Community Engagement

The Festival’s professional musicians will deliver free-of-charge workshops, professional development, teacher training for and with the local community.  Full information can be found here.

The Whakatipu Music Festival showcases local musicians in its mainstage line-up, thus highlighting and celebrating the talents and broad genre abilities in the community.

In partnership with SOUNZ, the Festival has commissioned Kiwi composer, Lucy Mulgan, to create a work that is orchestrated specifically for the diverse ability range of the Festival’s community of artists (eg easy, medium and hard – individual parts for high, medium and low instruments with a SATB vocal element).  This work is now available to share so that all interested musicians can prepare their part and participate in the Kia Kōpuni celebration Festival Finale with an en masse rehearsal and performance. More information available here.

Dale Gold Sandbox Quartet

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Dale Gold Sandbox Quartet

Some of the finest players in the South Island, with an eclectic mixture of experiences, from The Blue Door to the Royal Albert Hall; heavy metal to ballet; Top Ten disco hits, blues, country music, EDM  and party bands, we hope to mix these influences with a good dose of funk to keep all those toes tapping.

Dedicated to the idea that jazz should be pointing to the future rather than the past, we hope to bring you some music that you are more likely to find in a secret club in New York or Stockholm than in a small town in New Zealand.  Spontaneity is our goal and we hope that the performance is Not like the rehearsal. While we will try to take the most dangerous path whenever possible, we hope appeal to listeners who have been a bit afraid of jazz, as well the devotees who will be counting the 11/8 bars along with us.

Vocal Soloists

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Vocal Soloists

Emma Gardner, Violet Hirst and Tallulah Penitito

Although not a starting point for many young singers anymore, the benefit of studying the classical form is all about discipline and technique.  The singers featured are all studying with Margaret O’Hanlon, who formed The Singers Workshop in 1995.  A firm believer in the benefits of tone and control gained from learning classical songs, Margaret insists that classical songs should always be performed in their original language. The singers featured are all beginners to classical music.

Piano Students of Kinga Krupa Music

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Piano Students of Kinga Krupa Music

Classical piano students who study with Kinga Krupa share their music with the local community on a regular basis through concerts, shows and other events. 

Turn up the Music Concert Band

Queenstown Music School

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Turn up the Music Concert Band

Queenstown Music School

Turn up the Music is the Queenstown Music School. WIth a mix of woodwind, brass and percussion, they present the Concert Band – Turn up the Wind. Led by Iraja Max and with members from local primary schools, this is a lively mix of musical styles from across the globe.

Footloose Showcase

Wakatipu High School

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Footloose Showcase

Wakatipu High School

Welcome to the preview of Wakatipu High School’s Footloose production. While the actual performances are postponed until Term 3, the cast has been working hard to get the show together this term . With over 80 students involved in all facets of the production from lighting and sound through to band, choreography, costume, makeup and more, this is a total performing arts experience.

Aspiring Chamber Ensemble

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Aspiring Chamber Ensemble

ACE (Aspiring Chamber Ensemble) consists of five Central Otago Musicians (flute, violin, viola, cello and piano) mostly based in Wanaka. They combine their talents to perform a number of duo, trio and quartet chamber works primarily based around the piano.

Local Singer/Songwriters

Billie Carey & Matilda Metcalfe

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Local Singer/Songwriters

Billie Carey & Matilda Metcalfe

Billie Carey is singer/songwriter from Wakatipu High School, who has been writing and composing from the age of 7. She won first place in the 2021 Youthtown competition, received the David Richwhite lyric award in the same competition and has been a finalist in the Lion Foundation songwriting competition. Her style is indie-pop, drawing inspiration from artists such as Taylor Swift, Howard Shore, Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen. Over the last two years Billie has been building her experience in recording studios, producing her own music, and preparing for a career in film scoring.

 

Matilda Metcalfe was a 2021 Play it Strange National Finalist and has spent the last few months refining songs for her debut EP release. Matilda draws inspiration from New Zealand artists such as Kimbra and enjoys collaborating with students and musicians in the Wanaka community.

WASABI

The Japanese Choir

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WASABI

The Japanese Choir

The Japanese Community Choir was formed in 2017.  There are about 600 members of the Japanese community living in Queenstown and some of the members of Wasabi have been part of our community for over 30 years. You may see some familiar faces! Practices are held at each others’ houses and tea, baking & lots of chatting are prerequisites. They also have a ukulele group, and often incorporate the Sanshin, a 3-stringed traditional instrument from Japan’s southern tropical islands of Okinawa. 

 

The choir sings Japanese songs and the members strive to teach their children about their Japanese heritage.

The Singers Workshop Academy

Arranged by Margaret O’Hanlon

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The Singers Workshop Academy

Arranged by Margaret O’Hanlon

The Singers Workshop Academy is a newly developed 2-3 year programme developed for students who wish to excel at singing.  This year we tackle Leonard Bernstein’s classic West Side Story which is achieving new recognition with Speilberg’s remake for the big screen.  

Margaret O’Hanlon has been teaching the young people of Queenstown for over 30 years. 

WORKSHOPS

3:30 – 4:30pm | ABA Church

Turn Up The Music Trust Concert Band Workshop with Bridget Douglas. Bridget Douglas is principal flute of the NZ Symphony Orchestra and knows a thing or two about rehearsing and performing in a large ensemble.

Open to students of TUMT Concert band and any music teacher that wants to learn more about conducting and running large ensemble rehearsals. Register here.

4:00 – 6:00pm | Queenstown Memorial Centre

Open Violin Class with Robin Wilson. Robin Wilson makes a rare trip back to New Zealand from Melbourne where he is the head of violin at the prestigious Australian National Academy of Music.

For upper string students and their teacher.  In an intimate and informal setting, attendees are given the opportunity to engage, participate and/or observe the session, as they gain experience and knowledge from a world class musician.

Bring your instrument along. Register here

5:00 – 6:00pm | David Reid Show Home 

David Reid Homes – Experience the New

David Reid Homes invites you to visit their Show Home in Hanley’s Farm. 40 Jack Hanley Drive, Hanley’s Farm. 

Enjoy hearing from Whakatipu Music Festival Young Artists as you take a look around and gain inspiration for your future. Register here.

For more information visit David Reid Homes.

7:00 – 9:00pm | Coronation Hall, Bannockburn

Central Otago Regional Orchestra coaching sessions. Principal players of the NZSO, flautist Bridget Douglas and cellist Andrew Joyce work with CORO ensembles. 

For members of CORO.

Primary School Visits | St Josephs, Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau, Queenstown Primary School, Liger Leadership Academy

Festival Young Artists go back to school!  Sharing their music with local primary students and their teachers.

4:00 – 6:00pm | Queenstown Memorial Centre Foyer

Open woodwind class with Bridget Douglas. Bridget is the NZSO’s principal flautist as well as a sought-after teacher and coach. 

In an intimate and informal setting, attendees are given the opportunity to engage, participate and/or observe the session, as they gain experience and knowledge from a world class musician.

Bring your instrument along. Register here.

4:00 – 6:00pm | Queenstown Memorial Centre Stage

Open piano class with Stephen De Pledge. Stephen is one of New Zealand’s popular and highly-regarded piano soloists and pedagogues. He’s also a dad and loves working with kids.

In an intimate and informal setting, attendees are given the opportunity to engage, participate and/or observe the session, as they gain experience and knowledge from a world class musician.

Register here.

7:00 – 9:00pm | Queenstown Memorial Centre

Piano Masterclass with Stephen De Pledge. Stephen maintains a large teaching studio at the University of Auckland where he is faculty as well as teaching several of New Zealand’s young artists.

Stephen will be coaching three festival young artist pianists in an open lesson which can be attended by music teachers and students that want to observe a ‘master’ at work.

Register here.

Secondary Schools Visits | Wakatipu High School, Mt Aspiring College and Dunstan High School

Creators Ruby Solly and Lucy Mulgan talk about writing music; Sopranos Madeleine Pierard and Clare Hood are legitimate divas recently back in NZ from living and working in London; Jazz bassist Phil Boniface works with secondary students interested in jazz.

Taonga Puoro artist Ariana Takao introduces students to Māori instruments.

10:30am | Hotel St Moritz

Public Talk – Understanding Taonga Pūoro

Hotel St Moritz,  1/10 Brunswick Street

Tararua members, Alistair Fraser, and Ariana Tikao discuss the origins of taonga puoro specific to the Central Otago region.

$26 Breakfast special at Hotel St Moritz for guests of the Festival. Register here.

1:30 – 2:30pm |  Starkwhite Gallery

Public Talk – Magic At The Edges

Starkwhite Gallery, 1-7 Earl Street

Magic At the Edges – “Creativity does not happen inside people’s heads, but in the interaction between a person’s thoughts and a sociocultural context,” affirmed Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his 1996 book Creativity: The Psychology of Discovery and Invention. This talk by director Kelly Carmichael and a gallery artist looks at the nature of the creative process in all its twisting, turning, turbulent glory across mediums, times, and cultures.

Register here.