Past Recipients

PACANZ administers the National Young Performer Awards, which are hosted by Palmerston North Dance Assn, in Palmerston North annually, in October. The Awards came to Palmerston North in 2014 and the decision was made to designate Palmerston North as the permanent home of the NYPA in 2017. The quality of the performance Venues, the support of the Competition Societies, the ongoing investment of local funders and sponsors, the support of local arts enthusiasts (both as audience and as Volunteer support )as well as the ease of accessibility to all of NZ, made Palmerston North the perfect place to hold a National Award.

Each year  between 130 to 140 young  soloist performing artists, aged between 15 and 24 , as well as more than 670 Troupe dancers, come from all over New Zealand to perform and compete at the National Young Performer Awards

Over a two-year cycle, competitors perform in the following art forms: Speech and Drama, Instrumental, Modern Dance, Highland Dance Vocal, Tap, Ballet, Pianoforte. In 2019 we run the first four listed art forms with the second four art forms running in 2020. The NYPA in October 2019 will attract an audience of more than 1500. Last October we sold the equivalent of 3750 session passes, as the continued inclusion of the Troupe Award created an unprecedented increase in audience numbers and support.

Each performer represents a PACANZ member society, (PACANZ is a parent organisation of 60 smaller competition societies in New Zealand)

and undergoes a rigorous selection process, performing to the specific required standards of their chosen art form.  As with their sporting peers, it is an honour for young performing artists to be selected to participate at the NYPA.  For some this is the pinnacle of their artistic endeavours for others however, this will be the catalyst that launches their professional career.

Thank you for the grant recieved to produce and record my own originals and covers at Roundhead studio In Auckland.

The grant gave me the ability to use the most experienced musicians and have the best people mixing and arranging the finished product.

My first album could not have been made without the help of the grant from the Perpetual guardian Trust. The album was recorded in 7 days and I was able to work with some amazing talent. It included classical and Jazz as well as country and two New Zealand well known songs along with two of my originals. The album has been distributed to music industry people throughout the USA. With this album I have shown my ability as a singer songwriter.

Thank you very much.

Carson Taare

Virginia Warbrick

“Thanks to the trust I was able to attend the Tallis Scholars Summer School in Avila, Spain in 2017. Led by world-renowned early music specialist Peter Phillips (dir), the course centred on the heart of my music interests – a capella polyphonic sacred early music. Six days saturated with small group and full course singing in ancient churches and cathedrals, we closely studied and performed the music of Josquin Desprez, John Taverner, Giovanni da Palestrina and Tomas Luis de Victoria. It was an incredible experience being able to enhance my knowledge and skills in Renaissance music not only with expert practitioners, but with established choral singers from 17 countries.”

Warren Warbrick

“I was invited to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the 29^th Medellin International Poetry Festival, Colombia in 2018. Alongside 50 revered poets from five continents, I was invited as one of ten shaman/indigenous knowledge holders to complement the festival’s theme of original song. During the week-long festival I was able to be enriched by cross-cultural conversations, and share my own knowledge, including ngā taonga pūoro at universities and community hubs across Medellin, culminating in a five-hour poetry/music concert to an audience of 10,000. I’m grateful to the trust for supporting my travel costs in order to participate in the festival.

Toi Warbrick 

“Toi Warbrick opens the world of ngā taonga pūoro to music lovers through innovative and experimental bicultural music calling on history, imagination and emotion. We have performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, New Zealand Fringe, and in Oxford (UK), San Martin de Valdeiglesias (Spain), as well as 20+ regional art galleries and town halls around New Zealand since 2008. Our recent work KONO, Song Cycle of a New Town, is a 40-minute pick-a-path recital exploring the early development of Palmerston North in the 19^th century. In 2018 KONO was recognised with a Regional Theatre Award for original script and production, and the Palmy Fringe Festival Judges’ Choice award. We can’t thank the trust enough for its support in Toi Warbrick being able to travel to the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Australia, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scotland, and New Zealand’s professional arts market, PANNZ, in recent years.”

“We are very grateful for the grant that helped purchase a Cor Anglais. This new instrument lifts the whole tone of the orchestra, and stimulates young people learning to play or have a go. We also now have a large number of our instruments maintained in great repair, thanks to a second grant to the Youth Orchestra – a rather burgeoning ensemble of over sixty young players. Over a thousand musicians have been through our two orchestras – the Youth Orchestra and our “community orchestra”, the Manawatu Sinfonia, which incidentally celebrate their 50 Jubilee in 2011, with a historical publication also assisted by a third grant.”

Allan Rae, President Manawatu Youth Orchestra & Manawatu Sinfonia

"Renaissance Singers are most grateful to the Molly Atkinson Arts Trust and the Mavis and Beatrix Francis Arts Trust for the help that their grants have given us. We have been able to have top quality musicians and singers perform with the choir. Without the grants we would not have been able to afford the fees as we are a small choir but with a reputation for quality. The grants from the Arts Trusts have enabled us to take advantage of the expertise of other musicians, and also to encourage some other younger soloists as they increase their repertoire and solo careers in New Zealand."

Carrol Donoghue - Secretary