OUR PEOPLE

Karen Grylls

Artistic Director

Dr Karen Grylls CNZM was appointed Musical Director of the New Zealand Youth Choir in 1989, founded Voices New Zealand in March 1998, and is now Artistic Director of both these national choirs.

Catrin Johnsson

Language & Vocal Coach

Catrin Johnsson, ARAM, mezzo-soprano, was born in Sweden and trained at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Catrin is a principal opera artist and a Performance Teacher in Voice and Stagecraft at the University of Auckland.

Robert Wiremu

Adviser (Artistic)

Robert is Professional Teaching Fellow at The University of Auckland. He was artistic director of the V8 Vocal Ensemble and conductor of the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir.

Fiona Wilson

Associate Conductor

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.

Isaac Stone

Associate Conductor

Isaac Stone teaches classroom music, classical singing and leads the choral programme at Tawa College, including the chamber choir Blue Notes which recently received a Gold Award at the NZCF Big Sing Finale. He is the founding musical director of the innovative Wellington-based choir Supertonic and sings in a number of choirs in Wellington, including […]

Horomona Horo

Māori consultant / Taonga Puoro musician

Horomona Horo has performed with many different genres, and brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge of taonga puoro (traditional Māori instruments) and contemporary musical techniques.

Arne Herrmann

Chief Executive

Taking up the role as Chief Executive of Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand in May 2016,  Arne has worked for over 20 years in Arts and Festival Management in New Zealand. He held senior management positions at New Zealand Festival, Auckland Arts Festival, and Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and the contemporary dance company The Human Garden.

Louise Jakeway

Manager of NZ Youth Choir and Voices NZ

Louise has over 10 years working in Arts Management in production and management roles in opera, dance, television and film. After working in production management for the animated TV series Thunderbirds Are Go!, Louise worked with the Royal New Zealand Ballet as Operations Manager before joining Choirs Aotearoa NZ in January 2020.

Tahlia Griffis

Assistant Producer

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 […]

Rowan Johnston

Associate Conductor

Rowan has been a member of the NZ Youth Choir from 1993, and of the Voices NZ Chamber Choir since 1999. Based in Auckland, Rowan conducts the acclaimed school choir, Choralation and is Director of Choirs at Holy Trinity Cathedral Auckland. He is a regular guest conductor at the Australian National Choral School and in […]

BOARD

For more information on the Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand trustees, please visit choirs.nz

Diana Cable

Trustee

Wellington, Chair of the Artistic Advisory Group of Choirs Aotearoa

Warren Kilham

Trustee, Deputy Chair

Auckland, Chartered Accountant

Linda Webb MNZM

Trustee

Christchurch, Post-graduate study researcher (former trustee NZSSC Trust)

Amanda Barclay

Chair

Wellington, Lawyer (former trustee NZSSC Trust)

Richard Sorrenson

Trustee

Auckland, General Manager of the University of Auckland Foundation

Bianca Davidson

Trustee

NGĀTI POROU, NGĀTI KAHUNGUNU, NGĀTI HINE NZYC alumna