Originally hailing from the shores of Lake Taupō, Fergus Byett moved to Hamilton in 2019 to
study Classical Performance (piano) at the University of Waikato. With the support of a Sir
Edmund Hillary Scholarship, he studied with Katherine Austin (2019-2022) and Dr. Rae de Lisle
(2023). In 2023, he won all three of the University's performance competitions: the Bach
Competition (Postgraduate); Concerto Competition; and Chamber Music Competition. He also
won the Recital and Concerto classes at the Hamilton Competitions. His choral and instrumental
compositions have won national awards, including the OCT Composition Competition and the
Under-25 Category of the ‘Compose Aotearoa!’ Competition. He has completed commissions for
Cantando Choir, Southwell School, the Taupō Concert Band, and more recently, the New
Zealand Male Choir. In 2022, Fergus scored a short film, 'Pumpkin Eater', directed by Jasper
Marshall. Fergus teaches piano in Hamilton, he sings with the St. Peter’s Cathedral Choir, and he
plays the organ for the St. Peter's Cathedral Singers. Fergus was a member of the Hamilton Civic
Choir Artist Development Programme in 2023, developing his skills as a choral conductor. As a
Summer Research Scholar Fergus also worked on an article which has now been published in the
British Journal of Music Education. He is a fluent speaker of te reo Māori, and he has a Level 7
Diploma through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. His choral compositions, whether sacred or secular,
often make use of New Zealand's indigenous language, and Fergus is a passionate advocate for
the use of te reo Māori. Fergus is excited to be involved with the Waikato Youth Choir in 2024,
and sharing a love of singing and choral music with the wider Waikato community.

Originally hailing from the shores of Lake Taupō, Fergus Byett moved to Hamilton in
2019 to study Classical Performance (piano) at the University of Waikato. With the
support of a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship, he studied with Katherine Austin (2019-
2022) and Dr. Rae de Lisle (2023). In 2023, he won all three of the University's
performance competitions: the Bach Competition (Postgraduate); Concerto
Competition; and Chamber Music Competition. He also won the Recital and Concerto
classes at the Hamilton Competitions. His choral and instrumental compositions
have won national awards, including the OCT Composition Competition and the
Under-25 Category of the ‘Compose Aotearoa!’ Competition. He has completed
commissions for Cantando Choir, Southwell School, the Taupō Concert Band, and
more recently, the New Zealand Male Choir. In 2022, Fergus scored a short film,
'Pumpkin Eater', directed by Jasper Marshall. Fergus teaches piano in Hamilton, he
sings with the St. Peter’s Cathedral Choir, and he plays the organ for the St. Peter's
Cathedral Singers. Fergus was a member of the Hamilton Civic Choir Artist
Development Programme in 2023, developing his skills as a choral conductor. As a
Summer Research Scholar Fergus also worked on an article which has now been
published in the British Journal of Music Education. He is a fluent speaker of te reo
Māori, and he has a Level 7 Diploma through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. His choral
compositions, whether sacred or secular, often make use of New Zealand's
indigenous language, and Fergus is a passionate advocate for the use of te reo Māori.
Fergus is excited to be involved with the Waikato Youth Choir in 2024, and sharing a
love of singing and choral music with the wider Waikato community.

Kolitha Jayatunge established his singing roots with the Orpheus Choir of
Wellington and the New Zealand Opera Chorus. In 2013, he moved to the
Waikato and continued to sing with other locals choirs, notably Hamilton
Civic Choir. He is currently the Music Director of Cantando Choir. In 2016,
under the tutelage of Dame Malvina Major, Kolitha completed a Post-
Graduate Diploma in Music with Distinction at the University of Waikato.
He is a regular soloist with Hamilton Civic Choir and at the St Peter’s
Cathedral Cantata Vespers, and for the Baroque Chamber Group Vox
Baroque under director Dr Rachael Griffiths-Hughes. His repertoire
includes Handel’s Gloria and Chandos Anthems, and collections of
cantatas by Bach, Graupner, Telemann, Stoelzul and Schutz. In 2023,
Kolitha completed the inaugural choral conducting workshop for NZ
Children’s Choral Academy where he gained valuable conducting
experience under the tutelage of Dr Karen Grylls and Music Director Elise
Bradley. Kolitha recently established the new Waikato Youth Choir and is
also their new Music Director.

Jonathan Dunlop has just completed Doctoral studies at the
University of Waikato with Katherine Austin and Dr Rachael
Griffiths-Hughes. His research focusses on the pianist journey
through a wide range of repertoire to find creative pedaling
solutions in keyboard music from CPE Bach through to the
late Romantic composers such as Chopin, Rachmaninoff and
Debussy. To compliment his studies in this field, he plays a
wide variety of historic keyboards which include the
harpsichord, clavichord, organ and fortepiano. Jonathan is an
alumna of the New Zealand Opera School, and most recently
he has joined The Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio
(TANZOS) team as a Performance Fellow at the University of
Waikato. Jonathan also works at St Paul’s Collegiate School in
Hamilton as organist and choir coach for the school’s choirs,
drawing on years of experience in this discipline having
directed choirs in South Auckland and Thames.

ARTISTIC TEAM

Kolitha Jayatunge

Jonathan Dunlop

Fergus Byett

What is expected of Youth Choir members:

• Must commit to all rehearsals every
  Mondays 7pm - 8:30pm, at Methodist
  Church St Johns & Wesley, 20 Wellington
  St, Hamilton East.
• Work together in a team for a choir of
  excellence.
• Pay a fee of $30 per term.
• Have parental permission to attend if
  under 18 years old.

What are you waiting for!

Come be a part of something special – join
the Waikato Youth Choir today! 🎶✨

#WaikatoYouthChoir #MusicIsLife

#CommunityHarmony #JoinUsNow