New Zealand Youth Choir

Experience the energy and excellence of New Zealand’s best young singers celebrating exceptional music from the Pacific and the world, performing for the first time in the iconic Cloud Forest and Supertree Grove. 

Programme Schedule

New Zealand Youth Choir

The New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) has achieved considerable success since its formation in 1979. Performances in New Zealand and thirteen international tours including visits to the UK, Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, Singapore, Russia, the Republic of Korea, China and the Pacific Islands have firmly established its reputation for consistency, energy and excellence. The Choir is comprised of around fifty 18 to 25-year-old singers and operates on a 3-year audition cycle.

Conductor and Music Director, David Squire

David Squire is one of New Zealand’s most prominent conductors. A founding member and current vice-chair of the NZ Association of Choral Directors, he is also a national conducting advisor and tutor, and was a board member for the NZ Choral Federation for 9 years.

Graduating from the University of Auckland with a Master of Music degree with first class honours, David has sung with many top choirs in New Zealand, including the Auckland Dorian Choir, Auckland Chamber Choir and NZYC. He was also a founding member of Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and the V8 Vocal Ensemble.

David has taught music in secondary schools for over 30 years, directing choirs, orchestras and bands, including many ensembles that have won local, national and international awards. He also takes workshops and professional development courses throughout the country and overseas, and is often involved in session and recording work, including a tour with George Benson as backing vocalist in 2010. He has been the choral director for the International Schools Choral Music Society festival in China since 2018, and music director of the Auckland Youth Choir since 2023.

In 2011 he directed training workshops for choirs singing the anthems at the Rugby World Cup, and then conducted anthem choirs at 7 matches. In 2017 he was the guest conductor for the mixed honour choir at the AMIS Choral Festival in Abu Dhabi. Since 2018 he has been the choral director of the annual ISCMS festival in China. In 2019 he served on the jury for the 1st Asia Choral Grand Prix in Manila, Philippines.