Madeleine has been singing throughout her schooling, singing in all her school choirs including being a member of the St Cecilia Singers. She was a founding member of the Aotearoa Academy Choir, singing with the group for three years including performing with the choir at the World Choir Games in 2024. She is currently a member of the Auckland Chamber Choir and the Holy Trinity Cathedral Choir.

Madeleine also plays cello and is a member of the Auckland Youth Orchestra. She is a first-year student at the University of Auckland studying a Bachelor of Global Studies majoring in Global Politics and Human Rights.

Julius Hlavac is a fresh face to the NZYC this cycle, having been in the 2021 – 2022 NZSSC cycle and the Christchurch Youth Choir from 2020 – 2022 before taking a brief choral hiatus to finish his Bachelor of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Canterbury. Now recently based in Taupo working for Contact Energy as a graduate reservoir engineer, Julius is a member of the local All Together Now choir and continues to work on keyboard compositions and teach himself the guitar. He is also an avid member of the Taupo Tennis club and loves a good trail run or cold lake plunge.

Originally from Whangārei, Bianca is an alumnus of the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir (2019-20). She is currently based in Hamilton, where she studies Psychology and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Waikato, and has been a member of the Hamilton Civic Choir since 2024. Bianca is looking forward to continuing her choral journey with the New Zealand Youth Choir over the next three years alongside her studies.

Wellington born and raised, Louisa is a second year Bachelor of Arts student at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, majoring in Philosophy and Classical Studies with a minor in Cultural Anthropology. She discovered her love of choral singing while at Samuel Marsden, competing at The Big Sing Finale with their senior auditioned ensemble Altissime. She sings with the Wellington Youth Choir. She was previously a member of the 2023-24 New Zealand Secondary Students Choir and the 2025 Aotearoa Academy Choir.

Bella Allan-Moetaua is a classical mezzo-soprano currently undertaking a Bachelor of Arts in Education alongside a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice at the University of Auckland. She grew up in South Auckland surrounded by the vibrant cultures of Māori and the Pacific, where music, language, and identity were deeply woven into community life. This upbringing continues to shape her artistic voice and sense of purpose as a performer.

A dedicated and versatile musician, Bella has sustained a lifelong commitment to both choral and solo performance. She was a member of the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir from 2022 to 2023 and has performed internationally with the Toronto Children’s Chorus in 2014 and 2019. During her time at Westlake Girls High School, she was selected for both the Girls’ Premier Choir and Mixed Premier Choir, ensembles recognised for their excellence and musical rigour. She continues to perform as a member of the Auckland Chamber Choir.

As a soloist, Bella is a confident and expressive performer, having appeared with the Hamilton Civic Choir and the New Zealand Children’s Choral Academy. In 2025, she was awarded First Place in the Under 21 category at the Rotorua New Zealand Aria Competition.

Bella is deeply committed to the creation and performance of music that uplifts and celebrates Māori and Polynesian traditions. Grounded in her cultural identity, she aims to contribute meaningfully to both choral and solo repertoire, bringing authenticity, integrity, and a clear artistic vision to her work.

Eva Stein is in her third year at Otago University studying a Bachelor of
Music, majoring in classical performance, and a Bachelor of Laws. She is training as a Soprano with her teachers Dr Tessa Romano and Judy Bellingham. Eva has performed as a soloist with many groups in the Otago region including Opera Otago, Oamaru Chorale, Southern Consort of Voices, The Dunedin Star Singers and the Royal Dunedin Male Choir. This year, she also sings with Octagon Ensemble, Southern Youth Choir and All Saints Church Choir in Dunedin. Eva is a vocal tutor at Otago Girls High School and runs the Selwyn College Choir. She is also a past member of the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir and the Aotearoa Academy Choir.

Daniel Shieff is an Auckland-born baritenor studying Civil and Humanitarian Engineering at UNSW, driven by a resolve to help shape positive change in the world. Recognised as one of the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Future Leaders for 2026, and as a finalist for the Sustainability and Social Impact Award, Daniel’s engineering work centres on water and food security, designing water filtration and pump systems for use in the Solomon Islands, along with anticipatory food security services that are currently ongoing in development.

From the age of four, singing became a central part of Daniel’s life, inspired by his grandmother, Nina. Daniel’s musical heritage traces back to his Ukrainian great-grandfather, Igor, a singer and instrumentalist who played a myriad of instruments including the balalaika, bayan, and garmoshka.

Daniel sang in the King’s School Chapel Choir from 2016-2019, serving as Deputy Head Chorister in 2019. 2016 marked his first year in the King’s School Chapel Choir and in the Kids Sing, which solidified his love for choral competitions and the art of choral music. At the 2019 Kids Sing in Auckland, Rowan Johnston was the adjudicator, and he met Rowan for the very first time that year. Following his time at King’s School, he joined the choirs at King’s College, including the King’s College Chapel Choir, All the King’s Men, Cantorum, and Kappella, where he enjoyed singing in the King’s College Chapel and participating in the Big Sing. In 2024, Steven Rapana appointed Daniel as Head Chorister, and Daniel remains deeply grateful for Steven’s vocal tuition during his time at King’s College. Daniel was also involved in the CANZ choral community prior to joining the New Zealand Youth Choir, having sung with the Aotearoa Choral Academy in 2023 and 2024. Daniel sang in the Academy in 2024 when the choir earned a Gold Diploma at the World Choir Games under the direction of Elise Bradley and Rowan Johnston.

Having made the choice to broaden his horizons in Australia, Daniel currently sings in the Corde Chamber Choir at UNSW and works closely with Tim Wayne-Wright and Sonia Maddock in UNSW’s A Cappella Academy program. In 2025, Daniel sang as a Bass in UNSW’s Corde Consort, a quartet (SATB) derived from the main Corde Chamber Choir, where he sang works such as ‘Il est bel et bon’ by Pierre Passereau and ‘El Grillo’ by Josquin des Prez. In 2025, Daniel’s first year of university, he also earned UNSW’s top choral prize, the Willgoss Choral Prize for the Corde Chamber Choir.

Motivated by a deep personal calling, Daniel is excited to sing with the New Zealand Youth Choir and to represent Aotearoa with heart in his new era as a baritenor.

Krishna is a Baritone from Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. At the University of Auckland he is studying a BE(Hons) in Mechanical Engineering conjoint with a BMus majoring in Classical Singing Performance under the tutelage of Dr Te Oti Rakena. He has performed with the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir, Voices NZ and the Aotearoa Academy Choir, alongside various other local choirs.

Prior to university, Krishna attended King’s College, where he was an active member of the college choirs, symphony orchestra, and concert band. He served as a Choir Leader and as Concertmaster of the orchestra. He also holds a Trinity College London ATCL Diploma in Classical Singing, awarded with High Distinction under the tutelage of Steven Rapana.

Other than singing, Krishna plays the violin, flute, and piano. As a studying engineer he has passions in creative design and club projects. He is currently a member of the UoA SuMoth Challenge Team building a Foiling Moth aiming to sail at the 2027 Italy Regatta.

India Skinner is a 19 year old Soprano studying at the University of Auckland enrolled in a conjoint degree of a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Classical Performance: Voice and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Classical Studies and Ancient History. She is currently training under the teachings of Dr Morag Atchison. Throughout school, India has been involved in multiple choirs at Kristin School and was a soprano in the school’s choir Euphony. Being a student at the University of Auckland’s School of Music is very special for India since her Great Aunt, Beatrice Webster, taught there and was a crucial member of the music world in New Zealand. Singing and performing has always been a passion of hers and is delighted to be a member of the New Zealand Youth Choir.

Leo Bamfield is a Tenor studying Finance and Accounting at the University of Auckland. Leo started singing in the King’s College choirs under Steven Rapana, and was lucky to be part of the New Zealand Secondary Schools choir, travelling around NZ and China. He is currently in the Auckland Chamber Choir. He also loves playing football, cricket and golf.