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.

Robert studied at Victoria University, the University of Auckland and Queensland Conservatory of Music. Recent collaborations include An Evening with Simon O’Neill, NZ’s own international Wagnerian star, Kiri and Friends (training the chorus for a concert at Vector Arena as part of the Rugby World Cup, 2011 festival featuring Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra); celebrated New Zealand artist Michael Parekowhai, on the launch of his entry for the Venice Art Biennale, On First Looking Into Chapman’s Homer; The Island Chai concert series with Aivale Cole, Benjamin Makisi, Anna Pierard and Phil Rhodes at the Auckland Museum, a concert for the union heads of the Rugby World Cup, 2011. He was artistic director of the V8 Vocal Ensemble, training the group for two performances of Berio’s Sinfonia with James Judd and the NZSO. Robert was formerly conductor of the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir and voice clinician for the New Zealand Youth Choir and VOICES New Zealand Chamber Choir.

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.

Diccon Sim is a partner in Dunedin law firm, Gallaway Cook Allan.  He studied Philosophy and Law at the University of Otago and also holds a Bachelor of Civil Law degree from Oxford University.

He was a member of the New Zealand Youth Choir from 1983 to 1988, and a member of its management committee during that time. A longstanding member of Dunedin’s St Paul’s Cathedral Choir, he has also sung as a tenor Vicar Choral in the choir of Wells Cathedral, and was a member of Schola Cantorum of Oxford during his postgraduate studies.

Diccon serves on the Boards of Dunedin’s Fortune Theatre and Selwyn College as well as the Boards of a number of trusts in the disability sector. He is also Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of Dunedin and a Proprietor of St Hilda’s Collegiate School.

Diccon joined the trust in May 2015 and has been Choirs Aotearoa’s Honorary Solicitor for a number of years.

Stephen Park sang tenor in the inaugural New Zealand Youth Choir (1979-1982) and was a member of the choir’s management committee in 86/87.  He sang for 20 years from 1969, in Auckland and Wellington, in choirs including: the Auckland Boys Choir, Auckland University Singers, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Auckland Dorians, and St Mary of the Angels.

He graduated in law in 81, then worked as an arts administrator at Chamber Music NZ and the NZ Festival of the Arts, before moving to the Office of the Clerk at Parliament.  After living in Vancouver during the 90s, where he shifted focus into clinical information services, he returned to NZ in 2003.  He has since worked at the Auckland area DHBs in clinical data and quality improvement roles.

Diana Cable has 24 years’ experience in the arts sector. After 4 years as an Industrial Relations Officer in the State Services Commission, Diana turned to the arts in 1986. One year managing Wellington City Opera was followed by 10 years as a Music Producer at Radio New Zealand Concert. She then worked as an independent producer for 7 years and was appointed as Artistic Administrator of the New Zealand International Arts Festival in 2003, after working for the Festival on a contract basis from 1997.

Having managed the Lexus Song Quest (formerly Mobil) since 1990, Diana also has considerable experience working with young singers.

Diana is a member of the Board of Trustees of Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand and Chair of its Artistic Advisory Group, a member of the Wellington Creative Communities grants committee and a Past President of the New Zealand Opera Society.

Diana is an alumnus of the New Zealand Youth Choir.

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.

Catrin Johnsson, mezzo soprano, was born in Sweden and trained at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm and at the Royal Academy of Music, London. In 2018 she was awarded an ARAM. Other awards include the prestigious Christina Nilsson Award. She has worked as a principal artist for companies such as English National Opera and Opera Holland Park and in 2016 Catrin made her debut for NZ Opera in their production of the The Magic Flute as Second Lady. In concert she has performed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and St John’s, Smith Square in London. Catrin is a Performance Teacher in Voice and Stagecraft at the University of Auckland, is language and vocal coach for Voices NZ Chamber Choir and the Auckland Chamber Choir and is Principal of Faculty and Curriculum for the New Zealand Singing School. In 2017, Catrin was National Adjudicator for the IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition. Catrin is also an accomplished organist who began her professional career at the age of 15 years.

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

Arne Herrmann 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, 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 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.