Fiona has been a member of Voices NZ Chamber Choir since 2006 and has previously sung with NZ Youth Choir, London’s BBC Symphony Chorus, V8, Auckland Chamber Choir and Dorian Choir. Fiona is the Director of Cantare, the premier girls choir at Westlake Girls High School in Auckland, where she is the Head of Music.

Celia is an accomplished soprano with extensive experience in ensemble singing. She sang with the New Zealand Youth Choir for seven years and has been a longstanding member of Voices Chamber Choir, participating on and off since its inception in 1998. Deeply passionate about choral music—particularly the art of close ensemble singing—Celia was an original member of Auckland’s renowned V8 Vocal Ensemble, a group celebrated for their performances spanning from Renaissance madrigals to contemporary pop.

Throughout her career, Celia has performed with numerous choirs and participated in a range of international tours, festivals, and prestigious concerts. Currently, she is an active member of Luminata Voices women’s chamber choir, Auckland Chamber Choir, and St Matthew’s Voices quartet.

In addition to her musical pursuits, Celia holds a position as a Marine Platform Specialist at an insurance company in Auckland.

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

Dr Karen Grylls CNZM 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 2023 she became a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) 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.

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

Dr Karen Grylls CNZM 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 2023 she became a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) 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.

Horomona Horo, with extensive experience in overseas performance, includes on his list of activities; playing beside the Weimaraer Staatskapelle Orchestra, touring Italy with Canti Māori opera and performing as a guest artist at the Battle of Passchendaele 90th Commemorations in Belgium. Collaborations with other musicians is an opportunity that is always welcomed with excitement by Horomona. Mentored by tohunga (experts) of taonga puoro, Dr Hirini Melbourne and Dr Richard Nunns, Horomona combines natural talent with a drive for excellence while still retaining his humility, someone who can play sweet soulful music and can command a fully attentive audience through faultless use of taonga puoro, lyrics and quick wit.

DMA, DipRAM, PGDip(Opera), BMus(Hons), ARAM, LRAM

Morag Atchison has firmly established herself as one of New Zealand’s leading sopranos. She studied at the University of Auckland and Royal Academy of Music (London), and was a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier and Royal Over-Seas League Competitions. She has performed operatic roles including Berta, The Barber of Seville (NZ Opera) Helmwige, Die Walküre (NZSO); Lady-in-waiting, Verdi’s Macbeth; First Lady, Magic Flute (NBR NZ Opera); Fourth Maid, Strauss’ Elektra (APO); Blumenmädchen, Parsifal (NZSO); Annina, La traviata (English Touring Opera) and Sandrina, La Finta Giardiniera (Opera Unleashed, Hamilton Festival). Morag’s concert engagements include performances of the Britten War Requiem (CSO); Mozart Requiem (Voices NZ and Wellington Sinfonia); Handel’s Messiah (VNZ and WS; Auckland Choral); Verdi Requiem (Bach Musica); Tippett’s A Child of our Time with the NZYC and NZSO-NYO; and Beethoven’s Ah! perfido (APO and Manukau Symphony). In 2018 Morag travelled to England, France, Germany, and Spain as part of Voices New Zealand’s European tour and was a soloist on the soundtrack for the major motion-picture Mortal Engines. In 2022 her debut CD The Distance: Songs of David Hamilton was released on the Atoll label.

Morag is Senior Lecturer in Voice at the University of Auckland, vocal consultant for the acclaimed New Zealand Youth Choir, the University of Auckland Chamber Choir and for over a decade worked with the award-winning Choralation from Westlake Girls’ and Boys’ High Schools. In 2013 Morag was awarded a doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Auckland, the first DMA in vocal studies from a New Zealand University. In 2019 she was elected as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM

DMA, DipRAM, PGDip(Perf), BMus(Hons), LRAM

Dr Morag Atchison is one of New Zealand’s leading sopranos and pedagogues. She studied at the University of Auckland and Royal Academy of Music (London), and was a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier and Royal Over-Seas League competitions. Her operatic roles include Helmwige, Die Walküre (NZSO); Lady-in-waiting, Macbeth; First Lady, Magic Flute (NBR NZ Opera); Fourth Maid, Elektra (APO); Blumenmädchen, Parsifal (NZSO), and Tosca (cover) for NZ Opera. Morag works regularly with all of New Zealand’s major orchestras and choral societies, and has performed as a soloist in Canada, the USA, Italy, The Netherlands, France, Kenya, Seychelles, and throughout the UK. Recent highlights include Britten War Requiem with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Carmina Burana with the Christchurch City Choir, Verdi Requiem with Bach Musica, Pierrot Lunaire for the University of Auckland, and recitals for Chamber Music New Zealand with Catrin Johnsson and Rachel Fuller. Morag is also a member of the national chamber choir, Voices New Zealand.

Morag is a Lecturer in Voice at the University of Auckland, and is a vocal tutor for the highly acclaimed NZ Youth Choir, University of Auckland Chamber Choir, Choralation from Westlake Girls’ and Boys’ High Schools, and is on staff at the NZ Singing School. This year Morag will be presenting lectures at the World Choral Symposium in Barcelona (with Assoc Prof Karen Grylls), and at the International Congress of Voice Teachers in Stockholm.