Tomos Christie

In the Wellington Youth Orchestra I have performed in numerous positions within the cello section, and am currently fortunate enough to lead the section. Since joining the orchestra in 2021, I have played mostly under the baton of NZSO Sub-Principal Trumpet Mark Carter, but also under NZSO Principal Cellist Andrew Joyce, NZSO Associate Concertmaster Donald Armstrong, Donald Maurice, and Director of Music for Wellington Cathedral of St Paul Michael Stewart.

I perform with the Queen's Closet as a part of the Queen's Closet Academy, taking lessons from their fantastic cellist Jane Young, and learning from the latest scholarship on early music preparation and performance, with a wide range of early music by composers including Purcell, De Lalande, Lully, Monteverdi, Pergolesi and Vivaldi, among others.

Alongside fellow students from the NZSM, we've been learning from the New Zealand String Quartet in coaching sessions and masterclasses, to perform in various contexts including as a part of the National Youth Orchestra chamber music programme.

Participating in coaching sessions and masterclasses with the New Zealand String Quartet and pianist Stephen De Pledge, I performed Ravel's String Quartet in F Major along with a fantastic group of early-career professional musicians.

The trio, with pianist Thomas Nikora and violinist Thomas Bedggood, had its debut performance in January in Christchurch, performing Arensky, Mendelssohn and Beethoven trios.

Alongside pianist Eva Bedggood and cellist Monica Tønning, The Three Waters Trio (coming from across three international waters) performed its first programme of varied pieces for two cellos and piano in Wellington.