica moved to New Zealand for this new role with CANZ and brings extensive experience from across the choral arts management sector. Most recently working as Artist Manager at James Brown Management, Jessica spent several years leading operational management of The Tallis Scholars – spearheading the planning and execution of more than 300 high-profile performances across 25 countries for this world-class ensemble by collaborating with promoters, festivals and broadcasters throughout the globe to pilot the logistical and strategic delivery of the group’s international artistic work. Her wider JBM portfolio included supporting choral conductors Daniel Hyde and Nicholas Chalmers, and the GRAMMY-winning Attacca Quartet.

Alongside her work at JBM, Jessica took on a pivotal leadership role in the formation and growth of Cambridge University Schola Cantorum. Having played a central part in leading the international campaign to save St John’s Voices as it faced closure, Jessica went on to serve as Cambridge Schola’s first General Manager after its emergence from SJV following its disbandment. She was instrumental in guiding the choir through its transition and reconstitution, helping to re-establish the ensemble with a renewed artistic vision and organisational structure. Working closely with the Artistic Director, she contributed to defining the choir’s vision, mission and long-term strategic direction, and aided the facilitation of community engagement and outreach projects such as development opportunities with the BBC Singers and Sheffield’s Steel City Choristers.

Jessica also brings extensive experience as a professional choral singer, having held posts with the VOCES8 Scholars, Choirs of Clare & Trinity Colleges in Cambridge, St Martin-in-the-Fields in London and the Choir of Royal Holloway amongst others. Jessica has enjoyed singing on the freelance choral circuit across the UK and Europe for a number of years, also acting as choral fixer for a variety of projects including ‘Carols at the Royal Albert Hall’ and the Edington Music Festival.

She holds a Bachelor of Music (Hons) and Master of Music from Royal Holloway, University of London, and spent a year studying on international exchange at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington and Te Kōkī – New Zealand School of Music.

Jessica joins us from her role as Artist Manager at James Brown Management in Cambridge, UK, where she spent several years leading operational management of The Tallis Scholars – spearheading the planning and execution of more than 300 performances across 25 countries for this world-class ensemble by collaborating with promoters, festivals and broadcasters throughout the globe. Her wider JBM portfolio included supporting conductors Daniel Hyde and Nicholas Chalmers, and the GRAMMY-winning Attacca Quartet.

 

Jessica has Bachelor of Music (Hons) and Master of Music from Royal Holloway, University of London, and spent a year studying on international exchange at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington and Te Kōkī – New Zealand School of Music (😊).

 

Jess also brings extensive experience as a professional choral singer, having held posts with the VOCES8 Scholars, Choirs of Clare & Trinity Colleges in Cambridge, St Martin-in-the-Fields in London and the Choir of Royal Holloway amongst others. Jess has enjoyed singing on the freelance choral circuit across the UK and Europe for a number of years, also acting as choral fixer for a variety of projects including ‘Carols at the Royal Albert Hall’ and the Edington Music Festival.