About Us
Cellos
| David Chickering | Principal |
| Allan Chisholm | Associate Principal |
| Brigid O'Meeghan | Assistant Sub Principal |
| Roger Brown | |
| Eleanor Carter | |
| Robert Ibell | |
| Annemarie Meijers | |
| Sally Pollard | |
| Rowan Prior |
*The NZSO String Sections operate under a rotation system and are listed here alphabetically
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DAVID CHICKERING
Principal Cello
Born and raised in upstate New York, David began his musical studies on the piano at the age of 5. The cello was added a few years later after a brief and embarrassing stint with the baritone horn. After completing a performance degree at Northwestern University and prior to his appointment to the NZSO, David was a member of several orchestras worldwide including those in Milwaukee, Syracuse, Chicago, Santa Fe, San Jose (Costa Rica) and Auckland. But his first orchestra was the Little Falls Symphony where, at the age of 12, he would help the conductor, Leon Dussault, set up the chairs and stands before each Monday night rehearsal. Firmly denied permission to move any furniture by the NZSO Operations Staff, David spends his time rollerblading with his son, playing piano quartets, piano trios, and table tennis.
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ALLAN CHISHOLM
Associate Principal
A native New Zealander, Allan went to London in 1969, where he studied at the Royal Academy and played in several London orchestras. Allan returned to New Zealand and joined the NZSO in 1974, where he is currently Associate Principal Cello. He was a founding member and Principal Cello of the NZSO Chamber Orchestra. Allan is married to Anne and they have three adult children. Other interests include chamber music and walking.
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BRIGID O'MEEGHAN
Assistant Sub Principal
Brigid was born and educated in Christchurch. In 1977 at the age of 19, she was appointed to the NZSO and in 1979 moved to London for further study. From 1981 to 1989, Brigid was a member of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra during which time she performed extensively throughout Asia and taught at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. In August 1989, Brigid returned to New Zealand to the NZSO and in 1991 was appointed Assistant Sub-Principal Cello. In 1990 Brigid was appointed cello coach of the Asian Youth Orchestra which convenes during July and August in Hong Kong. Her final and most memorable season was in 1997 when the orchestra collaborated with cellist Yo Yo Ma in Tan Dun’s epic Symphony 1997 Heaven Earth Mankind to mark the handover of Hong Kong to China. Brigid has also coached the cellos of the Australian Youth Orchestra, the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, the Wellington Youth Orchestra and Wellington Sinfonietta. From 1999 to 2004, Brigid was Coordinator of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra. A personal orchestral highlight occurred in Auckland in 2001 when her stand partner for the second half of the concert was cellist Lynn Harrell, who had just played Shostakovich's 2nd Cello Concerto. He decided on the spur of the moment to join the cello section to play Brahms' 2nd Symphony. In her spare time, Brigid enjoys getting outdoors either walking or cycling and if the weather is bad, will cook up a storm in the kitchen or curl up with a good book.
ROGER BROWN
Cellist, Roger Brown, joined the NZSO in 1999, having returned to New Zealand after 23 years based in London working as a freelance chamber orchestra and ensemble player. A native of Christchurch, a Canterbury University graduate, and winner of the New Zealand National Concerto Competition, Roger went to London after being awarded a scholarship at the International Festival of Youth Orchestra and studied with William Pleeth, Jacqueline du Pré, and Antonio Janigro. Away from the orchestra, Roger is a keen tramper and also enjoys kayaking, cycling and gardening.
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ELEANOR CARTER
Eleanor Carter studied cello at Auckland University with Coral Bognuda, gaining a BMus(perf ). In 1990 she won a scholarship from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music which, along with a grant from the QEII Arts Council, enabled her to study at the Royal College of Music, London, with Christopher Bunting. Whilst there, she won several major College chamber music prizes and gave regular recitals both in England and abroad. After completing a Master of Music degree, she spent two years in London as a freelance musician, giving chamber music concerts, playing in various orchestras and teaching. In 1997 Eleanor became a member of the cello section in the NZSO. After starting organ lessons with Douglas Mews, in July 2001, she took up the position of Organ Scholar at St. John’s in the City, Wellington. Eleanor has since been made Music Director.
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ROBERT IBELL
Robert was born in Dannevirke and brought up mostly in Palmerston North. At age 10 he wanted to play the clarinet but somehow ended up with the cello. While qualifying as a primary school teacher in Palmerston North he had cello lessons from Judy Hyatt in Wellington. After a very brief stint in the classroom he headed off to London for seven years with his partner, Jane. There, he studied cello privately with Tania Hunt, Derek Simpson and Christopher Bunting while working in various clerical jobs and playing in various amateur and professional orchestras. He returned to New Zealand in 1992, and took up his current job as a section cellist in the NZSO in 1993. He teaches cello and plays a lot of chamber music, as part of the Nevine String Quartet and contemporary group Stroma. Along with Jane he’s active in a national cycling advocacy organisation. He’s also keen on eating and drinking, tramping, cycle touring, and guiding at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary.
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ANNEMARIE MEIJERS
Annemarie has been in the NZSO since 1994. She started learning the cello in a Saturday morning music class, a little by accident, as she had wanted to play the violin, but all the small violins for hire had gone! There was still a room full of small cellos, though, so she came home with one and is really glad it worked out that way.
Annemarie gained a BMus.(Perf.) from Auckland University before moving to Wellington in the 1980s. After a period of study in Boston, Annemarie started doing casual work in the NZSO, before acquiring a good cello and then getting a job.
A highlight of her time in the orchestra was the 2005 European Tour, especially the Amsterdam Concertgebouw concert, not only because it’s such a famous Hall, but also because many of her Dutch family came to the concert!
When she’s not working, Annemarie enjoys spending time with her family, travelling and gardening.
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SALLY POLLARD
Sally Pollard joined the NZSO in 2005, shortly after graduating from Cleveland Institute of Music with a Masters of Music degree. She also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Australian National University in her hometown of Canberra, Australia. Sally was a fellowship recipient at the Tanglewood Music Center, USA, for the 2004 Summer Festival and has been a member of the Canberra, Akron and Canton symphony orchestras. Among Sally’s other interests are cycling, tramping and escaping into a good book.
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ROWAN PRIOR
Born in England in 1964 Rowan started to play the cello at the age of six. She moved to New Zealand in 1975 and studied with Ellen Doyle in Christchurch. At the age of 18 she won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she won several prizes and commendations for solo and chamber music performance, including the prize for ‘Most Promising Student’ in her first year. Once Rowan graduated she spent several years touring Europe, Asia and New Zealand as part of Prelude, a duo of violin and cello. Rowan returned to New Zealand in 1990, where she played with the Wellington Sinfonia before joining the NZSO and the New Zealand Chamber Orchestra. She is also a member of Stroma, a contemporary music group, and Felix the Quartet, with other NZSO players.
