ALMA Winners
Biographies

1977

Grant Cooper, trumpet

Grant Cooper has lived in the United States since 1976. He held a fellowship at Tanglewood in 1978 and then a position as principal trumpet of the Tulsa Philharmonic. His conducting career began in 1983, with a series of University appointments eventually leading to his becoming Resident Conductor of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra in 1997. He currently guest conducts throughout the United States and Canada, and since 2001, has held a permanent post as Artistic Director and Conductor of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. He holds the same post with the Anchorage Festival of Music in Alaska.

Marya Martin, flute

Marya Martin went to the USA in 1976 and shortly thereafter won the 1979 Young Concert Artists award. The only flutist to be a top prizewinner in the Naumburg Competition, the Munich International Competition, Jean-Pierre Rampal International Competition, and the Concert Artists Guild in a two-year period, Ms. Martin made her New York debut in 1980 and has performed throughout the world in such halls as the Royal Albert Hall and Wigmore Hall in London, The Sydney Opera House, Casals Hall in Tokyo, and other venues in Paris, New Zealand, and Australia. She has appeared with major symphonies throughout the States, including Seattle, St. Louis, the Brandenberg Ensemble, and the Mostly Mozart Orchestra, and has toured New Zealand playing duo concerts with James Galway. An active chamber musician, Ms. Martin is the founder and Artistic Director of the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival. She has also appeared with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Chamber Music at the Y, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Music at Angel Fire, and Bravo! Colorado. She is on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music and has recorded for Musical Heritage Society, Orion Master Recording, Arabesque, New World Records, Well-Tempered Productions, Albany Records, and Kiwi Pacific Records. An active jurist in international music competitions, Ms. Martin serves on the Board of Young Concert Artists.

Mary Allison, violin

After finishing my Masters in Volin Performance at Auckland University I travelled to America where I studied at the Mannes College of Music in Manhattan for two years. I then took up a post with the West Australian Symphony for seven years after which we (husband and two children) moved to Melbourne where I have a pemanent position with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.I play with various chamber ensembles in Melbourne (Pro Arte and The Academy of Melbourne) and spend the rest of my time bringing up family and pursuing other interests ... sailing,bushwalking and bridge!

Heather Clark, horn

After graduating from Auckland University in modern languages and music , I studied in Berlin and London with Gerd Seifert and Ifor James. Free-lancing in the UK and Europe led to a position with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. In 1981 I returned to NZ to become the first female wind principal in the NZSO. Marriage, 3 children and life on a back country sheep farm for 12 years followed. I returned to the horn section 8 years ago.

Sally-Anne Brown, cello

When I was awarded the Alex Lyndsay Award in 1977 and 1979 I was studying cello at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. I graduated after four years and returned to New Zealand, where I remained apart from a brief time working under Georg Tintner with the Queensland Theatre Orchestra. I guess I did all the usual stuff a young musician does in New Zealand - orchestras, tours, recordings, shows, teaching etc. Now I am still a professional cellist, am the National Suzuki Teacher Trainer for cello, have a family of my own (my husband - Steve - two teenage girls and two German Shepherds) and a wonderful lifestyle on Waiheke Island.

1979

Donald Armstrong, violin

Donald Armstrong is currently Associate Concertmaster with the NZ Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the NZ Chamber Orchestra. During eight years overseas he completed a masters degree at the New England Conservatory in Boston, was principal second violin of the Tivoli Sinfoniorkester in Denmark and Concertmaster of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice in France. He plays a violin by Nicolo Gagliano of 1754.

Anthony Cuncannon, violin

Melanie Harris, horn

I studied at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne before playing in the Melbourne Elizabethan Trust and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. After a year of freelancing in London I returned to NZ; playing taking a back seat to raising a family. My love for the French Horn and good fortune in having had some superb international teachers led me to want to pass this knowledge on to students. As such I taught as an independant brass itinerant in the Waikato for fifteen years before Multiple Sclerosis slowed me down. I'm a definite cornophile and enhorniast, believing a true passion for our instrument is the most important element we can bring to teaching and playing.

Graham Johns, percussion

In 1979 I began a course of study at Sweelinck Conservatorium of Music in Amsterdam, Netherlands, during which I became first-call extra percussion with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, as well freelancing with other major Dutch Orchestras. I then continued my studies in the USA at Oberlin Conservatory, gaining a BMus in 1982, immediately followed by a Fellowship to the Tanglewood Music School. In 1983 I was appointed Principal Percussion and Associate Principal Timpani of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, a post I hold to the present day. I am a continuing member of the World Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Valerie Gergiev.

Wilma Smith, violin

After studying at Auckland University and a short period spent in the NZSO, Wilma continued her studies at the New England Conservatory with Dorothy DeLay and Louis Krasner. In 1980 she became founding first violin with the Lydian String Quartet in residence at Brandeis University, and maintained her orchestral career as a regular with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles. In 1987 she returned to New Zealand to form the New Zealand String Quartet where she remained until her appointment as Concertmaster of the NZSO in 1993. Since 2003 she has been Co-Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony.

Josephine Young, cello

Josephine undertook post-graduate studies on the cello at the New England Conservatorium of Music in Boston with Madelaine Foley and with Christopher Bunting in London. She was a foundation member of the New Zealand String Quartet with whom she played for several years. She now lives in Sydney where she has an active freelance career as both a performer and teacher.