Music Staff
Christina Hahm – Head of Music
Post Graduate Diploma Teaching and Learning in Secondary Music, BMus
James Ioelu – Head of Performing Arts
Graduate Diploma in Secondary School Teaching, Masters in Performance Music, Bachelor of Arts
Itinerant teachers
Anita Austin
Anita is a freelance French Horn performer and brass teacher. She was awarded a Masters in Music Studies (French horn) with The Griffith Award for Academic Excellence from the Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane and also has a Bachelor of Music (with Honours) from The University of Auckland. She was also awarded an Auckland University Summer Research Scholarship that looked at teaching brass to 5-7 year olds via age-appropriate pedagogies.
Anita divides her time between teaching and a busy performing calendar. Alongside teaching at Epsom Girls Grammar School, Diocesan School for Girls, St Peter’s College, Auckland Grammar School, Orewa College and a private studio, she has also composed and published a book of 60 duets for French horn or trumpet entitled Duets from Aotearoa.
She is the current Principal horn of Bach Musica (Auckland) and Opus Orchestra (Waikato) as well as other project based orchestras and has worked with orchestras such as Auckland Philharmonia, Dunedin Symphony, Hawkes Bay and Festival Opera Orchestras. Previously, she has been principal horn of the Auckland Youth Orchestra, NZSO National Youth Orchestra and The University of Auckland Symphony Orchestra.
Anita also performs solo recitals around rest homes, retirement villages and public venues throughout New Zealand. As a soloist, she has performed Strauss Horn Concerto No.1 with Devonport Chamber Orchestra and Mozart Horn Concerto No.4 with Northland Sinfonia.
Ruth Brinkman, BMus (Performance), Dip Teaching
Ruth studied performance music at the University of Auckland, and was a member of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra for 35 years. She taught bassoon at the University of Auckland for 20 years.
Ruth has taught secondary students, both privately and in schools, for most of her professional career, with many students going on to study music at at tertiary level themselves.
Mark Close
Mark has obtained degrees in Music (BMus in Performance), Politics (BA Hons) and Town Planning (Master of Planning Practice). He held the position of sub-principal trombone with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra from 1995-2018.
Mark was a founding member of BonaNZa trombone quartet and Aucktet (an Auckland-based trombone octet) and regularly assists various amateur music groups in Auckland.
In addition, Mark has for over 30 years taught a range of brass instruments at many Auckland schools and has been Music Director of Kumeu Brass, Auckland City Brass, Takapuna Youth Brass and Acting MD of the RNZAF Base Auckland Band.
Thomas Friggens
Thomas began his drumming journey with a strong rudimental foundation in Scottish snare drumming tradition during his school years, which led him to further studies at Wellington NZSM Jazz Program.
Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz performance, Thomas secured a role, and toured for 5 years as an integral member of world renowned ensemble Strike Percussion.
In more recent years, Thomas has collaborated with other artistic disciplines such as a duet with expert bounce juggler Zane Jarvie, and accompanying one of New Zealand’s finest young poets, Freya Daly Sadgrove.
In 2023, Thomas received funding through Sounz to record 6 original pieces of music which were released in June 2024 as an EP titled ‘Quartet Contra’. Alongside, running his own projects, Thomas brings his unique musicality and hard working ethic to a plethora of groups across New Zealand including Rock band Sea Mouse, Balkan music group Bazurka, Psyc-rock group Makeshift Parachutes, and Indian fusion ensemble Shades of Shakti.
Alison Jepson
Alison is a graduate of the Royal College of Music, London where she studied with Terence MacDonagh and Sidney Sutcliffe.
She is principal oboist of the Auckland Chamber Orchestra as well as a freelance oboist, playing with many orchestras including the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Bach Musica, Pipers Sinfonia and the Handel Consort. She is also a member of Trio Fleuve, a flute, oboe and piano trio.
Alison teaches students of all ages, from beginners to diploma level, and her students regularly excel in examinations and competitions. She is co-founder and President of the New Zealand Double Reed Society and the co-organiser of the Ruapehu International Oboe Summer Schools.
Bryan Lin
Bryan completed his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, followed by receiving First Class Honours in Violin Performance from the University of Auckland.
On top of his full time private and school teaching, Bryan plays in many orchestras and chamber groups, performing around Northland. He is also the Auckland District Contest Organiser for the CMNZ Chamber Contest and works part time in the Auckland Philharmonia.
Bryan is the itinerant teacher for the violin and viola students.
Christine Mori
Christine won a scholarship to study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and graduated with a Degree in Music Performance. She then joined the Australian Broadcasting National Training Orchestra on a scholarship for two years.
Christine worked in Sydney as a freelance musician, mainly with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, but also in private practice, teaching at Newington College and Sydney Boys’ High School. She then taught at the Canberra School of Music before taking up a similar position at the Sydney Conservatorium for four years.
On returning to New Zealand, Christine took up the position of Principal Flute with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, a position she held for 20 years, appearing as a soloist, tutoring at the Orchestra’s summer music school and the NZ Secondary Schools’ Orchestra, and acting as a mentor for secondary school students.
Christine was a member of the Auckland Wind Quintet while playing with the APO. She has also taught at the Auckland School of Education and was a member of the Bach Musica Orchestra for many years. She has tutored many chamber music groups, orchestra and band sectionals, and has also a large private teaching practice as well as at secondary schools.
Josh Montgomerie
Josh was appointed as Director of the Auckland Grammar School Pipe Band Director in 2022, and is the Itinerant music teacher of bagpipes.
Born and bred in Auckland, Josh started learning the bagpipes at age 11 with the Pipes and Drums of St Kentigern College. He currently leads the Papakura Pipe Band, and with 25 years piping experience, Josh’s bagpiping journey has taken him all over the world.
Outside of pipe bands, Josh works as an ICT Professional and enjoys playing golf, low and slow barbecuing, and spending time with his family.
Vigdis Relph, FTCL (Performance/Piano and Cello), LTCL (Teacher’s Dip/Piano and Cello), M. Musicology, B. Musicology (Hons)
Vigdis is a graduate and postgraduate of the University of South Africa.
Her postgraduate work was undertaken in Switzerland, London and the UNISA for her thesis The Synthesis of Eastern European Style Folk Music and Western Art Music in selected works of Bela Bartok from 1930-1940.
Vigdis played in the SABC Orchestra and has trained and conducted various choirs in South Africa. She also sang Contralto in the SABC Choir and A-Capella in the Chanticlear Singers.
With more than 30 years’ experience as a tutor of cello, double bass, piano, theory musicianship and musical direction of large and small ensembles, Vigdis has trained and conducted orchestras and chamber groups in New Zealand, as well as choirs in South Africa.
Glen Rodgers, Advanced Certificate Drumming RSPBA
Glen’s achievements include being a former NZ Solo Drumming Champion, and winner of the NZ Pipe Band Championships in Grade 1. He stands on the RNZPBA National Judging Panel, and is a RZNZPBA College examiner.
Glen is a regular member of the teacher facility at the National Pipe Band Summer School and Drumming Principal of the Auckland Piping and Drumming Academy.
He also adjudicated the Australian National Solo Drumming Championships in Melbourne, and in 2016, he won the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships as a guest player with Wellington based Red Hackle Pipe Band. The international publication “Modern Drummer’ recently named him as one of the best drum teachers in the world.
Glen is a passionate teacher of young people and several of his students have been chosen as members of the RNZPBA Youth Pipe Band, and the National Youth Orchestra. He keeps a busy timetable as a self-employed drummer/itinerant drumming teacher specializing in Scottish Pipe Band Drumming and Drum Set.
Andrew Uren
Andrew is a keen educator of music and promoter of the bass clarinet and New Zealand music. He was a founding member of New Zealand’s contemporary ensemble 175 East, performing over 200 pieces of which 50 were written for the group.
In 2009, the Composers Association of New Zealand (CANZ) awarded Andrew a Citation for Outstanding Services to New Zealand Music. In 2012, Andrew released New Zealand’s first bass clarinet album titled Steep Steps (Atoll label) to critical acclaim.
Andrew has performed with all major New Zealand orchestras, Netherlands Chamber Ensemble and Rotterdam Philharmonic. He has performed in many professional musicals most recently touring around Australasia with Cats and Matilda.
His teachers include Peter Scholes (clarinet), Harry Sparnaay (bass clarinet) and Jim Langabeer (saxophone). Andrew has adjudicated many competitions including the NZ Woodwind Competition and the NZ Community Trust Schools Chamber Music Contest.
Tim Wayne-Wright
Tim was a member of the Grammy-winning a cappella vocal ensemble, The King’s Singers, for 10 years. He was fortunate enough to tour the world, singing in over 1,500 concerts in some of the world’s greatest venues.
Tim has taught over 500 masterclasses and workshops, imparting chamber music skills and techniques to choirs and instrumentalists across the globe. Since leaving The King’s Singers in 2018, he continues to thrive as part of the choral scene internationally.
Tim was the Artistic Director of CHORALSPACE’s Berlin Winter Festival 2021 and Summer Festival 2022. He manages an exciting roster of artists and holds consultancy roles with vocal ensembles in Canada and Australia.
Tim loves the opportunity to adjudicate choral competitions and to coach choirs of all sizes, taking great pleasure from working with musicians of all ages and ability. He is the founder of The A Cappella Academy and enjoys travelling globally to spend time with singers, helping them to master the craft of performance.
In March 2021, he emigrated to New Zealand with his Kiwi wife and two children. Tim is absolutely thrilled to now call Aotearoa home, and delighted to be collaborating with so many wonderful performers across the country.