OUR PEOPLE

Elise Bradley

Co-Music Director

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 […]

Rowan Johnston

Co-Music Director

Rowan is a freelance choral conductor and clinician who has recently relocated with his whānau from Auckland to Wellington. He has just finished as Musical Director for the Auckland Youth Choir, Director of Choirs at Holy Trinity Cathedral Auckland and Musical Director of the internationally acclaimed school choir Choralation from Westlake Girls and Boys High Schools. Rowan is also an Associate Conductor for Voices NZ Chamber Choir and a National Choral Mentor for the New Zealand Choral Federation.

Robert Wīremu

Pianist and Vocal Coach

Since the late 90s, Robert has taught musicianship and voice at the University of Auckland. During the majority of that period, he worked very closely with Karen Grylls, transforming the Auckland Chamber Choir, establishing applied approaches to the teaching of musicianship skills, and supporting the development of conducting studies.

Karen Grylls

Artistic Director CANZ

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.

Lee Martelli-Wood

Manager, Outreach & Engagement

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. […]

Arne Herrmann

Chief Executive

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 […]

Tahlia Griffis

Associate Producer and Marketing

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 […]

BOARD

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

Amanda Barclay

Chair

Wellington, Lawyer (former trustee NZSSC Trust)

Bianca Davidson

Trustee

NGĀTI POROU, NGĀTI KAHUNGUNU, NGĀTI HINE NZYC alumna

Diana Cable

Trustee

Wellington

Linda Webb MNZM

Trustee

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

RICHARD SORRENSON

Trustee

Auckland

WARREN KILHAM

Trustee, Deputy Chair

Auckland, Chartered Accountant