Catherine Mary Cornish MNZM is a New Zealand music educator, artistic director and choral conductor. In 2023 Cornish was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the performing arts.
Mary Cornish | |
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.jpg) Cornish in 2023 | |
| Awards | Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit |
Career
editCornish is a music teacher and has taught at primary, intermediate and secondary levels. Cornish was a founding trustee and chair of the New Zealand Ukulele Trust for six years, from 2010 to 2016. The trust organises the annual Ukulele Festival, which celebrated its tenth birthday in 2016, when it involved 2000 players from 122 schools across New Zealand.[1][2][3] Cornish was the artistic director of the festival, and arranged for guest artists including Dave Dobbyn and Six60 to play alongside the schoolchildren.[1]
Cornish founded a bi-annual festival, In Our Beat, in 2010. She is the artistic director and conductor for the festival, which connects schools and communities.[1] She is also the choral director of the Auckland Primary Musical Festival, an annual festival, and has conducted choirs at the Kids Sing event.[1] She leads choirs at St Cuthbert's College in Auckland.[1]
Cornish co-authored the New Zealand Ukulele Handbook for Teachers, with Maria Winder, and the Kiwileles Songbooks series.[1] Cornish is a mentor in the New Zealand Choral Foundation mentorship programme Singing Matters.[4][5] She has also written two editions of the NZ Choral Foundation's Hear Our Voices.[6]
Honours and awards
editIn the 2023 New Year Honours Cornish was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the performing arts.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "New Year Honours List 2023 - Citations for Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)". www.dpmc.govt.nz. 31 December 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
- ^ "Events - Ukulele Festival Turns Ten". NZ Musician. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ "Ukulele festival celebrates 10 years with 2000 players". RNZ. 3 December 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ "Let's Get Singing: Mentoring for teachers". NZ Choral Federation. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
- ^ "Choral Leaders Honoured". NZ Choral Federation. 25 June 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
- ^ "SIEBA speaker bios: Mary Cornish" (PDF). Schools International Education Business Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
External links
edit- Cornish talking on Radio Wammo about Ukele event in 2011