Performance
The fast-growing performance department encompasses:
• voice (opera)
• piano
• strings
• woodwind
• brass
• harp and percussion
• organ
• early instruments
Performance is led by Edith Salzmann (cello), Jan Tawroszewicz (violin), and Dame Malvina Major (voice). Professor Michael Endres will take up the position of Head of Piano Studies from July 2009.
In the Performance department it is the performance itself (live or recorded), which represents the research output. In the process of preparation for a concert a performer uses many research methods such as collection of information, analysis of scores, consultation with colleagues and composers, and of books, and the development of technical, philosophical, aesthetic and interpretive expertise.
The School of Music continues to have strengths in voice, piano and string performance with staff who have high international profiles.
Vocal performance is led by Dame Malvina Major, Vernon Midgley, Elric Hooper (stagecraft) and Wilma Laryn (Italian language.)
Dame Malvina Major’s international concerts include a BBC Concert broadcast in London, an outdoor concert at the Pyramids in Egypt with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, and a charity concert for Dame Vera Lynn in London and who has recorded under the Kiwi Pacific label, and performed over 30 opera roles in original languages.
She has extensive concert, oratorio and recital repertoires. These include The Verdi Requiem, Mahler’s Symphonies No. 4 and 8, The Creation, Bach’s St Mathew Passion, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and Missa Solemnis, The Messiah, The Mozart Requiem, and C Minor Mass, Songs of the Auvergne, Bach’s Christmas oratorio, The Liverpool Oratorio, (Sir Paul McCartney) Mendelssohn’s 2nd Symphony, Te Deum, and Elijah.
She has performed with the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland and Western and the Australian Symphony Orchestras, and has toured Australia extensively sung for the Australian Broadcasting Commission. As Cultural Ambassador she has performed at New Zealand Embassies in Washington, Paris, London, The Hague, and Brussels. She has performed for both the summer and winter Salzburg festivals at the Cervantino Festival in Guanajuato, Mexico and South America giving recitals and performances in Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Peru.
Vernon Midgley has been a regular guest singer internationally and has sung with Dame Malvina Major both here and abroad. His repertoire includes eight languages. He has recorded for most of the major recording companies. He was honoured on a number of occasions to sing for various members of the Royal Family and was personally chosen by the Queen Mother to appear in the Royal Gala Concert celebrating her 85th birthday.
Piano performance will be led by Professor Michael Endres from July 2009. He is currently Professor of Piano at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Esler", Berlin. Apart from specialising in Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann and Ravel, he possesses a broad repertoire including seldom played composers like Leopold Godowsky, Gabriel Faure, Arnold Bax, Charles Ives and Eduard Tubin. He has performed in Europe, America, the Far East, South America and New Zealand, played festivals in America and Europe, won prestigious awards and has a discography of 25 CDs.
The winner of the 2007 National Concerto Competition is Chen (Tony) Lin, a second year student who played Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 2 with the Christchurch Symphony
String performance is led by Edith Salzmann (violoncello), Jan Tawroszewicz (violin) and Stephen Larsen (violin).
Edith Salzmann’s main focus has been chamber music. In 1993 she founded the highly successful Corda Quartet which has performed concerts and been recorded in Germany, Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Poland, Czech, France, England, Canada, Australia and Thailand. In addition to the standard repertoire the quartet has concentrated on previously unknown 20th-century German works.
As a soloist, she premiered the Cello Concerto of Gabriel Iranyi with the Orchestra of Frankfurt in the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, has toured with the Oslo New Music Ensemble and played recitals at the European New Music Festival in Germany and the Festival Luigi Boccherini in Capannori, Italy. In 1999 she assumed Artistic Directorship of the Musiktage Merzig, a festival of chamber music and masterclasses which takes place in Saar-Lor-Lux, a region of Germany at the border of France and Luxembourg. In recent years she founded and directed the annual Villa Musica Festivals in Canterbury.
Jan Tawroszewicz was concertmaster and soloist with the Polish Chamber Orchestra under Jerzy Madsymiuk and became a member of the famous Warsaw Piano Quintet. He has also been leader of the Polish String Quartet. He has made appearances in most of the major musical centres in the Soviet Union, the United States, Canada, Australia, West Germany, France, Austria, Mexico, Rumania, Britain, Japan, Italy and Switzerland.
Stephen Larsen’s fascination with violin pedagogy, has led to intensive study of the subject and a busy teaching schedule; currently teaching violin and chamber music at the University of Canterbury as well as the Pettman Junior Academy of Music and the Specialist Music Programme at Burnside High School. His students have enjoyed success in numerous competitions, including winning the National Concerto Competition, the Rotorua Competitions and the New Zealand Secondary Schools Chamber Music Contest. They have gone on to work and study all over the world. In 2003 he became one of the founders of the Queenstown Violin Summer School, something which has now become an integral part of the New Zealand music scene. He has regularly been invited to give lessons, masterclasses and talks on violin playing and teaching throughout New Zealand.
Woodwind performance is led by Gretchen Dunsmore (clarinet, bass clarinet Eb clarinet), Anthony Ferner (flute and piccolo) and Selena Orwin (bassoon)
Gretchen Dunsmore is a founding member of 175 East, an Auckland based contemporary music ensemble which performs regularly throughout New Zealand and regularly premiere's new works.. 175 East were recently awarded a Citation for services to New Zealand Music the Composers Association of New Zealand. Gretchen is a recording artist for Concert FM and is an Associate Artist for Chamber Music New Zealand and has featured on a number of CD recordings.
Anthony Ferner was a member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and established a reputation as a teacher, soloist and conductor both sides of the Tasman. He has lived in Milan and given recitals in Italy, Germany and England. He was appointed Senior Fellow at the School of music in 2004 and also received the 2004 Vernon Griffiths Award for Musical Leadership. He is an AMEB examiner and has adjudicated flute competitions in both in Australia and New Zealand. In 2002 he was Artistic Director of the 6th National New Zealand Flute Convention held in Christchurch for which he received an Honorary Life Membership of the New Zealand Flute Society at the recent 7th National 2004 New Zealand Flute Convention in Auckland. In August 2003, supported by Creative New Zealand, he was invited to perform at the USA National Flute Convention held in Las Vegas. Early in 2005 a professional development trip took him to England and Europe where he observed teaching methods London, Manchester and Berlin while attending orchestral performances. In September and October he exchanged with professor of flute Laura Barron at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff Arizona where he taught and performed and also gave a recital and master class at the State University of Arizona in Phoenix.
Selena Orwin completed a Masters degree with distinction in performance at Canterbury University. Selena took up an Associated Board Scholarship for post-graduate study at the Royal Academy of Music in London and gained two diplomas there, and had the opportunity to study with bassoonists from leading orchestras and with top conductors. Before her departure she was awarded many prizes and scholarships including the Alex Lindsay Memorial awarded by the NZSO. Since returning to New Zealand she has continued to pursue an active professional career as Principal bassoonist in the Christchurch Symphony, a chamber musician and teacher. In March she was awarded an honorary diploma by the Royal Academy of Music, awarded to past students who have achieved distinction in the profession.
Brass performance is led by Iaan Wilson (trumpet), David Cox (French Horn) and David Gallaher (cornet and tenor horn).
Iaan Wilson who has recorded with every major orchestra in London and toured Australia, Japan, China and Europe has also made many early music recordings including the world premiere of the Vivaldi double Trumpet concerto on Natural Trumpets plus concerts and recordings with the world famous Phillip Jones Brass ensemble.
David Cox is been principal horn of the Christchurch Symphony. He plays on occasion with Auckland Philharmonia, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and in the NZ International Festival of the Arts and has recorded for Concert FM.
Dave Gallaher is conductor of the Woolston Brass and in 2006 was awarded Champion A Grade conductor at the New Zealand National Brass Band Championships
Percussion and harp performance is led by Mark La Roche (percussion) and Helen Webby (harp)
Mark La Roche is Principal Timpanist for the Christchurch Symphony. Mark has also played Percussion and Timpani for Auckland Philharmonia, New Zealand Chamber Orchestra and percussion with 175 East and the New Zealand Actors Company and the Aradia Baroque Orchestra.
Helen Webby has appeared as Acting Principal Harp with the NZSO, and in 2000 returned to New Zealand as Principal Harp with the Christchurch Symphony. Her subsequent concerto appearances, solo recitals and chamber recitals have been warmly acclaimed by critics. This year Helen is on secondment again to the NZSO as Acting Principal Harp. Helen has also maintained a great interest in the celtic harp, winning a prize at the 1990 International Carolan Harp Competition (Ireland), and recently collaborating with Scottish guitarist Davy Stuart to record the CD The Peacock’s Dance: celtic music for harp and guitar. 2004 took Helen to Australia to perform as a main international guest at the National Folk Festival in Canberra.
Organ performance is led by Martin Setchell
Martin Setchell is curator of the Christchurch Town Hall Rieger pipe organ. His concert tours have taken him to Australia, America, Hong Kong and Europe. He has published compositions and arrangements for organ and voices and is an accompanist and continuo player on harpsichord.
Historical performance is led by Edith Salzmann (baroque cello), Wolfgang Kraemer (recorders) and Jonathan Le Cocq (lute and theorbo) who are the nucleus of the ensemble Il Raccolto.