Our scholars
We are delighted to continue to grow the number of younger singers in the choir — it’s great to have such a broad age range represented. As part of our plan to encourage student musicians, the Board continues to award Orpheus Choral Scholarships on the recommendation of the Music Director.
What I have gained from singing with Orpheus is almost without measure. it has been a wonderful experience getting to do the big works and the classics that you would never get to do otherwise, as well as getting to understand more of the work required to put these things together. Technically, I have also grown hugely in my sight-reading, in creating different vocal colours and generally improving my musicianship and sensitivity to music. it is overall a delight to be immersed in the classical world and to have such a grounding in a variety of works and composers that I would’ve missed had this not become part of my life.The comradery and uttermost joy of singing with a brilliant group of people are also second to none and the exhilaration of thunderous applause (hopefully!) from audiences that truly love what we do is just fabulous.Joe Haddow BMus (Orpheus Scholar 2015-2019 | Lexus song quest finalist 2018)
2024 Scholars
Charle Rainey (2023, 2024)
Charle is currently studying a BA BMus conjoint degree at Victoria University, majoring in History and Voice Performance. Charle started singing in school choirs at the age of 7, later joining the Nelson Cathedral Choir, and Chroma Chamber Choir during his intermediate and college years, where his voice developed from treble to bass. During his last two years at College, Charle joined the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir (2021-2022). It was in this choir he started to take choral singing more seriously and began thinking about studying singing after school. Charle is now lucky enough to sing with the New Zealand Youth Choir. Charle joined Orpheus in 2023, wanting to sing the interesting and fantastic repertoire that the choir offered and hoping to expand his choral CV. Enjoying being directed under Brent Stewart, Charle hopes to continue singing with Orpheus Choir for years to come, and plans to use the Scholarship to help continue develop his singing career.
Ishbel Eade (2024)
Ishbel is in her final year at the New Zealand School of Music completing her Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice Performance. She is originally from Hamilton and is thoroughly enjoying her studies. Taking the time to perform with a choir again is something she is very excited about as it has been 3 years since her participation in her high school competitive choir. As well as loving the opera scene Ishbel is also a musical theatre fanatic and loves to teach piano, voice and tenor drum in a pipe band. She also likes to compete as regularly as she can including the Hamilton Competitions in the Norah Howell event, Wellington competitions and the Rotorua Aria competitions. Ishbel is very excited for what the future holds when it comes to her performing and being involved with the Orpheus Choir is a fantastic step towards that.
Baxter Ferguson (2024)
As a kid singing in a small school choir, I never imagined that I would be joining one of the biggest and best choirs in New Zealand. To receive a scholarship from them is a true honour and an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. Singing with the choir is such a privilege. I sit with and meet new people every week and the voices I get to hear are astonishing. The amount of talent in this choir blows me away and to be led by a choir leader whose ears can pick up on the smallest detail is such a pleasure.
Helen Oliver (2019-2022, 2024)
Helen has been singing for most of her life and was previously a member of the Orpheus Choir of Wellington from 2019 to 2022, taking a break in 2023 to pursue musical theatre. She is also a member of the Wellington Youth Choir and will be guest conducting a piece in the upcoming concert. At school she was part of the Tawa College Blue Notes as well as the Maiden Tawa barbershop chorus, several quartets across her time there, the Dawn Chorus, and Early Birds. She went on to direct Early Birds in 2018, winning an Adjudicator’s Choice Award and Best Student Directed Choir at the Big Sing Festival. Helen is currently studying a Master’s of Classical Studies at Victoria University and spends her spare time painting and performing musical theatre. She is honoured to be awarded an Orpheus Scholarship and looks forward to potential solo opportunities.
Samuel Brown (2024)
Samuel Brown is a postgraduate student working towards a Master of Health Psychology at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington following the conclusion of his Bachelor of Health (in Psychology and Health Psychology) in 2023. Although he has a passion for mental health promotion and psychology, music has been a key facet of his life since a young age, learning piano and violin, and singing in choirs since primary school. Although it has been a while since he sung in a choir (Sam was in the 2017-18 cohort of the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir), Sam is enthralled to (once again) be under the tutelage of Brent Stewart as a member of the Orpheus Choir, which has rekindled his passion for choral singing.
Charlotte Secker (2024)
From Tawa, Wellington, Charlotte Secker is in her second year of classical voice performance at Te Kōkī, New Zealand School of Music, studying under Margaret Medlyn. Charlotte has a passion for the stage, from dancing, choral singing and musical theatre to now opera, she is looking forward to sharing her music with the world. Getting her start in singing at the wonderful Tawa College music department Charlotte gained a spark for classical repertoire and choral works from all over the globe. She has competed in Wellington Senior Vocal competitions throughout her studies and has been a part of many singing groups locally. This journey has brought some wonderful experiences performing in some of New Zealand’s great venues and Charlotte is excited to be one of the Orpheus Scholars for 2024 and can’t wait to share her music with you. Past Orpheus Scholars
A-D
Berkahn, Sam (2019)
Bostock, Isabella (2021)
Broughan, Katrine (2015, 16)
Burchill, Caroline (2021)
Burns, Ellie (2021, 22)
Callaghan, Lizzie (2016, 19)
Carino, Beatrix (2016, 17, 18*)
Cartmell, Eliza (2023)
Chu, Trini (2023)
Clothier, Stephen (2015-17)
Cole, Marcel (2019)
Daly, James (2021)
Dick, Jeffrey (2019)
Doudney, Isabel (2017-21)
E-H
Ellis Wood, Milla (2021, 22)
France, Lucy (2018)
Gandionco, Alex (2015, 16)
Haddow, Joe (2015-19)
I-L
Kempthorne, Philip (2021)
Liley, Peter (2017)
M-P
Makwana, Priya (2015*)
Mander, Alice (2019)
Marshall, Olivia (2015)
McIndoe, Katherine (2015)
Mileham, Sarah (2021)
Moore, Francesca (2016-18)
Munan, Laura (2021)
Orchard, Pasquale (2015-18)
Parker, Ruby (2019)
Paton, Rebecca Gilbert (2017)
O-T
Oliver, Helen (2019-22)
Oliver, Philip (2017-23)
Reason, Ben (2015)
Reid, Anastasia (2021)
Pearson, Izzy (2021)
Sim, Henry (2016-19)
Shannahan, Paddy (2021)
Stewart, Angus (2021, 22)
Summers, Lizzie (2019)
Shangarpawar, Tanaya (2018)
Thanawala, Karishma (2015-17)
U-Z
Wang, Kassandra (2019)
Woodhouse Appleby, Alexandra (2016-18)
Wratt, Cynthia (2018)
Yourakova, Dani (2018)
* Scholarship not completed