About Us
Violas
| Vyvyan Yendoll | Principal Viola |
| Brian Shillito | Sub Principal |
| Peter Barber | Assistant Sub Principal |
| Michael Cuncannon | |
| Anna Debnam | |
| Lisa Egen | |
| Jenaro Garita | |
| Norbert Heuser | |
| Lyndsay Mountfort | |
| Phillip Rose | |
| Belinda Veitch | |
| Peter van Drimmelen |
*The NZSO String Sections operate under a rotation system and are listed here alphabetically
VYVYAN YENDOLL
Principal Viola Emeritus
Vyvyan was born in the United Kingdom and studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. After freelancing for two years he came to New Zealand in 1962 where he became Sub-Principal Viola with NZSO, making him the longest standing member of the Orchestra. He also played in the Alex Lindsay String Orchestra and the early New Zealand String Quartet also with Alex Lindsay and was a founding member of the NZSO Chamber Orchestra. Vyv was appointed NZSO Principal Viola in 1964 and stepped down from this position in 2008. He has frequently appeared as soloist with the NZSO, notably in premiere performances of the John Rimmer and Chris Cree Brown Viola Concertos. He is actively engaged in teaching and chamber music throughout New Zealand. In 2005 he was awarded an ONZM for his services to music.Vyvyan spends a lot of time down in Charteris Bay, Lyttlelton. His hobbies are dogs, Welsh racing sardines, and inventing.
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BRIAN SHILLITO
Sub-Principal
Christchurch born, Brian first joined the NZSO in 1973 for 18 months before heading to the USA for advanced study. He spent six years working with orchestras in Canada and London before returning to the NZSO in 1980 as Sub-Principal Viola. Brian enjoys travelling, reading, collecting antique furniture and paintings, and, when the opportunity arises, he dons boots and pack and heads for New Zealand’s wonderful mountains and bush.
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PETER BARBER
Assistant Sub-Principal
Peter learnt from Zillah Castle, before becoming a member of the NZSO Schola Musica, studying with NZSO Principal Viola Emeritus, Vyvyan Yendoll. He is also a graduate of the Cologne Music Academy, where his course of study included tuition from professor of viola, Rainer Moog and members of the Amadeus String Quartet.
Over the years Peter has played in the NZSO Chamber Orchestra, New Zealand String Quartet, the New Zealand Soloists, Nevine String Quartet and the Amazon Trio. He also works regularly with his sister, concert accompanist Mary Barber, and is a viola tutor at the New Zealand Music School. Peter plays a viola made in the early ’70’s by Otto Erdesz.
Peter also enjoys choral singing and has sung in Cantoris, Bel Canto and Nota Bene.
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MICHAEL CUNCANNON
Born in Maidstone, England, Michael was educated in Auckland at Westlake Boys High School. Michael was introduced to the violin at the age of 8 and at 15 he converted to the viola, studying with Glynne Adams at Auckland University. He completed a Diploma of Music in 1976 at Auckland University, and also attended Masterclasses with Wolfram Christ at Adelaide University in 1981. He joined the NZSO in 1977. During 1990 he received an NZSO bursary, to study in London with Simon Rolland-Jones. He is the proud owner of a 1977 viola made by Ian Sweetman in Hamilton, New Zealand. He and his wife, Berys, also a viola player, have four children. Michael enjoys wine, cooking, and the ‘Great Outdoors’.
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ANNA DEBNAM
LISA EGEN
Lisa was born in Christchurch and despite moving to Wellington at 17 still thinks of herself as a Cantabrian. After leaving school she spent two years studying violin in the now defunct Schola Musica, five years in the violin section of the NZSO, then claims she ‘saw the light’ and joined the viola section. She says she has never been happier and can proudly claim to be the only blonde Irish woman in the section. Aside from the viola, her passions include red wine, beaches, a good book, tramping, her two sons and travel.
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JENARO GARITA
NORBERT HEUSER
Born near Cologne, Germany, Norbert studied at the Musikhochschule Koeln in Cologne and became a member of the Bonn Orchestra. In 1974, while visiting his brother in Hawke’s Bay, Norbert successfully auditioned for the NZSO (then the NZBC Symphony Orchestra). He married a New Zealander in 1980 and they have two children. His hobbies include woodwork, building houses, and rollerblading.
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LYNDSAY MOUNTFORT
Lyndsay studied at the University of Canterbury under Elizabeth Rogers, and at the Schola Musica of the NZSO under Vyvyan Yendoll. He joined the NZSO in 1983 before moving to London in 1987 for further study with Simon Rowland-Jones, and experience with leading London orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Lyndsay returned to the NZSO in 1991.
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PHILLIP ROSE
Phillip Rose was the Principal Violist of the orchestras in Toledo, Omaha, and New Orleans (USA) before joining the NZSO in 1994. Phillip was active as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher. As a member of the 1986 World Philharmonic in Rio de Janeiro, he first heard about the NZSO from NZSO Sub-Principal Violist Brian Shillito, who was also a WPO member that year. Phillip has performed at the New Zealand Festival of Chamber Music and with the NZSO Chamber Orchestra. As a Trustee of the Michael Monaghan Young Musicians Foundation, Phillip works with many NZSO colleagues to provide performing opportunities for young instrumentalists in the Wellington region. He is collaborating with NZSO colleagues Lyndsay Mountfort and Peter Sharman in the development of Impresario (www.impresario.cc), the web-based orchestral management software currently being implemented by the NZSO. Phillip’s wife, Mable Wong, is the NZSO’s Principal Music Librarian.
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BELINDA VEITCH
Belinda studied with Vyvyan Yendoll at the Wellington Polytechnic’s Executant Music Course, and the NZSO Schola Musica. She was a finalist in the inaugural TVNZ Young Musician’s Competition in 1982. In 1986 she was appointed Principal Viola with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra before joining the NZSO Viola section in 1989, after period of viola study in London.
She is married to Brenton Veitch (cello) and they have two sons. Her hobbies are chamber music, cooking, gardening, skiing, Pilates and tramping. In 2007 Belinda attended an Outward Bound Course, which she found incredibly invigorating, and extremely challenging both mentally and physically.
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PETER VAN DRIMMELEN
Peter began his musical training on the violin, changing later to viola. After completing his studies at the Utrecht Conservatorium in Holland, he was appointed co-principal of the Zuid Hollands Gewestelijk Begeleidings Orkest in Delft. He has been Principal Violist for the Hawke’s Bay Regional Orchestra, a member of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, played in the Auckland String Quartet, and in 1987 joined the NZSO.
In 1996 he set up the Michael Monaghan Young Musicians Foundation and the Academy of St Andrew’s-on-the-Terrace consisting mainly of NZSO personnel, which he regularly conducts. The Foundation fills a vacuum for young people between starting an instrument at a young age and concerto competition. He has recorded numerous broadcasts for Radio New Zealand and has been a guest soloist and conductor with the Wellington Chamber Orchestra, Manawatu Sinfonia and St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra in Auckland.
Peter also has other roles within the orchestra: he is travel officer, looks after the coffee machine and does the cello roster, all of which he has done for many years.
