About Sally
I am a singer, singing teacher, choral soloist, musical director, vocal coach, adjudicator and mentor.
I have taught singing for 35 years, to people aged from eight to 80, individuals and groups, and with a wide range of abilities.
At my studio close to Mairangi Bay Village, Auckland, I offer a welcoming, relaxed space where singers can discover the full range and colour of their voice.
Background
From 1985 to 1987 I studied with vocal coach David Harper in London, where I was a member of the Mayer-Lismann Opera Workshop. In Milan I studied with Maestro Vincenzo Manno.
My operatic roles include Papagena (Mecklenburgh Festival Opera, London) and Second Lady (Wellington City Opera) in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. I was a solo performer in three New Zealand works: Lifelines and Flect-Re-flect (Circa Two, Wellington) and Lagoon (Wellington Fringe Festival). I performed the role of Ayah in the Ascot Group production of The Secret Garden.
Other performances include the title role in Iolanthe; Tessa in The Gondoliers; Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, with North Shore Music Theatre; and Bastien in Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne for Auckland Boutique Opera. View Gallery...
I have also worked as a backing singer for ads, documentaries and New Zealand short films.
As a singing tutor at Toi Whakaari, New Zealand Drama School (2000-2005) I highlighted the importance of building a sound technique which enables the singer to sing with naturalness and freedom. I also gave the actors the tools to convey meaning through the sung text, as they were learning to do with spoken text.
Formerly a councillor for NEWZATS (New Zealand Association of Teachers of Singing), I contribute to the association’s journal and have co-organised three NEWZATS conferences. To stay up to date with teaching methods, I attend conferences in New Zealand and overseas.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Music in Singing Performance (Victoria University of Wellington)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Music Teaching (Distinction) (New Zealand School of Music)
- Estill Voice Training, Levels 1 and 2
- LRSM (Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music)
- LTCL (Licentiate of Trinity College London).
Grants
- Creative New Zealand award for study in London
- Blair Trust (Otago) grant to assist London studies
- Rivendell Trust grant (London)
