Courtney holds an MMus with Distinction in Conducting from UC, complementing her BMus(Hons) in Performance Voice and a BA in German and Linguistics from Otago. Her love of singing began in primary school and she earned her ABRSM Diploma at 16.  She has since featured as a soloist with the Nelson Symphony Orchestra, Opera Otago, Octagon Ensemble, Christchurch Opera Club, City Choir Dunedin, Christchurch Youth Orchestra, Jubilate Singers and Risingholme Orchestra.

Her musical endeavours extend beyond singing; Courtney directs choirs (UC’s Consortia, Harmony Singers, Schola Cantorum), vocal coaches, and offers private tuition. Recognised with the J.M.W. Speirs Memorial Prize in Choral Conducting during her time in Dunedin, she directed the Southern Youth Choir and the Selwyn College Choirs and served as Director of Music at All Saints’. Courtney is an adept violinist and composer and is also a sought-after relief teacher, tutors music theory and ensemble at the University of Canterbury, and is an adjudicator at local vocal and arts competitions.

Matthew is a second-year music student at the University of Auckland, studying classical voice with Dr Te Oti Rakena. He attended Takapuna Grammar School where he sang in all the choirs, and also accompanied on the piano. Matthew continues to sing in and accompany several choirs around Auckland.

Rosie is a soprano from Blenheim currently Dunedin-based at the University of Otago. She is studying for a Bachelor of Music endorsed in Performance, under the tutelage of Dr Tessa Romano, and a Diploma of Languages in French. Whilst at secondary school, Rosie became the Marlborough District Council Anthem Singer and received a grant from the Inspire Foundation to support her performance endeavours. She was a member of the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir in 2021 and 2022, and was the soprano section leader for the Aotearoa New Zealand Academy Choir in 2023. In Dunedin, she is a member and soloist of the Southern Youth Choir, has performed in the Octagon Ensemble, and in the Opera Otago Chorus.

Philip recently submitted his PhD in Software Engineering at Victoria University of Wellington and is now working as a Software Developer. Starting his choral singing at Tawa College, Philip has since been involved with a number of choirs, including NZSSC and NZYC. Philip was the Music Director of the Wellington Youth Choir from 2020 to 2022. As well as NZYC, he also sings with Wellington Youth Choir and the Orpheus Choir of Wellington, for which he is currently a member of the Board of Directors. When Philip isn’t  singing he enjoys playing squash, Scottish Country Dancing, and pub quizzing.

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 TVNZ short series Little Apocalypse. Tahlia joined CANZ in 2023 as Assistant Producer to all four choirs and has since upgraded to Associate Producer & Marketing. In her spare time, she writes her own music and sings in choirs within Wellington.

 

Tausala (she/they) is a Samoan New Zealander (Utuali’i and North Shore, Auckland) who is passionate about creating beautiful and impactful music with NZYC. Tausala is a member of the Auckland Chamber Choir, and has been passionate about choirs since her inaugural performance at the Big Sing Finale as a part of Takapuna Grammar School Chorale. They have ten years of Classical Piano and five years of Classical Voice lessons under their belt. Tausala is currently training as a choral conductor through NZCF’s New Zealand Young Conductor Training programme, working as an intern with All Together Now. On the side, they work as a Dean at Diocesan School for Girls’ boarding house.