Herbert Zielinski started singing aged 8 years as a founding member of Wellington
Young Voices, before joining Onslow College choirs. He was accepted into the 2021-
2022 NZSSC as the tenor section leader while under Linden Loader’s tuition. Herbert is an amateur pianist, and holds a certificate in choral conducting from NZCF’s Young
Conductor Training Programme. During Herbert’s gap year, he joined the Tudor
Consort, Wellington Youth Choir as the tenor section leader, and the WYC committee as a fundraiser. Currently, he is studying his third year of a BSc in Biotechnology at Victoria University of Wellington, alongside a Classical Performance minor in voice under Barbara Paterson. Herbert’s soloist programme is focused on early music, which is advanced by him singing with the Queen’s Closet specialist group.

Nick is from Dunedin and is currently studying Education with a minor in Music at the University of Otago. Nick was apart of the NZYC 2023-25 that won choir of the world and the NZSSC 2021-22 that won children’s choir of the world. In his spare time Nick is a member of the Otago Capping Sextet and a Choral scholar of St Paul’s Cathedral in Dunedin.

Cameron (he/him) is a baritone, violinist, and PhD Candidate in Transportation Engineering based in Ōtautahi Christchurch. He is a member of multiple local groups including the Christchurch Youth Choir, Christchurch Symphonic Chorus, and CBS Orchestra. For the last three years he has performed annually in the Wednesday at One concert series featuring solo violin, his barbershop quartet The Canty Boys, and string quartet. He was part of the New Zealand Choral Federation’s Young Conductor Training programme, directed the choirs at College House from 2020 to 2024, and has conducted the City Mission Singers in their last two Carol Services. In 2023 and 2024 he was awarded a Tohu Kahurangi (Blues Award) by the University of Canterbury for his achievements in music.

William is a mechatronics engineering student at the University of Canterbury. His passion for music stems from a career as a boy soprano, singing solo on the soundtrack for ‘Orphans and Kingdoms’, as well as with the APO and RNZ Navy Band. William is also a French horn player, and a national award winning composer.

Charle Rainey is a bass from Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. He is currently studying a Bachelors degree of Music at Te Kōkī, majoring in Classical Voice Performance. Charle first started singing in choirs from a young age, and was lucky enough to join the New Zealand Secondary Student’s Choir in 2021 where he discovered his passion for choral singing. He then progressed to NZYC in 2023, helping contribute to the choir’s world success in 2025.

Charle also sings with Orpheus Choir Wellington under Brent Stewart, and St Paul’s Cathedral Choir directed by Michael Stewart. He also enjoys singing in opera choruses, performing with Wellington Opera and New Zealand Opera. He aspires to be a professional opera singer, looking to head to Europe in the coming years.

Big Thomas Whaley fan <3

Originally from Pōneke, Marama moved to Tāmaki Makaurau to study Medicine which she graduated from in 2024. Her love of singing started in high school at Tawa College, and has only grown since. Now she continues work as a Junior Doctor at Middlemore Hospital but still loves to sing, this will be her second cycle with NZYC.