Sarah is a young singer currently completing her first year of a Bachelor in Music, Majoring in Classical Performance at the New Zealand School of Music. Originally from Tauranga, Sarah has moved to pursue her love of singing in Wellington and gets involved in as many musical events in the community as possible. Her love of choral music began during her membership in the NZSSC 2019/2020 cycle and is now very excited to join NZYC in 2021.

Ivan is a Law and Music student at the University of Auckland, studying Voice under Dr. Te Oti Rakena. He was part of the 2019-2020 NZSSC cycle and currently also sings with the Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, Auckland Youth Choir, and Auckland Chamber Choir. Outside of choir, he is the 2023 President of the School of Music Student’s Association and has also represented the University in the UNSW Trans-Tasman Case Competition and the UTS Global Case Competition. 

Melissa is from Auckland, and joined NZYC in 2021. Melissa is completing her Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) and is looking forward to working as a highschool music teacher in the future. Melissa is also a pianist, composer and conductor and she works as an itinerant voice and piano teacher, conducts the St Francis de Sales Church Choir as well as she works as the assistant music director for Auckland Girl’s Choir.

Quillan is from Auckland and holds a Bachelor of Science from University of Auckland, having majored in Computer Science. Quillan attended Rangitoto College while in Auckland and was a member of the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir 2019-2020 cycle. Quillan is in his second cycle with the New Zealand Youth Choir and is a current member of the Auckland Youth Choir and the Neotectonic Vocal Ensemble, where he also sings bass, and has sung in various massed choral ensembles, including multiple with New Zealand Opera.

When he’s not singing, Quillan can often be found reading or trying to fix a bug in his code. 

Jennifer Huckle is currently studying towards a BMus in Classical Voice at Victoria University of Wellington. She previously attended Westlake Girls High School in Auckland, where she was part of the ‘Cantare’ and ‘Choralation’ choirs. As well as being involved in choral singing throughout her life, Jennifer is also interested in performing as an opera singer, and has recently performed in several projects along with students from the New Zealand School of Music.

Kia ora! My name is Mackenzie and I am a baritone, originally from Wellington, who has migrated to Auckland in pursuit of a better climate! My choral singing career was kickstarted when I auditioned for the Wellington College Chorale in 2016 and loved every minute of it. Since then, my passion for singing has snowballed and I picked up as much as I could – musicals, plays, and most recently, a place in the NZ Secondary Students’ Choir 2019-2020 cycle. I am very grateful, and excited, to be able to represent the NZYC for our upcoming cycle!

Miles is originally from Manchester, UK and currently lives in Auckland. He is studying a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice at the University of Auckland after he finished high school at Rangitoto College in 2019. A member of NZ Secondary Students’ Choir in 2019-20, Miles also plays and teaches the trumpet around Auckland’s North Shore.

I am a Palmerston North boy born and bred and music is my life. I play guitar and I sing (obviously). My favourite genre of music is Country/Folk and when I’m not playing, I’m writing music. I’m also doing building and construction with a local business for a job and I love it (but not as much as music). I’d like to start my BMus (Majoring in Creative Practice: Popular Music) in Auckland at the start of 2021. Something about me: I was a twice bone marrow donor when I was five years old.

Blake Scanlen is a bass-baritone, conductor, and composer from Tāmaki Makaurau. He currently performs with Voices NZ, NZ Youth Choir, Auckland Chamber Choir, Austellus Vocal Ensemble, and St Matthew’s Voices as well as various solo engagements with local community choirs. Blake is currently the Artistic Director of Neotectonic Vocal Ensemble and teaches Music and English at Westlake Boys High School. He studied composition, conducting, and classical performance voice at The University of Auckland’s School of Music, graduating in 2022.

Dan is based in Palmerston North, and before University, he attended Palmerston North Boys High School and was a member of the school choir ‘The OK Chorale’; this is where his passion for music and singing began. As a chorister, Dan was a member of the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir from 2017-18 and this is his second cycle with NZYC. He explores barbershop singing with internationally recognised  Wellington Chorus Vocal FX. Dan was recently accepted into the wider singing pool of Voices NZ.  He graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from the New Zealand School of Music in 2021. Dan works as a Primary school teacher in the Manawatū region and he is working as an itinerant music teacher in a range of high schools as a brass, strings and singing teacher. He continues performing music in big bands, and community choirs in his spare time.