Jennifer Huckle is currently studying towards a BMus in Classical Voice at Victoria University of Wellington. She previously attended Westlake Girls High School in Auckland, where she was part of the ‘Cantare’ and ‘Choralation’ choirs. As well as being involved in choral singing throughout her life, Jennifer is also interested in performing as an opera singer, and has recently performed in several projects along with students from the New Zealand School of Music.
Kia ora! My name is Mackenzie and I am a baritone, originally from Wellington, who has migrated to Auckland in pursuit of a better climate! My choral singing career was kickstarted when I auditioned for the Wellington College Chorale in 2016 and loved every minute of it. Since then, my passion for singing has snowballed and I picked up as much as I could – musicals, plays, and most recently, a place in the NZ Secondary Students’ Choir 2019-2020 cycle. I am very grateful, and excited, to be able to represent the NZYC for our upcoming cycle!
Miles is originally from Manchester, UK and currently lives in Auckland. He is studying a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice at the University of Auckland after he finished high school at Rangitoto College in 2019. A member of NZ Secondary Students’ Choir in 2019-20, Miles also plays and teaches the trumpet around Auckland’s North Shore.
I am a Palmerston North boy born and bred and music is my life. I play guitar and I sing (obviously). My favourite genre of music is Country/Folk and when I’m not playing, I’m writing music. I’m also doing building and construction with a local business for a job and I love it (but not as much as music). I’d like to start my BMus (Majoring in Creative Practice: Popular Music) in Auckland at the start of 2021. Something about me: I was a twice bone marrow donor when I was five years old.
Blake (he/him) is a bass-baritone, conductor, and composer from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. He studied composition, conducting, and classical performance voice at The University of Auckland’s School of Music, graduating in 2022. In 2023 he is studying to be a secondary school music teacher, also at The University of Auckland, and in 2024 will be working at his old school, Westlake Boys’ High School, as a music teacher. He currently sings with a number of ensembles around Auckland and NZ including the Auckland Chamber Choir, St. Matthew’s Voices, and Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir. He is music director of the Sacred Heart College Junior Choir and the Pohutakawa Singers. In future, he aspires to sing in professional choral and vocal ensembles overseas.
Dan is based in Palmerston North, and before University, he attended Palmerston North Boys High School and was a member of the school choir ‘The OK Chorale’; this is where his passion for music and singing began. As a chorister Dan was a member of the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir from 2017-18 and this is his second cycle with NZYC. He explores barbershop singing with internationally recognised Wellington Chorus Vocal FX. Dan has graduated with a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Jazz Performance on the trombone from the New Zealand School of Music in 2021. He has also worked towards a Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching in Primary and Graduated in 2022. Dan now works as a Primary School teacher in the Manawatū, and he continues playing the trombone with various groups within the Manawatū area.
Hey, I’m Josh, I am currently a first year student studying at Victoria University of Wellington. I am working towards a Bachelor of Science with a particular interest in Marine biology and biodiversity…but we shall see where that goes in the future. I currently live in Napier and I was also born and raised here. Aside from music, my other major hobbies include tropical fish-keeping, and figurine collecting, with a particular taste for dinosaurs at the moment. One of few quirks happens to be the ability to make decent animal impressions, which is always a good laugh.
Desmond is from Auckland. He is currently in his second year of studying an LLB/BMus conjoint majoring in Classical Performance at the University of Auckland under Dr Te Oti Rakena. Prior to NZYC, he was a member of NZSSC 2017 – 2018 and several other choirs and musical ensembles during his time at St Kentigern College.
Xavier is Wellington-based, and is an ex-Tawa college student. He is currently a first year student at the Victoria University of Wellington, studying a BSc/BMus Conjoint in Psychology and Classical Voice. Also a member of the NZ Secondary Students’ Choir, 2019-20. Hobbies include songwriting and learning languages
Takerei is based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and holds a BMus in Classical Performance Voice from the University of Auckland. Takerei is very active in the NZ choral scene as a singer, composer and conductor. They sing in the Auckland Youth Choir, New Zealand Youth Choir, and Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, and regularly perform with choirs and ensembles around the country. Previously, they were a member of the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir’s 2017-2018 cycle.
Alongside this, Takerei is actively involved as a conductor. They have been the Peter Godfrey Conducting Scholar for the New Zealand Youth Choir, and have conducted choirs at Kristin School, St Paul’s College Ponsonby, Auckland Grammar School, and currently Takapuna Grammar School and Epsom Girls Grammar School. Their choir from Auckland Grammar School were invited to perform at the Big Sing National Finale 2022 in Christchurch, where they were awarded Silver.
In 2021, Takerei was awarded the Development Award at the University of Auckland Douglas Lilburn Trust Composition Prize for their work, Ngā Moemoea o te Ata Māhina (Dreams of Moonlight) for SSAA, Handbells and Percussion. They have enjoyed writing various commissions over the years. Their most recent work, E Kiwi E, was premiered by in April of 2024 by Orpheus Choir Wellington, joined by Wellington Brass and Hiwa Performance Creative.
