Roșie Auchinvole is a Soprano from Dunedin who has trained in classical voice for 11 years, has competed in Junior and Senior vocal competitions for that length, and has received various awards at both levels. In school she learnt under Judith Borick and in her current studies at the University of Otago she is taught by Dr Tessa Romano.

Rosie Auchinvole has participated in choral singing for many years, having been a member of the New Zealand Secondary Student Choir from 2019 – 2022 (acting as a choir leader in 2022), and she is a current member of the New Zealand Youth Choir. Her singing has given her many opportunities, such as being an RSA Scholar, performing with the Dunedin RSA Choir and participating in many local choral events, such as the Octagon Ensemble and the Southern Youth Choir.

Arne Herrmann has worked for over 25 years in Arts and Festival Management in New Zealand.

He held senior management positions at New Zealand Festival, Auckland Arts Festival, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, UNITEC School of Performing and Screen Arts and the contemporary dance company The Human Garden. Arne was the Festival Director of the National Jazz Festival and Garden&ArtFest in Tauranga. His work also included the Lexus SongQuest, Michael Hill International Violin Competition, Wellington Jazz Festival and National Youth Jazz Competition.

As freelance consultant Arne’s clients included the New Zealand Opera, Indian Ink Theatre, Te Matatini Kapa Haka Festival and the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival.

Arne Herrmann took up the role as Chief Executive of Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand in May 2016.

PhD, MM (Choral Conducting), MMus Hons, LRSM, LTCL, Dip Teaching

Dr Karen Grylls ONZM founded Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir in 1998 and the choir has achieved great acclaim internationally in performance and recording. She is Associate Professor in Choral Conducting at the University of Auckland and is Artistic Director of the Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand Trust, the managing body for the NZ Youth Choir and Voices NZ.  Dr Grylls was Conductor and Artistic Director of the New Zealand Youth Choir from 1989 to 2011, and Artistic Director of Toronto’s Exultate Chamber Choir from 2011 to 2013.

A graduate of both Otago and Auckland Universities, Karen studied post-graduate Conducting and Music Theory at the University of Washington, Seattle, for four years. In 1985 she returned to NZ to teach at the University of Auckland and take up the directorship of the Auckland Dorian Choir.

As a result of her musical directorship, the New Zealand Youth Choir has enjoyed notable international successes including: the Silver Rosebowl in the “Let the Peoples Sing” radio competition in 1992, “Choir of the World” at the 1999 International Eisteddfod in Llangollen and the “Grand Prix Slovakia” also in 1999.

With equal success Voices New Zealand won first and second placings in the mixed choir section of the Tolosa International Choral Competition in October 1998. With these choirs, she has won further prizes and accolades in Gorizia 2004, and Llangollen and Cantonigros, Spain in 2007.

In 1996 Auckland University honoured her with a Distinguished Teaching Award in Music and in 1999 she became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for her services to choral music. She is also the recipient of the KBB Citation from the Composers’ Association of New Zealand and the Lilburn Trust Citation for services to New Zealand music. TOWER Voices CD  Spirit of the Land took the 2006 Tui Award for  Best Classical Album, and the CD Voice of the Soul was a finalist in the 2013 Vodafone NZ Music awards.

Karen is much in demand as an adjudicator for competitions worldwide, including the 48^th International competition in Tolosa, the Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition, Bavaria, and The World Choir Games in Xiamen, China. She is sought internationally as a choral clinician and regularly conducts masterclasses and workshops in Wales, England, North America, Canada and Australia.

A passionate musician, award-winning conductor, and internationally respected educator, adjudicator and clinician, Elise Bradley served for many years as the Head of Department Music at Westlake Girls’ High School in Auckland, New Zealand. She founded and conducted the school’s renowned treble choir, Key Cygnetures from 1991-2007, and directed the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir from 2001-2007, both of which won numerous national and international awards. She was also a soloist and member of New Zealand’s National Chamber Choir, Voices New Zealand from 1998 – 2010. In January 2018, Ms. Bradley was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM), an honour awarded in recognition of her services to Music.

Elise repatriated home to New Zealand at the end of 2021, after 14½ years as the Artistic Director of the Toronto Children’s Chorus. During her tenure, the Chorus recorded professionally, commissioned Canadian compositions, collaborated with numerous international and national artists, and represented Toronto on nine international and four national tours. She also produced a virtual recording for the ACDA National Conference in 2021 and for the Hong Kong World Choral Festival in 2022. The Chorus is internationally recognized for the high standard of its performances, and for its challenging repertoire which spans diverse cultures, languages, and traditions. Its latest CD, Sounzscapes: From Our Lands, directed by Elise Bradley, was named the most Outstanding Choral Recording by Choral Canada in 2014.

In addition to her work as Artistic Director of the Toronto Children’s Chorus, Ms. Bradley received many invitations to conduct, adjudicate choirs, and present at conferences around the globe, including recently the 11th World Symposium on Choral Music (Spain), Dozan wa Awtar (Jordan), the inaugural New Zealand National Children’s Choir (Auckland, NZ), the IFCM World Choral Expo (Macau), Gondwana Voices (Australia), Orientale Concentus (Singapore), Crystal Children’s Choir (United States), Carnegie Hall, (United States), and Hong Kong Inter-School Choral Festival (China). She has also been invited to present at the World Choral Symposium in Turkey in April 2023.

Since her return to New Zealand, Elise has co-founded the company “Choral DirectioNZ” and the New Zealand Children’s Choral Academy, and has completed a number of Kodály Music Certificates in preparation for her return to the primary music classroom as part of the Creatives in Schools initiatives. She is currently the Music Director of the Hamilton Civic Choir, Nota Bella Junior Choir at Westlake Girls’ High School, Leonessa at Takapuna Grammar School, Ficino Primary Choirs, Kristin ‘Noteworthy’ Choir and she conducts the Chiron Choir for the Chiron Music Academy.

Ms. Bradley is dedicated to inspiring young singers through the study of the choral art, and to helping build not only their musical abilities, but also their self-confidence and life skills. Through music, she believes that they also learn about leadership and responsibility while experiencing the special joys and friendships that participation in the choir provides.

Ange comes to the CANZ with a background steeped in the Arts industry and believes she ‘came of age’ in the vibrant Wellington music and arts scene at one of the most incredible times (late 90’s). Starting out as retail manager of Real Groovy in Wellington in the early 2000’s, she soon after met her now husband, NZ composer/musician Warren Maxwell, and quickly shifted into managing his career in Film/TV composition as well as two of his bands, Little Bushman & Trinity Roots, all while raising a young family. Over the last 20 years Ange managed bookings for the band at some incredible NZ & Australian music & arts festivals, one or two that our CANZ CEO, Arne Herrmann, managed! It was in this role that Ange really developed her love for all things Arts Administration and she likes to think of herself as a creative’s Creator of things.

She has also worked as Artist Liaison for the NZ Art Show and in 2012, alongside her husband, co-founded the Wairarapa’s first ever, exclusively live music/performance venue & bar, King St Live (KSL). During their three-year stint with KSL, Ange managed the venue’s artistic bookings, which included hosting Dave Dobbyn, Katchafire, Tiki Taane, the Shapeshifter Sound System, NZ Comedy Fest shows & Pokey LaFarge, and many other community-based shows.

After taking a break from the music and arts industry in 2015, her role as NZSSC Manager marks her excited return to an industry that has always held a special place in her heart.

She currently resides in Featherston, South Wairarapa, with her husband and their two teenage children. In her spare time, she loves pottering around her garden, lounging in her hammock with a crossword or singing karaoke with friends.

Lee was a founding member of the Auckland Youth Choir. She has always enjoyed singing in choirs, having spent 6 years in the University Singers and then several years with Colla Voce. Currently Lee sings with the Pohutuhawa Singers who meet in Albany. When she’s not singing, you can usually find her at the piano. Lee has twice been awarded the Accompanist of the Year at the National Brass Band contest, and has accompanied choirs, singers and brass players for more than 30 years. For 13 years Lee ran the education, community and outreach programmes at the Auckland Philhamonia Orchestra, and subsequently worked for Creative New Zealand for 7 years. Lee lives in Auckland and has a daughter and two stepsons, and is married to Kerry who is a business coach by day and a trumpet player when off duty!

Growing up in Christchurch, Rosa Elliott completed a BMus and BA at the University of Canterbury, going on to complete her MMus in Composition through the University of Auckland. Rosa’s love for singing began at Burnside High School where she sang as a soprano in Bel Canto. She continues to sing in the Christchurch Youth Choir and currently conducts the Christchurch Girls’ High School choir Cantrices. Rosa’s passion for composing for the voice was kickstarted by winning the SOUNZ Big Sing Composition award in 2015, and she has since been fortunate to have choral works performed by NZ Secondary Students’ Choir and NZ Youth Choir. In 2021 Rosa was named a category winner of the inaugural Compose Aotearoa competition and held a composer-in-residency position with Choirs Aotearoa.