Karen Grylls, Undergraduate Advisor, Associate Professor in Conducting and Head of Choral Studies at the University of Auckland, directed the Auckland Dorian Choir (1985-1998), assumed the position of Musical Director of New Zealand Youth Choir in 1989 and founded Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir in March 1998. In addition to being the current Musical Director of both of these national choirs Karen also conducts the Chamber Choir at the University of Auckland and directs courses in choral ensemble skills.

A graduate of both Otago and Auckland Universities, Karen studied post-graduate Conducting and Music Theory at the University of Washington, Seattle where she studied for four years with Professors John Rahn, Abraham Kaplan and Joan Catoni-Conlon. In 1985 she returned to New Zealand to teach at the University of Auckland take up the directorship of the Auckland Dorian Choir.

As a result of her musical directorship, the prestigious National Youth Choir of NZ has enjoyed notable international successes including: the Silver Rosebowl in the “Let the Peoples Sing” radio competition in 1992. With equal success TOWER Voices NZ won first and second place in the mixed choir section of the Tolosa International Choral Competition in October 1998.

Karen Grylls is much in demand as a choral clinician and has many CD recordings to her credit. Invitations to adjudicate have taken her to Australia, Singapore, Tolosa, Hong Kong, Gorizia ; Xiamen and now to Marktoberdorf. She has recently been appointed to the board of the International Federation for Choral Music.