Announcing the 2021 Cadenza and Finale adjudicators

8 April 2021

We’re delighted to announce our adjudicators for The Big Sing 2021 Cadenza and Finale festivals. Former King’s Singer Timothy Wayne-Wright has recently relocated to New Zealand with his Kiwi wife and family, and will be our ‘international’ adjudicator for Cadenza and Finale. Tim will adjudicate and lead workshops at all three Cadenza festivals, and will go on to join the Finale panel alongside Judy Bellingham (former Associate Professor in Voice at Otago University) and Jono Palmer (currently completing his doctorate in Choral Conducting at Indiana University in Bloomington, USA).

Judging the Auahi Kore award at The Big Sing Finale, for best performance of a piece with a text in te reo Māori, will be “kapa haka queen” Tihi Puanaki (Ngāti Hine/Ngāi Tahu) and her son, singer-songwriter and te reo Māori recording artist Te Huaki Puanaki (Ngāti Hine/Ngāpuhi).

Timothy Wayne-Wright: Cadenza Rotorua, Cadenza Whanganui, Cadenza Timaru & Finale
Judy Bellingham: Finale
Jono Palmer: Finale
Tihi and Te Huaki Puanaki: Auahi Kore award at Finale

Read on below to find out more about each one… (photos and bios of Tihi and Te Huaki Puanaki yet to come)

Timothy Wayne-Wright was a countertenor in The King’s Singers for 10 years, touring the world and singing over 1500 concerts in some of the world’s greatest venues.

As a countertenor, Tim began studying for his music degree at Goldsmith’s College, University of London in 2001, after which he was offered a Vocal Scholarship to study for a Postgraduate Diploma at Trinity College of Music. During this time, Tim became a Choral Scholar at The Royal Naval College Chapel in Greenwich, alongside regular work with many of the UK’s finest choral ensembles. He also performed at various places of worship such as the Brompton Oratory and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

In 2006, he successfully auditioned for the prestigious position of Alto Lay Clerk at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. After just two years there, Tim was invited to audition for The King’s Singers. Recognition for The King’s Singers during Tim’s tenure include one Grammy Award®, a further Grammy nomination and an induction into the inaugural Gramophone Hall of Fame. He was also fortunate enough to teach over 500 masterclasses, workshops and summer schools as a member of The King’s Singers, imparting ensemble skills and techniques to choirs all over the world.

Judy Bellingham was previously Associate Professor of Voice at Otago University, and has now retired from all performing and academic life, and is concentrating on teaching voice in her busy private studio, and presenting vocal and choral workshops throughout the country. She is an internationally recognized vocal clinician, has given papers at a number of overseas Conferences, most recently in Sweden on the increasing use of taonga puoro in NZ vocal music and in Australia on the influence of quality New Zealand poetry on New Zealand vocal music.

Judy has published a book on sight-singing Sing What You See, See What You Sing and DVD’s Warm Me Up, Judy! and Body, Voice and Brain Judy has also recorded a CD of New Zealand song, and a DVD on historical Dunedin songs Songs of Old Dunedin. In 2016 she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours List.

Jono Palmer is a dynamic and enterprising conductor from Auckland, New Zealand. His choirs have won national and international acclaim, including two Gold Medals at the 2015 Grand Prix of Nations in Magdeburg, Germany, and many awards at regional and national festivals of The Big Sing.

As a conductor, Jono has been selected for masterclasses at the 2017 World Symposium of Choral Music and the 2017 National Collegiate Choral Organization National Conference. In October 2018, he was a finalist in the inaugural London International Choral Conducting Competition.

Jono earned a MM in Choral Conducting from Indiana University, a BMus(hons) in Performance Voice, and a BA in Ancient History from the University of Auckland. He is currently working towards a doctorate in Choral Conducting at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

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