Arne Herrmann has worked for over 20 years in Arts and Festival Management in New Zealand.

He held senior management positions at New Zealand Festival, Auckland Arts Festival, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, UNITEC School of Performing and Screen Arts and the contemporary dance company The Human Garden. Arne was the Festival Director of the National Jazz Festival and Garden&ArtFest in Tauranga. His work also included the Lexus SongQuest, Michael Hill International Violin Competition, Wellington Jazz Festival and National Youth Jazz Competition.

As freelance consultant Arne’s clients included the New Zealand Opera, Indian Ink Theatre, Te Matatini Kapa Haka Festival and the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival.

Arne Herrmann took up the role as Chief Executive of Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand in May 2016.

DMA, DipRAM, PGDip(Perf), BMus(Hons), LRAM

Dr Morag Atchison is one of New Zealand’s leading sopranos and pedagogues. She studied at the University of Auckland and Royal Academy of Music (London), and was a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier and Royal Over-Seas League competitions. Her operatic roles include Helmwige, Die Walküre (NZSO); Lady-in-waiting, Macbeth; First Lady, Magic Flute (NBR NZ Opera); Fourth Maid, Elektra (APO); Blumenmädchen, Parsifal (NZSO), and Tosca (cover) for NZ Opera. Morag works regularly with all of New Zealand’s major orchestras and choral societies, and has performed as a soloist in Canada, the USA, Italy, The Netherlands, France, Kenya, Seychelles, and throughout the UK. Recent highlights include Britten War Requiem with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Carmina Burana with the Christchurch City Choir, Verdi Requiem with Bach Musica, Pierrot Lunaire for the University of Auckland, and recitals for Chamber Music New Zealand with Catrin Johnsson and Rachel Fuller. Morag is also a member of the national chamber choir, Voices New Zealand.

Morag is a Lecturer in Voice at the University of Auckland, and is a vocal tutor for the highly acclaimed NZ Youth Choir, University of Auckland Chamber Choir, Choralation from Westlake Girls’ and Boys’ High Schools, and is on staff at the NZ Singing School. This year Morag will be presenting lectures at the World Choral Symposium in Barcelona (with Assoc Prof Karen Grylls), and at the International Congress of Voice Teachers in Stockholm.

MMus (Hons), PGDipMus, BMus, DipTchg
David Squire is one of New Zealand’s most prominent conductors, and Music Director of the New Zealand Youth Choir. Founding member and vice-chair of the New Zealand Association of Choral Directors, he is also a national conducting advisor and tutor, and a governance board member of the New Zealand Choral Federation.
David completed his undergraduate study at the University of Auckland, with an emphasis on conducting and composition, later graduating with a Master of Music degree with first class honours in choral conducting. He studied singing with Isabel Cunningham, Glenese Blake and Beatrice Webster, and conducting with Karen Grylls and Juan Matteucci. He has sung with many top choirs inNew Zealand, including the Auckland Dorian Choir,UniversityofAuckland Chamber Choirand the New Zealand Youth Choir. He was also a founding member of Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and the V8 Vocal Ensemble.
David was appointed to the position of Music Director of the New Zealand Youth Choir in 2011, and is the first alumnus conductor of the choir. He has led the choir on two international tours, including the USA and Canada in 2013, which featured performances of the War Requiem by Britten in the Walk Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, as well as concerts in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Boston, New York and Washington DC. In 2016 the choir gave concerts in Singapore, the Czech Republic, France and the UK. Tour highlights included singing high mass at Notre-Dame in Paris, a lunchtime concert at Windsor Castle, and producing a live DVD recording of a well-received concert at St Johns Smith Square in London. The choir also participated in the Festival of Academic Choirs in Pardubice, Czech Republic, winning every category it entered, as well as the prize for outstanding vocal culture, and then going on to win the Grand Prix.
David has taught music in secondary schools for almost 30 years, directing choirs, orchestras and bands, including many groups that have won local, national and international awards. His mixed-voice chamber choir from Rangitoto College, The Fundamentals, won the platinum award at the 2008 NZCF Big Sing Finale in Wellington – the first time a mixed-voice choir achieved this. The Westlake Symphony Orchestra has won a gold award at every KBB Music Festival for more than fifteen years, and also won every award for the best orchestral performance of a New Zealand work for ten of the twelve years it has been presented. In July 2014 the orchestra won first equal prize at the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna, Austria. His girls’ choir from Kristin School, Euphony, was placed third in the open female choir competition at the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales, in July 2013, and then represented New Zealand at the ChoralFest convention in Brisbane in 2017. As a freelance music educator, David teaches in several secondary schools and also takes workshops and professional development courses throughout the country.
David has conducted several local ensembles, including the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and the St Matthews Chamber Orchestra. He was the assistant musical director of the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir, founding musical director of the Auckland Youth Big Band, chairman and administrator of the KBB Music Festival, and a live performance reviewer for Radio NZ Concert. He is often involved in session and recording work, particularly as a conductor, adjudicator, clinician and singer, including a tour with George Benson as backing vocalist in 2010. He was the choral adjudicator and clinician at the Rhapsody Rotorua festival for four consecutive years. He presented workshops at the 2009, 2013 and 2016 Sing Aotearoa Festivals and the 2010 International Summer School of Choral Conducting, where he was a mentor and tutor. In 2011 he directed training workshops for choirs singing the anthems at the Rugby World Cup, and then conducted anthem choirs at seven matches. In 2012 he was a mentor and workshop presenter at the inaugural ACD Choral Connect convention. In March 2017 he was guest conductor of the mixed honour choir at the AMIS festival in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and in July 2017 he directed the choir for Neil Finn’s critically acclaimed album Out of Silence. In February 2018 he was appointed chorusmaster and choral director for the International Schools Choral Music Society, having taken on this role at the annual festival held in Suzhou, China.
In March 2011 he was awarded a New Zealander of the Year Local Heroes Medal for services to music education.

PhD, MM (Choral Conducting), MMus Hons, LRSM, LTCL, Dip Teaching

Dr Karen Grylls CNZM founded Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir in 1998 and the choir has achieved great acclaim internationally in performance and recording. She is Associate Professor in Choral Conducting at the University of Auckland and is Artistic Director of the Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand Trust, the managing body for the NZ Youth Choir and Voices NZ. Dr Grylls was Conductor and Artistic Director of the New Zealand Youth Choir from 1989 to 2011, and Artistic Director of Toronto’s Exultate Chamber Choir from 2011 to 2013.
A graduate of both Otago and Auckland Universities, Karen studied post-graduate Conducting and Music Theory at the University of Washington, Seattle, for four years. In 1985 she returned to NZ to teach at the University of Auckland and take up the directorship of the Auckland Dorian Choir.

As a result of her musical directorship, the New Zealand Youth Choir has enjoyed notable international successes including: the Silver Rosebowl in the “Let the Peoples Sing” radio competition in 1992, “Choir of the World” at the 1999 International Eisteddfod in Llangollen and the “Grand Prix Slovakia” also in 1999.

With equal success Voices New Zealand won first and second placings in the mixed choir section of the Tolosa International Choral Competition in October 1998. With these choirs, she has won further prizes and accolades in Gorizia 2004, and Llangollen and Cantonigros, Spain in 2007.

In 1996 Auckland University honoured her with a Distinguished Teaching Award in Music and in 2023 she became an Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for her services to choral music. She is also the recipient of the KBB Citation from the Composers’ Association of New Zealand and the Lilburn Trust Citation for services to New Zealand music. TOWER Voices CD Spirit of the Land took the 2006 Tui Award for Best Classical Album, and the CD Voice of the Soul was a finalist in the 2013 Vodafone NZ Music awards.

Karen is much in demand as an adjudicator for competitions worldwide, including the 48th International competition in Tolosa, the Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition, Bavaria, and The World Choir Games in Xiamen, China. She is sought internationally as a choral clinician and regularly conducts masterclasses and workshops in Wales, England, North America, Canada and Australia.

Horomona Horo, with extensive experience in overseas performance includes on his list of activities; playing beside the Weimaraer Staatskapelle Orchestra, touring Italy with Canti Maori opera and performing as a guest artist at the Battle of Passchendaele 90th Commemorations in Belgium.  Collaborations with other musicians is an opprtunity that is always welcomed with excitment by Horomona. Mentored by tohunga ( experts) of taonga puoro, Dr Hirini Melbourne and Dr Richard Nunns, Horomona combines natural talent with a drive for excellence while still retaining his humility, someone who can play sweet soulful music and can command a fully attentive audience through faultless use of taonga puoro, lyrics and quick wit.

Warwick Mitchell brings over twenty-five years involvement in choral singing and over twenty years in management of choral organisations including Royal Christchurch Musical Society, Christchurch City Choir and latterly the Auckland Choral Society.  He is a current singing member of Auckland Choral and past Chairman having fulfilled this role for nine years until May 2010.

Business opportunities with the Freightways Group brought Warwick to Auckland in 1993 fulfilling a variety of roles including twenty years as a senior executive specialising in sales and marketing for the Post Haste Limited group of companies.

Warwick accepted an invitation to join the Board of Trustees of Choirs NZ in October 2009 with the intent of sharing his extensive experience in choral administration and marketing.

Michael Stewart is at the forefront of the younger generation of choral conductors in New Zealand, as well as being one of the country’s leading concert organists. In June 2011 he was appointed Organist and Director of Music at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, after previously serving for five years as Director of Music of The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Michael is also the Music Director of The Tudor Consort, and a member of Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir.

Michael was awarded a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours from the University of Canterbury and also held the inaugural John Robert Godley Organ Scholarship at Christchurch Cathedral. He was the recipient of a Dame Malvina Major Arts Excellence Award in 2002, which enabled him to pursue further study at McGill University (Montréal, Canada). He was awarded a McGill Organ Scholarship and graduated with a Master of Music degree majoring in organ performance in 2004. During his time in Montréal, Michael held the position of Assistant Organist to The Church of St Andrew and St Paul, a flourishing downtown Presbyterian church which boasts the finest music programme in the country. He has recorded for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Radio New Zealand – Concert, and has produced two solo organ CDs: Puissant (2001) and Ave maris stella (2007).

Since becoming Music Director of The Tudor Consort in 2007, Michael has continued the standard of choral excellence which this renowned early-music ensemble is noted for. He has broadened the repertoire to include music from the early Tudor composers through to the 20th Century, and has led critically-acclaimed performances of Handel’s Messiah and J S Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. In 2011 Michael led The Tudor Consort in their 25th Anniversary Season, including a performance of Tallis’s Spem in Alium. Following the devastating earthquakes in Christchurch in 2012, he recorded Antoine Brumel’s Missa Et ecce terrae motus (The ‘Earthquake’ Mass) with The Tudor Consort as a fundraiser for Christchurch Cathedral’s music department.

David Hamilton joined Choirs Aotearoa NZ’s Board of Trustees in September 2012. David is an alumnus of NZ Youth Choir and is a teacher and widely performed composer with a particular interest in choral music.

Latafale joined NZ Youth Choir in 2013. 

Latafale attended King’s College in 2010. She won the Vice-Chancellors Top Pacific Scholarship to Auckland, but opted to study a double degree in Law and Music at Otago University, on the Faculty of Law’s Prestigious 5 year Scholarship.

Latafale works as the Music Director for Student Soul in Dunedin and dances with the Otago Dancers.

Alex grew up in Hawke’s Bay after originating from Wellington. He has a keen interest for the arts specifically in theater but with no less passion as he is with his music. 

Alex has been in choirs since primary school being actively apart of them at both primary and secondary school level, with key leadership roles in each. Alex was a member of the Tenor 1 section of the 2011/2012 NZSSC and his love for choral repertoire has grown exponentially since being apart of a choir at national level. Alex hopes the continued opportunities of the NZYC will further develop his passion for singing and performance. 

Alex is currently studying first year Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Information Systems and Management at Victoria University in Wellington and hopes to find work in business IT alongside his passion for theater.

Emma Billings has worked for Choirs Aotearoa NZ since April 2005, both in her current role as Operations Manager and previously as the Choir Administrator. 

Emma came to the choirs after spending three years working for the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow, Scotland, and previously for Arts Access Aotearoa and the Museum of Wellington City and Sea.

She has always been interested in arts management and completed a BA in Art History and BCA in Marketing at Victoria University of Wellington.