Rachel Doig
Rachel first came to prominence through her highly acclaimed
performances in the T.V.N.Z talent show “Showcase”. She has demonstrated
an affinity for a wide range of musical genres including opera, musical
theatre, the stage and the concert platform.
Rachel’s stage experiences include the role of Maria from West Side
Story, Papagena in The Magic Flute and she understudied the role of Liu
in Canterbury Opera's Turandot along with a number of television
appearances for TV3 and T.V.N.Z.
In 2004 she performed with Canterbury Opera in a Soprano's concert as
part of the Nelson Arts festival. In 2005 she performed the role of
Becky in the premiere performance of Jonathan Besser's The Birth of anOpera and
played the role of Suor Dolcina in Puccini's Suor Angelica in October.
In 2006 she was a soloist for Canterbury Opera’s 21st Birthday gala
concert. Rachel has appeared as a soloist for T.V 3’s Christmas in the
park and Carols by Candlelight and has sung with the Christchurch
Symphony Orchestra, the Woolston Brass Band and the Auckland
Philharmonic orchestra. 2008 has been a busy year for Rachel with being
a member of the Southern Opera Ensemble and singing in the chorus for Il
Trovatore. She is looking forward to appearing as Nella in Gianni
Schicci and as the second Lady in Southern Opera’s major production for
2009 The Magic Flute.
Alongside a busy singing career she is also a music and choir teacher at
St. Andrew's College Preparatory school and Westburn Primary school
where she assists in running the Specialist Music programme.
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Michael Lawrence
Born in Christchurch, Michael studied piano with several teachers,
including Ernest Empsom, Irene Lassen, Iola Shelley and Maurice Till.
After taking his BA in English at Canterbury University, Michael taught
in primary schools while finishing a B Mus degree.
Participation in various music competitions met with some success, the
highlights being placed twice as runner up in the Auckland Star piano
concerto contest in the mid seventies, playing concertos by Beethoven
and Cesar Franck. He has performed other concertos by Gershwin, Haydn
and Chopin with local orchestras, including the Christchurch Youth
Orchestra and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. On the lighter side,
he has played the Warsaw Concerto on more than one occasion for the
Proms Concerts.
In 1985 he took over from Clifton Cook as head of music at St Andrew’s
College. Michael kept up his solo playing and made regular appearances
in the Arts Centre Friday lunchtime concert series in the Great Hall
during this period. He recorded as a national recording artist for Radio
New Zealand at this time too, although accompanying has been his focus
in recent years. Accompanying vocalists and instrumentalists is an
aspect of piano playing he enjoys, finding it an art that is both
interesting and challenging.
Canterbury University, Michael taught
in primary schools while finishing a B Mus degree. 
