ABOUT US

Caitlin Morris

Founder and Creative Director of Wairarapa Youth Orchestra

Violin 

Scholarship Tutor

MFA Music

Caitlin began learning the cello aged fifteen under the tuition of Anna Hyland in Blenheim. She completed Grade 8 with distinction studying under Lissa Cowie in Nelson and then studied at Victoria University of Wellington: New Zealand School of Music under the tuition of Inbal Megiddo and Rolf Gjelsten. During her time at the NZSM, she received the Victoria University Excellence Scholarship, the Roy Jack Prize for merit in string playing, the Body/Harris Prize for best performance of a New Zealand work and the MFA Fine Arts  Scholarship.  

Caitlin is also passionate about composition and completed a Masters in Fine Arts in Music in 2018. This led her to compose and record music for theatre and film productions in Wellington, and she has also written a musical, “Heaven Help Me”, words by Valerie Franklin.  Caitlin has also performed as a cello soloist with the  Nelson Symphony Orchestra, The Marlborough Civic  

Orchestra, Tawa Orchestra, Wairarapa Community  Orchestra and most recently performed the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the Marlborough Civic Orchestra in August of 2023, as soloist.  In addition, she has been involved in professional orchestral recording sessions for New Zealand  films “Kiwi Christmas”, “She Shears”, and “The Meek.” 

Caitlin teaches string instruments throughout the Wairarapa to all ages, bringing her passion for  string instruments to rural communities with the ambition to continue to grow music education in  the Wairarapa. Through the Wairarapa Youth Orchestra Caitlin aspires to bring further  performance and educational opportunities to all secondary and primary school students of the  Wairarapa, promoting orchestral instrument learning.

Andrew Atkins

Founder and Musical Director of Wairarapa Youth Orchestra

Orchestra Conductor

MMA Classical Performance Piano, MFA (CP) Film  Orchestration, GDip Conducting. 

Andrew is a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington:  New Zealand School of Music. During his time there, he  completed a Masters of Musical Arts in Classical  Performance (2016) piano under the esteemed tuition of Dr  Jian Liu and Richard Mapp. He competed in the inaugural  Wallace National Piano Competition (2013) and was a  finalist in the Royal Overseas League Chamber Music  Competition (2014) with his Piano and Cello Duo Duo  Cecilia. Andrew has also performed Grieg’s Piano Concerto  with Tawa Orchestra (2014), Beethoven’s 2nd Piano  Concerto (2013), Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto  (2019), and Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto (2021) with the  Manawatu Sinfonia and Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto  conducted from the piano with Wellington Chamber  Orchestra (2020). Andrew also completed his Graduate Diploma in  Conducting (2017) under the tuition of Kenneth Young and  has gone on to develop a love and passion for conducting  that gained him the position of Assistant Conductor to  Orchestra Wellington (2017-2018). He has also conducted  the Manawatu Sinfonia, Kapiti Concert Orchestra, the New  Zealand School of Music Orchestra. He is the current Musical Director of the Wairarapa Singers,  with which he presented a successful performance of Haydn’s Creation in 2019. He has also had  the pleasure of presenting four music programmes as conductor with Wellington Chamber  Orchestra over the past five years.  Andrew is delighted to be the conductor of the Wairarapa Youth Orchestra since is inception in  2021. He is passionate about developing orchestral large ensemble playing and promoting  classical music and learning for Wairarapa students. 

Dean Major

Violin 

Sectional Tutor

LTCL and LRSM performance diplomas

Dean Major was born and educated in Wellington. He studied the violin with Bill Davies, Zillah Castle and Franco Domaneschi. He joined the Schola Musica of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in 1975, and successfully auditioned for the NZSO in 1978.

He was a foundation member of the NZ Chamber Orchestra.  In March 2021, Dean retired from the NZSO after 42 years, and moved with his wife, Rosemary, and son, Alex, to Greytown, in South Wairarapa. During his time in the NZSO, Dean taught the violin privately for over 20 years and tutored the violin sections of the Wellington Youth Orchestra, the Wellington Youth Sinfonietta, and the Kapiti Youth Orchestra. Since arriving in the Wairarapa he has thoroughly enjoyed being a tutor with the Wairarapa Youth Orchestra and is of the opinion that this organisation is absolutely vital to both the growth and to the teaching of music in the Wairarapa. 

David Codd

Brass Sectional Tutor

David Codd is a New Zealand-born horn player and pianist. Originally from New Plymouth, New Zealand, David undertook a Bachelor of Music with Honours in Classical Performance Collaborative Piano under Dr Jian Liu at Victoria University of Wellington, as well as secondary studies in French horn with Samuel Jacobs and Sebastian Dunn.

David maintains a busy schedule of performances as a collaborative pianist, conductor, and horn player. As well as being a member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band horn section, David performs with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington, and the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra. As a pianist, David has a particular passion for collaborative work, enjoying performing with artists from NZSO and Orchestra Wellington. When David isn’t immersed in music, he enjoys working as an after-school care supervisor and can be found on any of Wellington’s beautiful trails and walkways.

Samuel Berkahn

Strings Sectional Tutor

Samuel Berkahn is a musical polymath, whose interests and activities within the Wellington music community are quite eclectic. He plays many instruments, sings, conducts, and even composes! He has completed a Bachelor of Music (with Honours) from Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music, majoring in Cello Performance. 

As musical director of St. Barnabas Church in Roseneath, he is highly sought after as a pianist and organist, most recently taking up the position of organist for the St. Peter’s Orchestra(SPO). Samuel has had a strong love of music from a young age, stemming from his upbringing in a very musical family.

Tim Jones

Pitched Percussion Sectional Tutor

Robert Carew

Clarinet Scholarship Tutor

LTCL Clarinet Performance

Robert started playing the clarinet at 15 at Hutt Valley High School and very soon joined the school's 'evening orchestra', now the Hutt Valley Orchestra, and the Wellington Youth Orchestra. While studying maths and music at Victoria University he learnt from NZSO clarinetists Frank Gurr and Ron Weatherburn and gained LTCL in clarinet performance. He also played clarinet and bass clarinet in the University orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra and various chamber music ensembles. During his studies he established a busy sideline as an itinerant teacher in many Wellington schools and took on a number of private pupils.  Since moving to the Wairarapa several years ago he has been playing in several orchestras and chamber music ensembles, and every year plays at the Waitaki Summer Music Camp in Oamaru. He has lessons with Debbie Rawson, the former Head of Woodwind at the New Zealand School of Music, and together they pursue their interest in clarinet pedagogy. Robert relishes the opportunity to share his knowledge of, and passion for the clarinet with the Wairarapa Youth Orchestra.