BAND and CHOIRS

Walter was born into a musical family and it was only natural that at seven years of age he began learning the Trumpet. Walter has Manawatu roots but grew up in the Bay of Plenty, settling in Hamilton with his wife and three children. His wife and son are also established brass musicians and members of Hamilton City Brass, and as per family tradition, his two younger daughters will likely follow suit. 

Walter has been a valued member of many brass and concert bands across all grades including national representative bands, but considers Hamilton City Brass his home band and is the band’s  Principal Cornet. Walter is a versatile musician having played in the Soprano and Euphonium seats for several years before returning to Cornet after the height of Covid times. By day Walter specialises in civil engineering with a local professional services consultancy.

Emmanuel is a Samoan tenor from Flaxmere, Hastings. He first sang in church and family prayer before joining and learning about Classical Performance in the Project Prima Volta youth initiative.

Emmanuel has accumulated many competition successes and awards including the Sydney Eisteddfod Aria Competition, the IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition in 2023, the Lockwood New Zealand Aria Competition in 2022 and the Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Award for Potential at the Lexus Song Quest 2022. 

Emmanuel has performed with the likes of NZOpera as Tupaia in Tim Finn’s Tahitian opera “Ihitai Avei’a” (2022), and as Malcolm in their production of Macbeth (2022). He has performed with Wellington Opera as Arturo in their production of “Lucia di Lammermoor” (2023) and as Gastone in La Traviata (2022) , with Festival Opera as Tamino in “Die Zauberflöte”, and has sung with Opera Australia Orchestra, Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Manukau Symphony Orchestra.

Based in the Waikato, Elaine has established a reputation throughout New Zealand, as an outstanding lyric coloratura soprano with a voice of great beauty and consistency.  She studied with Mona Ross, and then Dame Malvina Major, as an emerging artist with New Zealand Opera in 2003. Elaine has gone on to appear as a soloist with NBR New Zealand Opera, Opera Waikato, Garden Opera, Opera Unleashed, Opera Du Jour, Opus Chamber Orchestra, Christchurch City Choir, Christchurch Symphony, Auckland Philharmonic, Cantando, Trust Waikato Symphony Orchestra, Hamilton Civic Choir,  the Renaissance singers, Tauranga Civic Choir, and the Bay of Islands singers.  She has performed often alongside Dame Malvina Major, in her capacity as a committee member of the Dame Malvina Major Foundation. Elaine was honoured to sing on “This is your life Dame Malvina Major”, and also at the launch of the Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation in 2004. Most recently, Elaine performed with Opera Brava, a boutique opera group performing throughout the Waikato, and providing one of the sellout performances of the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival year after year.

Showcasing her versatility, Elaine has completed three New Zealand/Australian tours with the world’s preeminent ‘Queen’ tribute band, performing the duet ‘Barcelona’ to rave reviews, and has recorded several original songs for the CD “Te Takoha/ReGenesis” by Hamilton composer Marian Mare, which, as well as concert performances with APO, have received play on National radio/Concert FM.