During the Term 2 holidays, several Westlake musicians were busy in various national ensembles.
Year 11 student Afia Naushad is a clarinetist in the 2026 New Zealand Youth Symphonic Winds. The ensemble gathered in the capital for their winter intensive course that ran from Monday – Sunday. After rehearsing all week, NZYSW performed two public concerts at Wellington College and the newly re-opened city library. Members of the Royal NZ Airforce Band came in to mentor the young musicians over the week and helped improve the instrument technique and ensemble skills overall.
Michelle Hendra and Vydella Tamihana are members of the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir from 2025-2026. Their term 2 holidays were spent touring internationally to Asia. After a farewell concert in Auckland’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, NZSSC travelled to Hong Kong where they featured as one of the guest choirs at the World Choir Festival. After 9 days of performances and collaborations, they flew to Singapore to participate in the Voices of the World International Choir Festival. The choir shone with their repertoire of traditional choral canon, Māori and Pasifika songs which delighted international clinicians, delegates and visiting choirs. NZSSC will finish their 2 year cycle with a final performance at the National Big Sing Finale in Christchurch at the end of August.
Fleur Perez, Miriam Hong and Isabella Howard are 2026 members of the Aotearoa Choral Academy. Co-directed by our own Head of Faculty, Mrs Fiona Wilson, this national ensemble met for the first time last holidays and spent a week at Willow Park Camp in East Auckland. ACA singers come from all over New Zealand to develop their vocal and choral skills and make new friends. After 5 days of rehearsing and learning, ACA performed a concert in Howick to friends and family.
