This is Katia, a soprano which is currently based in Wellington. She attends Wellington East Girls College and is very musically involved there. She sings in multiple choirs and aside from singing also plays the oboe and piano. Her other interests include tramping and dancing. This is her first time in NZSSC and is the youngest member in the choir.
Benjamin Madden is a proudly born-and-bred Dunedin tenor trained by Pat Scally-Richardson and Judy Bellingham. Since finishing vocal study at the University of Otago, Benjamin has been working as a freelance singer, a choral director and private singing tutor in Dunedin. Ben currently teaches singing and directs choirs for Otago Boys’ High School and Otago Girls’ High School, and teaches instruments (guitar, drums, keyboard and singing) at Abbotsford Primary School and Mornington Primary School. Benjamin has enjoyed the opportunity to work with the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir as a conducting intern, guest vocal tutor and now as Vocal Consultant. Benjamin is an alumni of the NZSSC, the New Zealand Youth Choir, and a current member of Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir. Benjamin works with the New Zealand Choral Federation as a mentor for primary school singing leaders as part of their ‘Singing Matters’ programme. Benjamin was delighted to work with City Choir Dunedin in a vocal coach capacity in 2020. Outside of singing and teaching music Benjamin is an avid endurance athlete and rock climber, enjoying running distances up to and beyond the marathon.
See our feature on Amelia’s exciting career since her time with NZSSC.
See our feature on Chris and his role in one of the world’s most internationally renown choirs, The Kings Singers.
Brent Stewart is currently Orpheus Choir Wellington’s Music Director, Orchestra Wellington’s Principal Percussionist, and NZSSC’s Assistant Director. On the side, Brent also serves as NZSO’s director of filming. Brent was HoD Music at Wellington East Girls’ College from 2010-2019 and Music Director of the Hutt Valley Orchestra from 2007-2017. Coming up, Brent will be conducting Benee’s New Zealand tour with the NZSO and Auckland Philharmonia, plus the NZ Synthony tour with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington and APO. Brent is also conducting Red! with New Zealand Opera in August and preparing for a French programme with the St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra in September. Also on the calendar to conduct this year is Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater and Bach’s B Minor Mass with Orchestra Wellington and Orpheus Choir Wellington.
Anna graduated from the University of Otago in November 2003, with a first class honours degree in music. In 2006 she graduated from the Benjamin Britten International Opera School at the Royal College of Music, London, and won the Queen Elizabeth Rosebowl, which was presented by HRH Prince Charles in 2007.
New Zealand-born conductor Tecwyn Evans studied composition and conducting at the University of Otago under Associate Professor Jack Speirs. A Fulbright Scholarship enabled him to continue his studies at the University of Lawrence, Kansas under Brian Priestman and Simon Carrington. Sir Andrew Davis appointed him Chorus Master at Glyndebourne Festival Opera making his operatic debut conducting La Bohème on the Glyndebourne tour. After Tecwyn was a finalist in the 2005 Leeds’ Conducting Competition he has had successful relationships with the BBC Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and the BBC Singers alongside varied orchestral, choral, and operatic work across 10 countries. From 2009-2011 Tecwyn was Erste Kapellmeister und Stellvertreter des Chef Dirigenten at Grazer Oper, and was appointed Director of Music for Danish National Opera in 2018. He has appeared at the BBC Proms, at the Musikverein in Vienna, and worked alongside artists such as Anthony Marwood, Paul Watkins, Bryn Terfel, Nicola Bennedetti, Chloë Hanslip and Steven Isserlis and given world premieres by Sir John Tavener, Anthony Ritchie and Ross Harris among others. In New Zealand Tecwyn has appeared with all the major orchestras and arts organisations.
