2009 Accompanists

SARAH WATKINS

Sarah Watkins has enjoyed an impressive career as chamber musician, collaborative partner and recording artist, touring widely throughout Japan, England and the US with some of America’s leading instrumentalists. A graduate of the University of Canterbury, she holds both Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in collaborative piano from the Juilliard School in New York City. Resident in the US for fourteen years, Sarah has been a staff pianist at Juilliard, Yale University and the Aspen Music Festival. Among academic highlights was her work as coordinator of the collaborative piano program at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, and several years tenure on the music faculty of Purchase College, New York.

Along with Justine Cormack, violin and Ashley Brown, cello, Sarah formed NZTrio, which has been Ensemble in Residence at The University of Auckland since 2004. At the School of Music she teaches piano, collaborative piano and chamber music. In addition, Sarah has been an official pianist for the Michael Hill International Violin Competition since its inception in 2001, has performed as a freelance player in both the New Zealand Symphony and Auckland Philharmonia Orchestras, and has appeared as concerto soloist with St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra and the APO.

ROSEMARY BARNES

was for 25 years one of London’s most sought-after accompanists and vocal coaches. When she left New Zealand at eighteen to study piano with Franz Reizenstein at the Royal Academy of Music, she had already appeared as soloist on radio and television and with the Alex Lindsay String Orchestra. In the UK, she developed a career as collaborative artist alongside her coaching work in opera, appearing with many leading British artists on BBC Radio 3, Granada TV, at the Wigmore Hall and throughout the UK. On the music staff of English National Opera from 1980-88, Rosemary also taught pianists and singers at the Royal College of Music. Assistant Conductor on over a dozen Opera Rara recordings in the 1980’s, she worked freelance for Opera Northern Ireland, Musica nel Chiostro in Italy, BBCTV and Glyndebourne Touring Opera. Her recording work includes three CDs for the Continuum label.

Returning in 1993 to become director of the Postgraduate Opera Diploma at the University of Auckland, Rosemary continued her busy concert schedule. She has appeared in recital in New Zealand with singers Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Donald McIntyre, Dame Malvina Major, Sally Burgess, Angela Brown, Simon O’Neill, Helen Medlyn, Patricia Wright, Grant Dickson & David Griffiths, and in New Caledonia with renowned French male alto, Robert Expert. Instrumentalists with whom she has collaborated include Chuan Yun Li, Emil Chudnovsky & Miwako Abe (violin), Robert Aitken, Paul Edmund-Davies, Leone Buyse & Elena Duran (flute) and Murray Khouri (clarinet). Additionally, she gives many recitals every year with emerging young performers. She is a voice and chamber music coach at the universities of Auckland and Waikato, and coaches NBR NZ Opera’s Emerging Artists. Rosemary was awarded an MNZM for services to music in the 2000 Queens Birthday Honours.

BRUCE GREENFIELD

is one of New Zealand's finest accompanists and vocal coaches. During his sixteen years on the staff of the Massey Conservatorium of Music he taught many young musicians who are now the new generation of performers: Eugene Alvulescu, Katherine Austin, Michael Willliams, and Paul Whelan.

He was Artistic Administrator of Wellington City Opera for the years 1996-1999 and is currently Head Repetiteur and coach for the NBR New Zealand Opera.

He continues to work as coach and accompanist to leading N.Z. singers such as Dame Malvina Major, Barry Mora, Sir Donald Maclntyre, Christopher Doig, Margaret Medlyn, Richard Greager, Rodney Macann, Jenny Wollerman, Jonathan Lemalu, Aivale Cole, and Paul Whelan. As accompanist at masterclasses he has worked with visiting artists such as Dame Sarah Walker, Sir Donald Maclntyre, Tom Krause, Luciano Pavarotti, Grace Bumbry and most recently Siegfried Jerusalem.