The latest
Thursday 5 September 2024
Dr Karen Grylls announces new role and bids adieu
Celebrated choir director announced that 2024 will be her final year as Artistic Director for CANZ
Celebrated New Zealand choir director Dr Karen Grylls CNZM has announced that 2024 will be her final year as Artistic Director for Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand (CANZ) – the body that manages the country’s four national choirs – as she signals a shift to a new role as Artistic Director Emerita.
READ MORETuesday 6 June 2023
CANZ ARTISTIC DIRECTOR DR KAREN GRYLLS HONOURED
Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Choral Music
We are thrilled to announce that Dr Karen Grylls, the esteemed Artistic Director of Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand, has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for her exceptional contributions to the world of choral music.
READ MOREThursday 18 November 2021
CLOSED: JOB RE-ADVERTISED: Manager NZSSC (closes 19 Jan)
If you like variety, travel, and working in small teams for something utterly beautiful, read on!
READ MOREThursday 27 May 2021
A shout out to our Artistic Team
This one is a shout out to our amazing Artistic Team – between them they have accumulated over 30 years of involvement with NZYC as singers and staff.
READ MORETuesday 25 May 2021
OPPORTUNITY: New Trustees Sought
Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand Foundation – new members sought
READ MOREMonday 19 April 2021
South Island Tour – Greymouth, Westport, Christchurch!
After a whirlwind Northland tour including performances in Whangārei, Waitangi, and a recording for the BBC, the New Zealand Youth Choir is heading south!
READ MORETuesday 14 July 2020
OPPORTUNITY: New trustees sought
Got governance skills and passionate about our choirs?
Choirs Aotearoa NZ (CANZ) continues to thrive and we are looking for new Trustees with specific skills.
READ MORETuesday 26 May 2020
Kia ora to our new choir!
Hello from the other side! Kia ora whānau Hoping this newsletter find you all safe and well, and for those in NZ that Level 2 has brought a chance to return to some normality. Here at Choirs NZ we worked from home throughout lockdown to keep the fires burning. In this newsletter we’re farewelling our 2017-2019 […]
READ MOREThursday 19 March 2020
A message from Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand
Kia ora friends of our national choirs,
READ MOREWednesday 6 November 2019
JOB OPPORTUNITY: Manager, NZYC and Voices NZ
Wellington based
If you like variety, travel, and working in small teams for something utterly beautiful, read on!
READ MORESunday 21 July 2019
Same sounds, different ears: The universal joy of classical music
by Anna Knox
Orchestral music performance is an art form, but how do you engage with something you’ve never experienced before? Samiyah Alghamdi and Anna Knox attend NYO Celebrates in Wellington and unpack what they hear.
READ MOREMonday 8 July 2019
Classical review: NYO Celebrates
The coming together of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra and the New Zealand Youth Choir was a just celebration of our country’s finest young musicians – a fitting culmination of a century’s nurturing, marking the orchestra’s 60th anniversary and the choir’s 40th.
READ MORETuesday 29 January 2019
NZ Youth Choir selected for World Symposium on Choral Music
Picked from the best in the world.
The New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) has been selected to perform at the next World Symposium on Choral Music.
An international Artistic Committee picked NZYC from a record number of 179 choir entries from 44 countries vying for one of the 24 spots at the symposium.
READ MORETuesday 15 January 2019
New era for national choirs
New Zealand’s Three National Choirs Come Together
It’s been talked about for a long time and now finally, New Zealand’s three national choirs, Voices New Zealand, NZ Youth Choir and New Zealand Secondary Students Choir (NZSSC), are to merge under one governing body. NZSSC, the prestigious national choir for 14-18 year olds, is joining Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand, the arts trust that promotes vocal excellence and already governs the other two national choirs.
READ MORESunday 9 September 2018
Excellent choral concert from three young Wellington choirs and the New Zealand Youth Choir
By Lindis Taylor
READ MORESunday 2 September 2018
Fine Tune September 2018
Just one week until Triple C – a Capital Singfest!
READ MOREWednesday 15 August 2018
Sing with NZYC – first national academy next January
Sing and train alongside all three national choirs
For the first time choristers will have the chance to join a national academy of choral singing.
READ MORETuesday 10 July 2018
Job opportunity: Music Director for New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir
This is an exciting opportunity for proven choir directors to lead the iconic New Zealand Secondary Student’s Choir. Established in 1986 NZSSC is a national ensemble working with 14-18 year old singers for a two-year long cycle that traditionally finishes with an international tour.
If you are experienced at working with young people, and passionate about a diverse choral repertoire including waiata from Aotearoa and the Pacific, we would love to hear from you.
NZSSC is about choral excellence and developing leadership capabilities and is a real champion of choral music in Aotearoa New Zealand.
READ MOREFriday 23 March 2018
A dream come true
VOICES has a chance to go onto this dream European tour and we hope you can help us make this dream come true.
READ MOREMonday 5 March 2018
Sharing eggs boiled in a thermal pool
Last February, the New Zealand Youth Choir toured to Rotorua and Auckland, stopping at the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival in between. They gave concerts and did workshops with high school students and also prison inmates – a very touching experience for all.
READ MOREThursday 15 February 2018
Review by Hanno Fairburn for the Daily Post, Rotorua of the New Zealand Youth Choir
Rotorua was fortunate to have such a renowned choir, here for workshops and concerts.
READ MOREMonday 13 November 2017
Infratil continues NZYC sponsorship
Infratil has committed to extend its sponsorship of the New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) to 2021.
READ MOREFriday 29 September 2017
RIP Peter Godfrey
Regarded as the godfather of choral music in New Zealand, Prof. Peter Godfrey passed away last night, but his legacy to choral music in NZ will live on.
READ MOREWednesday 30 August 2017
New VOICES CD released: Requiem for the Fallen
A ‘stunningly impressive’ performance of Ross Harris’s WWI commemoration piece has resulted in a new CD, featuring VOICES NZ, Horomona Hero and the New Zealand String Quartet conducted by Karen Grylls.
READ MOREFriday 24 March 2017
Three brothers write history in new New Zealand Youth Choir
For the first time in New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) history, three Auckland brothers – Benjamin (Tenor), Benedict (Bass) and Benett Tan (Tenor) – have all made it into the new NZYC.
READ MORETuesday 21 February 2017
First concert series for VOICES announced
New Zealand’s premier professional choir, Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir is releasing its first ever concert series subscription offering four different concert programmes in five centres around the country this year
READ MOREWednesday 7 December 2016
New artistic staff for national choirs
Dr Karen Grylls has been re-appointed as Artistic Director for Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir (VOICES) and The New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) while newcomer and Wellingtonian Michael Stewart was appointed as NZYC’s new Deputy Music Director.
READ MOREWednesday 6 July 2016
NZYC wins Grand Prix in Europe
The New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) won the hearts of audiences and the judges at the 24th annual International Festival of Academic Choirs in Pardubice, Czech Republic
READ MORETuesday 28 June 2016
NZYC sells out in Singapore
New Zealand Youth Choir’s concert at Singapore’s Victoria Concert Hall has SOLD OUT.
READ MORETuesday 17 May 2016
New Chief Executive for Choirs
Andrea Gray, Chair of Choirs Aotearoa NZ Trust, announces the new Chief Executive.
READ MORESunday 27 March 2016
Middle C – Sounds and Sweet Airs: Songs of Shakespeare Review
Middle C Review
READ MOREFriday 8 January 2016
Choirs Aotearoa advertising for Chief Executive
Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand is advertising for a Chief Executive.
READ MOREFriday 8 January 2016
NZYC 2016 European Landmark Tour
In June the NZ Youth Choir heads to Europe for its 2016 European Landmark Tour to the Czech Republic, France and England.
READ MOREWednesday 30 September 2015
Sir David Willcocks
The world’s choral community is sad to hear of the death of Sir David Willcocks at the age of 95. Sir David paid regular visits to New Zealand and Australia giving concerts with the NZSO and orchestras of the ABC and was associated with many of this country’s choirs
READ MOREWednesday 9 September 2015
Peter Godfrey: Father of New Zealand Choral Music
The book draws on conversations with Peter himself, colleagues, friends and pupils throughout his life. Support the publication of an exciting new title from Mākaro Press.
READ MOREMonday 8 June 2015
Choirs Aotearoa appoints new Chair
Andrea Gray has worked in the public and private sector in roles including knowledge and information management, introduction of web services to support business service delivery and relationship management.
READ MOREFriday 15 May 2015
War Music; NZSO and Sydney Symphony Orchestra in moving ANZAC concert of new works
“the choral element … it had an impact that was moving and awakened a real emotional response.”
READ MOREWednesday 29 April 2015
Concert Review: Spirit of Anzac
Last Thursday’s Spirit of Anzac concert came with Trans-Tasman connections, being played by Sydney Symphony Orchestra a day before the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra delivered it to us.
READ MOREFriday 24 April 2015
Anzac symphony is powerful without a hint of triteness
This is the third time the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has marked the importance of Anzac Day with a concert and, thankfully, on the 100th anniversary of Gallipoli, a sizeable audience was in attendance. And they were very well rewarded, as this concert was centred on two new works – one New Zealand, one Australian – of real quality and power.
READ MOREWednesday 25 March 2015
Choristers revel in celebration of light
In a nutshell, as the Festival brochure put it, Ata Reira promised an evening of award-winning choirs, majestic voices and Te Reo Maori in song.
READ MOREWednesday 25 March 2015
Auckland Arts Festival review: A Child of our time, Auckland Town Hall
In festival’s homegrown highlight, orchestra and voices give rich offering of oratorio’s message of peace.
READ MOREWednesday 25 March 2015
Peter Hoar: APO Child of Our Time review
Peter reviews the Auckland Festival production of Tippet’s Child of Our Time performed by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Voices NZ and the NZ Youth Choir
READ MOREWednesday 25 March 2015
Auckland Arts Festival review: A Child of our time, Auckland Town Hall
In festival’s homegrown highlight, orchestra and voices give rich offering of oratorio’s message of peace.
READ MORESunday 22 March 2015
Choristers revel in celebration of light
In a nutshell, as the Festival brochure put it, Ata Reira promised an evening of award-winning choirs, majestic voices and Te Reo Maori in song. Both separately and together, Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and the New Zealand Youth Choir delivered all this in a choral celebration of light … and much more.
READ MORESunday 22 March 2015
NZ Youth Choir and the Rolling Stones
NZ Youth Choir with the Rolling Stones at Mt Smart Stadium, Saturday, 22 November.
READ MORETuesday 3 March 2015
NZ Festival Review. Sounds and Sweet Airs: Songs of Shakespare
Dominion Post Review
READ MORESunday 1 March 2015
Reviews of NZ Youth Choir with the Rolling Stones
“A grand ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ came enhanced by the New Zealand Youth Choir (ancient anthems a speciality clearly).” – The New Zealand Herald
READ MORESunday 1 February 2015
NZYC Principal Sponsor – Infratil
NZ Youth Choir’s Principal Sponsor, Infratil, is extending its sponsorship.
READ MOREFriday 23 January 2015
Sol3 Mio talk NZYC with the BBC
Sol3 Mio talk about to the BBC on their history with the NZYC
READ MOREWednesday 8 October 2014
Texts of Programme Items – Dunedin and Christchurch Concerts
Texts of Programme for Dunedin and Christchurch Concerts
READ MORESunday 1 December 2013
Kilometre Barometer reaches New York!
Kilometre Barometer reaches New York! Thank you for your donations
READ MORESaturday 30 November 2013
Start Spreading the News
NZ Youth Choir Tour of the USA and Canada 2013
READ MORETuesday 26 February 2013
New Zealand Youth Choir Ready for 2013
New members of 2013 NZ Youth Choir announced
READ MORETuesday 18 December 2012
New Zealand Youth Choir national auditions.
Music Director, David Squire has been searching the country for new NZYC members.
READ MOREFriday 29 June 2012
Infratil are New Zealand Youth Choir’s new Principal Sponsor
Media Release announcing Infratil as NZ Youth Choir’s new Principal Sponsor
READ MOREMonday 14 March 2011
Karen Grylls hands on the baton
World-Renowned Choral Director Hands on Baton
READ MOREFine Tune July 2018
No fewer than 6 NZYC Alumni are participating in this year’s Lexus Song Quest! The NZ Secondary Students Choir is performing this weekend in Auckland before they leave on their tour to Hong Kong and Shanghai. Also, an interview with NZYC tenor Peter Liley.
READ MOREFine Tune Jan/Feb 2018
NZYC in Rotorua, Hamilton and Auckland while Voices records soundtrack for music drama Flowing Water
READ MOREFine Tune November 2017
2017 was an amazing year. We have big plans for 2018 – can you help us get to Invercargill?
READ MOREFine Tune September 2017
VOICES presents The Unusual Silence – WWI wasn’t primarily a musical
READ MOREFine Tune July 2017
VOICES launches new website – check out the new logo!
READ MOREFine Tune April 2017
NZYC Live at ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington.
READ MOREFine Tune February 2017
Latest news from our choirs – Voices launches first concert series.
READ MOREFine Tune September 2016
Check out the latest news in the September edition of Fine Tune.
READ MOREFine Tune June 2016
Check out the latest news from Choirs Aotearoa in the June 2016 edition of Fine Tune
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Fine Tune Special Edition May 2016
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November 2011 edition of The Sharp Edge.
READ MOREFine Tune March 2018
VOICES NZ celebrates 20 years by singing with The King’s Singers in Wellington and Auckland. NZYC’s tour in February was a resounding success
READ MOREFine Tune December 2017
Read more about our upcoming events for 2018 – the LOVE VOICES package is now available!
READ MOREFine Tune October 2017
VOICES welcomes spring with a programme of sumptuous French music – touring NZ
READ MOREFine Tune August 2017
VOICES launches a new CD – Requiem for the Fallen.
READ MOREFine Tune June 2017
NZYC – from Wellington to Waiheke – and a video of one of their ANZAC Day performances.
READ MOREFine Tune March 2017
Meet the new choirs!
READ MOREFine Tune December 2016
Fine Tune December 2016
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Check out the latest news from Choirs Aotearoa in the July 2016 edition of Fine Tune
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The Sharp Edge May 2016
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Read the Fine Tune Special Edition, April 2016 here.
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READ MOREOPPORTUNITY: Arts Marketer – Parental Leave Cover
Join the team behind our national choirs!
READ MOREOur Te Ao Māori Journey
CANZ seeks to protect and honour the national taonga of Te Ao Māori both when we perform with our national choirs and in our day to day operations. We aim to: – increase our usage of Te Reo Māori in our daily operations, publications and concerts – publish an Interculturalism Policy – develop and enhance […]
READ MOREFiona Wilson announced as CANZ Assistant Conductor
Meet our newest addition to the CANZ family!
READ MOREMeet our CANZ composer in residence!
Meet Fergus – the 2024 Composer in Residence at Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand! Originally from Taupō, Fergus Byett moved to Hamilton in 2019 to study Classical Performance (Piano) at the University of Waikato. With the support of a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship, he completed his undergraduate studies under Katherine Austin, and in 2023 he completed […]
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