Performance and competitive highlights
Overseas Tours INCUDING 2005 **
Academic background of Gina Sanders BMus(Auck), FTCL(voice), BA, BMus Hons(Qld), ATCL(piano), AIRMT(NZ)
Gina's tertiary studies began at the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Music. This was followed by another Bachelor's degree in languages and an Honours degree in performance and musicology from the University of Queensland.
Gina was the first New Zealand singer to be awarded a Rotary International Graduate Scholarship, studying in Germany at the Stuttgart Liederclass and Opera School with Sylvia Geszty and Konrad Richter. She now holds several degrees and diplomas in music and languages which enable her to sing and speak in Latin, French, Italian, and German (fluently), besides her native English.
Performance and competitive highlights
While studying in Germany, appearances with the Reutlingen Philharmonic Orchestra and at the Stuttgart Liederhalle received excellent reviews and the following year Gina was awarded the New Zealand Society Prize at the Royal Overseas League competitions in London. Other early overseas performances have included recitals at St Martin in the Fields and St James in London, and more recently, as part of her tours, being chosen to deliver a memorial concert for Renata Tebaldi in Tebaldi's favourite holiday town Rimini.
On the concert platform Gina has appeared with every major Choral Society and orchestra in New Zealand, becoming a Concert FM recording artist in 1994 and then recording for the ABC in Australia.
In Australia, Gina won the Brisbane Aria, and at the end of 1991 she was placed third in New Zealand's premiere vocal competition, the Mobil Song Quest (now rebranded as the Lexus Song Quest).
Opera recitals have been given in Singapore, Taiwan, Tokyo, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, Velletri, Rimini and London along with many concerts and studio broadcasts throughout Australia.
She has appeared at Festivals throughout NZ and in Australia (including the Dolphin City, Nelson, Bay of Islands, Taranaki and NZ International Festivals).
Oratorio
Gina has an oratorio repertoire of over 20 roles.
Opera roles
Gina's operatic career has seen her perform lead and principal roles with Perkel, Canterbury, Dunedin, Wanganui and New Zealand Opera companies in La Traviata, Don Pasquale (where she made her debut as Norina), The Kiss, Carmen, Merry Widow and Gianni Schicchi. She covered Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in NZ Opera's La Boheme.
Recordings
Gina features on the operatic CD Tonight, produced in Australia with international Chinese tenor Yu Jixing.
In 2002, came the release of CDs "Somewhere" and "Love's Philosophy" generating much praise and interest from public and promoters.
Collaborations
Working with organist Laurence Jenkins, and NZSO harpist Jing Yi resulted in the formation of Les Voix Celestes. This highly successful ensemble has appeared at several festivals and recorded for Concert FM.
Theatre Restaurant Dining
Gina has developed a popular Theatre Restaurant Series in Auckland and surrounding regions (and in Rarotonga !) with over 80 concerts in the last six years involving some of Australasia's finest operatic talent.
Special Events
In 2001 she performed Verdi's Requiem in Auckland, sang the National Anthems of NZ and Australia at the World Women's Squash Final in Melbourne and Handel's Solomon in the Auckland Town Hall with Auckland Choral Society.
In April 2002 she sang at The High Commissioner's residence in Rarotonga at the official reception for the Hon Phil Goff and his ministerial party. Guest appearances with Operatunity followed in May and then Vivaldi's Gloria in June with the Hibiscus Coast Singers.
In July she produced and anchored a major "Proms" concert series at the Banner Theatre near Auckland involving over 70 musicians from all over NZ.
2003 engagements included An Afternoon in Tuscany with Wellington Sinfonia hosted by Her Excellency Dame Silvia Cartwright in the garden of Government House, St Matthew Passion with Auckland Choral Society, and extending her popular Theatre Dining Opera Series to the South Island.
With international Singapore based tenor Yu Jixing she once again made a significant contribution to Papakura Rotary Club's sold out "Concert at Karaka" series. In June she again made a further guest appearance with Operatunity and then performed in the NZ premiere of Mozart's Trinitas Mass with the Bach Musica.
Overseas Tours
In September and October 2003 she embarked upon an international tour with recitals in Australia, Tokyo (Ichigaya Lutheran Concert Hall), Hamburg, Paris (at the residence of the NZ ambassador), Stuttgart, Munich, Velletri (Rome) and concluded with the first ever Opera Concert in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.
As a result, Gina Sanders returned to the northern hemisphere in mid 2004 for a further series of concerts in Germany, Italy and again in Rarotonga .
2005 saw Gina followup on past successes to deliver concerts in London, Jersey (a first for a New Zealand Opera singer ?), Rome, Velletri and Rimini, then Stuttgart. She also gave a master class to a group of awestruck youngsters in Jersey.
Teaching and Adjudication
Gina is also well known for her skills and experience as a teacher of voice, piano and theory and general musical knowledge. She has been a guest tutor and examiner in voice at the Eastern Institute of Technology in Napier and has judged several competitions in recent years, most recently, the Napier and Wellington Arias.
A member of the Institute of Registered Music Teachers since 1985, Ms Sanders has been involved with many schools, community groups and choirs in that time with particular successes in the teaching of younger people and developing promising young voices.
Her short training courses, "The Developing Singer" have been used by several schools. In 1997 Gina formed a children's choir known as The Valley Voices with 25 young people ranging from 7-18 years. The Choir has won several major prizes at Competitions in addition to giving a variety of concerts throughout the North Island.
