Karen Lesley Grylls (born 9 July 1951) is a New Zealand choral conductor. She is an associate professor in choral conducting at the

University of Auckland The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...

and founder of Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir.

Early life and education

Grylls was born in

Pahiatua Pahiatua () is a rural service town in the south-eastern North Island of New Zealand with a population of . It is between Masterton and Woodville, New Zealand, Woodville on New Zealand State Highway 2, State Highway 2 and along the Wairarapa Lin ...

on 9 July 1951. As her father worked for the

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

, the family moved around the country during her childhood. She was educated at Napier Girls' High School, Hokitika High School, and Central Southland College, where she was dux in 1968. Grylls completed

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

and

Bachelor of Music A Bachelor of Music (BMus; sometimes conferred as Bachelor of Musical Arts) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. The degree may be awarded for performance, music ed ...

degrees at the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

in 1973, followed by a Diploma of Teaching from Christchurch Teachers College in 1974. In 1980, she gained a

Master of Music The Master of Music (MM or MMus) is, as an academic title, the first graduate degree in music awarded by universities and conservatories. The MM combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization (usually performance in singing or i ...

degree at the University of Auckland. She then gained a

in choral conducting in 1983 and a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in 1993, both from the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

. The title of her doctoral thesis was ''The aggregate re-ordered: a paradigm for Stravinsky's Requiem canticles''.

Career

From 1989 to 2011, Grylls conducted the New Zealand Youth Choir. In 1992, the Youth Choir won the Silver Rose Bowl award at the international choral competition Let the Peoples Sing. She founded the Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir in 1998. In 2011, she became artistic director of Toronto's Exultate Chamber Choir for two years. Since 1986, Grylls has been a lecturer in music at the University of Auckland, rising to become an associate professor in 2000. Grylls has been a judge at numerous international choral competitions and festivals.

Honours and awards

In the 1999 New Year Honours, Grylls was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to choral music. She received an Auckland University Distinguished Teaching Award in music in 1996 for excellence in teaching. In 2006, she received a KBB Citation for Services to New Zealand Music from the Composers Association of New Zealand. In the 2023 King's Birthday and Coronation Honours, Grylls was promoted to

Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ...

, for services to choral music.

Selected works

References

External links

Interview on RNZ, 24 June 2010

Interview on RNZ, 6 July 2019
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grylls, Karen 1951 births Living people People from Pahiatua People educated at Napier Girls' High School People educated at Westland High School, Hokitika People educated at Central Southland College University of Otago alumni University of Auckland alumni Academic staff of the University of Auckland New Zealand choral conductors Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit University of Washington alumni University of Canterbury alumni New Zealand women academics New Zealand women conductors (music)