Orpheus Choir

Wellington

New Zealand’s premier symphonic choir

NZ’s premier symphonic choir

Thrilling audiences for seven decades

Tena Koe Welcome!

We’re often referred to as “the mighty Orpheus” because we bring the big choir experience — dramatic, spectacular, and emotionally charged performances of stunning choral music — to a wide variety of events. These include not just our own sell-out subscription series concerts but also festivals and pop concerts — think NZ’s biggest backing group. Our concerts are often recorded by Radio New Zealand.

Formed in 1947, our varied and sometimes surprising repertoire includes everything from the most loved works like Messiah and all the great Requiem Masses to forgotten or less known masterpieces such as Vaughan Williams spectacular Sea Symphony and James MacMillan’s emotionally devastating Seven Last Words from the Cross to Māori Waiata and Dave Dobbyn.

We are custodians of some of the greatest music ever written and we love to make it come alive for contemporary audiences of all ages and stages.

Upcoming events

29 April 2023: Bach Mass in B Minor

Guest appearances

Some dates for your calendar

Self-presented concerts

After an emotional and moving presentation of the beautiful and ever popular A German Requiem by Brahms, the first of our Singet! German Season, we will finally be setting our sights on the second concert in the series in the new year. Bach’s incredible Mass in B Minor is now scheduled for April 2023. We are very excited about performing the Mass after three COVID-related postponements. It is a work on an epic scale with five soloists, orchestra and a double choir in some movements. For more information and to buy tickets, go to Our Concerts Page.

We will be announcing our full 2023 concert programme later in the year.

Guest appearances

We’re excited to be joining Orchestra Wellington for their season finale in December for a performance of Robert Schumann’s Scenes from Goethe’s “Faust” billed as one of the most astonishing works of the 19th century. Its mammoth proportions are mirrored by the forces required for performance, including two choirs, and nine soloists!

Saturday 3 December (7.30pm)

Michael Fowler Centre

Ihitai’avei’a Star Navigator

As if that weren’t enough, we round out the year joining NZ Opera and Orchestra Wellington for two performances of Tim Finn’s haunting opera on 9 and 11 December at Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua.

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What the critics say

Percussion-driven Carmina Burana with the Orpheus Choir a triumph — a feeling of being immersed in an oceanic surge from all concerned of total and utter commitment to the music.

…I thought the chorus work among the best I’d ever heard in a “live” Messiah performance

Peter Mechen, Middle C

A packed Cathedral was here treated to a concert of variety and solid achievement…. the choir sang beautifully, and the halo effect of the Cathedral’s acoustics suited it ideally.