Staatsorchester Halle. He also
conducted sell-out seasons of
Handel’s rediscovered opera Imeneo
in the Halle Opera house, and was
awarded the Badge of Honour for
his services to the Handel Festival
and the City of Halle.
Uwe Grodd is equally committed to
the music of his own time, playing
a pivotal role in commissioning
more than 50 works from New
Zealand composers. He conducted
the premiere season of the multi-
media opera Galileo, with music by
John Rimmer and libretto by Witi
Ihimaera, and, in 2012, was Artistic
Director of Len Lye the opera, with
music by Eve de Castro-Robinson
and libretto by Roger Horrocks.
ELIZABETH LAU
deputy music director
A graduate of the University
of Auckland, Elizabeth Lau’s
background is diverse. She holds
a master’s degree in conducting
as well as bachelor degrees in
composition and performance
including piano and double bass.
Residing in Auckland, Elizabeth is
the founder and music and artistic
director of Wairua Sinfonietta, an
orchestra which focuses on unity
through music by putting on good
quality concerts with like-minded
musicians to increase awareness
and raise funds for charitable
organisations locally and around
the globe. In 2017 she founded
the Wairua Voices, a project choir
which shares the same vision as
Wairua Sinfonietta. In 2018, Wairua
Sinfonietta has also launched the
Wairua Projects Series, a series
which includes the wider community
to join forces through music, to
achieve unity and influence society.
Uwe Grodd is Professor Emeritus
of the University of Auckland
and has been the inaugural Music
Director of the Manukau Symphony
Orchestra since 1993. Last year he
was invited to be Music Director of
the Chiron Group which includes
two fast growing music schools
with 500 students, the Albany
School of Music and the Remuera
Music Academy. He was invited
to become Music Director of the
Auckland Choral Society, New
Zealand’s longest-established
symphonic choir, in 2008.
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