2010 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. In 2002 Sarah formed NZTrio with violinist Justine Cormack and cellist Ashley Brown, a group which has since become one of New Zealand’s leading music ensembles. 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 the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Auckland Chamber Orchestra, and has appeared as concerto soloist with St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra and the APO.
Sarah is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York City, where she earned both Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in collaborative piano. Resident in the US for fourteen years, Sarah was 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. During the period 2004-2009 NZTrio was ensemble in residence at the University of Auckland, where Sarah also taught collaborative piano and chamber music. |
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 ROSEMARY BARNES
Rosemary Barnes was one of London’s most sought-after accompanists and vocal coaches for 25 years. When she left New Zealand at eighteen to study piano with Franz Reizenstein at the Royal Academy of Music, she had already appeared on radio & TV, and as concerto soloist with the Alex Lindsay String Orchestra. In London, she developed a career as collaborative artist alongside her voice coaching studio, 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 as founding director of the DipPerfArts(Opera) at the University of Auckland, Rosemary continued her busy concert schedule. She has partnered all our leading singers including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Donald McIntyre, Dame Malvina Major, Simon O’Neill, Helen Medlyn, Margaret Medlyn & Patricia Wright. International artists she has partnered include violinists Chuan Yun Li, Emil Chudnovsky, Yinlin Pan & Miwako Abe, flautists Robert Aitken, Paul Edmund-Davies, Leone Buyse & Elena Duran, clarinettists Murray Khouri, Michael Webster & Mark Walton, German baritone Hans Georg Wimmer, UK mezzo Sally Burgess, US soprano Angela Brown and, in New Caledonia, renowned French male alto Robert Expert. Rosemary also 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 NZ Opera’s Emerging Artists. Rosemary was awarded an MNZM for her services to music in the 2000 Queens Birthday Honours. |
BRUCE GREENFIELD
Bruce Greenfield is one of New Zealand’s finest accompanists and vocal coaches. He was Artistic Administrator of Wellington City Opera for the years 1996-1999 and is currently Principal Repetiteur and Head of Music staff for the NBR New Zealand Opera.
During his sixteen years on the staff of the Wellington Polytechnic Conservatorium of Music he taught many young musicians who are now the new generation of performers: Eugene Albulescu, Katherine Austin, Michael Williams, Colin Taylor and Paul Whelan.
He continues to work as coach and accompanist to leading N.Z. singers such as Dame Malvina Major, Margaret Medlyn, Richard Greager, Jenny Wollerman, Aivale Cole, Phillip Rhodesand Paul Whelan.
A Kiwi Pacific CD with Margaret Medlyn, featuring songs by NZ women composers, was released to critical acclaim in the press. William Dart’s review of this record in the NZ Listener commented - "Bruce Greenfield is the accompanist most singers would dream of having at their side."
He is sought after as an adjudicator, vocal coach, and accompanist at masterclasses with visiting artists such as Dame Sarah Walker, Sir Donald MacIntyre, Tom Krause, Luciano Pavarotti, Grace Bumbry, Elizabeth Connell, and most recently with Siegfried Jerusalem.
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