Dr Karen Grylls is one of Aotearoa’s most respected choral conductors and educators, shaping the sound of our national choirs for over three decades. As the founder of Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and Artistic Director of the Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand Trust, she has led ensembles to international acclaim through performance and recording, winning the 2006 Tui Classical Album award. In 2023, she was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to choral music.

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This Easter, Karen joins the Whakatipu Music Festival at Te Atamira thanks to Choirs Aotearoa. She will lead the Rejoice! Community Choir and facilitate the Singing in an Ensemble Workshop, inviting singers of all levels to experience the power of collective voice.

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Where did you grow up and what drew you to music?

My young life took me to schools in Eketāhuna, Clive, Hokitika and Nightcaps (my father worked in the Post Office). Music was in my blood. All my family sang; my English grandmother was an opera singer, and my mother was my first piano teacher. We always stood around the piano and sang. Music was a part of our lives.

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Where did your passion for working in choirs and large singing groups come from?

I have always loved music and as a young person growing up in small town New Zealand there wasn’t always a choir available to join. I learned the piano and did lots of music theory. Choirs just happened to me at University!

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What are you most excited about working with a community choir in Queenstown?

I lived in Queenstown when I was a student at Otago University, so I’m thrilled to be back in Tāhuna, a much-transformed resort town now. I love sharing what singing can bring to the community and to individuals; having fun, exploring community and learning something on the way! We need basses, by the way…

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Can you share with us one of your proudest moments as an artist and educator?

My proud moments are when I see choirs and conductors engaging with the artistry, even when there’s not enough rehearsal time and not everyone has turned up!

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What is a piece of advice you would share with budding singers and performers?

Be really excellent at an instrument and do the mahi needed for a musical life. Music is very greedy and needs everything we can give and more if we are to succeed. Listen to mentors and be a lifelong learner.

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Anything else you are looking forward to at the Whakatipu Music festival?

I am really looking forward to meeting all the artists and performers in what will be a wonderful week!

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