A Clevedon girl, Gina is an accomplished performer on the operatic stage and concert platform, having studied, performed, taught, recorded and adjudicated in Europe, UK, Asia, Australasia and the USA. Gina’s professional career began after completing seven degrees and diplomas in piano, voice, theory, musicology, pedagogy and languages (German, Italian, French and English) at Auckland and Queensland Universities and Trinity College London. She then undertook post-graduate studies in Stuttgart, Germany and has since added over 60 operatic and oratorio roles to her repertoire. In NZ, Gina has appeared as a soloist with every major choral society, orchestra and opera company, released four of her own CDs, Tonight, Somewhere, Love’s Philosophy and Capture This Moment as well as appearing in many other recordings. She is a NZ Concert FM national recording artist and continues to tour nationally and internationally in the dual roles of performer and teacher/adjudicator.
As the founder of the Clevedon Valley Music Foundation Trust, Gina has a vision for Clevedon and the surrounding areas to bring high quality entertainment to local communities and to provide both established and emerging artists performance and experiential possibilities.
Now a Teaching Fellow at Waikato University, she continues her examining role for the New Zealand Music Examination Board while pursuing her very busy performing career. Gina has directed several award-winning choirs, including the popular children’s choir The Valley Voices, and was the Director of Chapel Music at King’s College for 6 years, founding the excellent chamber choir, Kappella. She was recently appointed the 2021 Musical Director of the Auckland Girls’ Choir. Gina is the Patron of the South Auckland Performing Arts Competition Society, a Director of Music at Clevedon Presbyterian, and in 2019, was awarded a Local Heroes Medal at the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year in Auckland for her services to the arts and the community.
Born and raised in rural Auckland, Gina enjoys a living on a small farm in Ness Valley with her extended family near the beautiful village of Clevedon. She grew up in a family full of engineers and developed a slightly deviant interest in drag-racing, rally cars, hot rods and Rock’n’Roll. This was fortunately balanced out by the elegance and decorum of her lovely mother and grandmother!