Musical Directors: Who’s Who!
We are very pleased to announce that Jono Palmer will be joining us as Musical Director, and Peter Liley as Assistant Conductor, for the 2023/2024 season!
Jono Palmer is a dynamic, versatile, and enterprising conductor from Auckland, New Zealand. He teaches conducting and music theory at the University of Auckland, where he also directs the Auckland Chamber Choir, University Symphony Orchestra, Auckland University Student Choir, and the university concert band, UniBand. He also directs Taharoto Orchestra as part of the Instrumental Academy at Westlake Girls High School.
Ensembles under his direction have won national and international acclaim, including two Gold Medals at the 2015 Grand Prix of Nations in Magdeburg, Germany, and many awards at regional and national festivals of the NZCF Big Sing festival. As a conductor, Jono has been selected for masterclasses at the 2017 World Symposium of Choral Music and the 2017 National Collegiate Choral Organization National Conference. In October 2018, he was a finalist in the inaugural London International Choral Conducting Competition.
Jono has earned a MM in Choral Conducting from Indiana University, a BMus(hons) in Performance Voice, and a BA in Ancient History from the University of Auckland. He is a doctoral candidate in Choral Conducting at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where he is currently writing his doctoral thesis.
Peter Liley is a saxophonist, composer, programmer, and music teacher based in Pōneke Wellington in Aotearoa New Zealand.
He loves repeating patterns, texture, soundscapes, electronic music, smiling, experimental theatre, abstract art, and spreading a love of music to future generations.
Diary Dates
We would like to invite you, your family, whanau and friends, to the two concerts at the end of the intensive.
- Winter event 10-14 July 2023 (four nights), in Auckland.
- The first concert, on Thursday 13th July is at Peter Snell Youth Village, 1212 Whangaparaoa Road, Gulf Harbour, Auckland 0930. https://www.onebigadventure.org.nz/peter-snell/
- The second concert, on Friday 14th July is a Matariki celebration at the Devonport Wharf, Devonport. This is a joint concert with the Auckland Youth Symphonic Band.
- Summer event 16-20th January 2024 (four nights), in Wellington.
- The first concert, on Friday 19th January is at Wellington College, 15 Dufferin Street, Mount Victoria, Wellington 6011. https://thebigidea.nz/events/40426
- The second, on Saturday 20th January is at Te Papa Museum of New Zealand, 55 Cable Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011.