2026 Conductors
Fellows
Lior Balachness
Born in 2001, Lior is an accomplished opera and orchestral conductor who has assisted renowned conductors and is also a skilled percussionist, oboist, and pianist.
Lior is a 2025 Conducting Fellow with the NZSO and assists Maestro Marc Taddei with Orchestra Wellington. Lior has attended masterclasses across Europe and served as an associate conductor at the Cameri Theatre. In 2024, he was appointed assistant conductor for the Haifa Symphony Orchestra's production of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore and has conducted a production of La Bohème in Italy.
He holds a B.Mus. in Orchestral Conducting from the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, where he received guidance from distinguished conductors such as Maestro Dan Ettinger, Maestro Lahav Shani, and Maestro Zubin Mehta. Lior has conducted and coached various operas and musicals, inspiring others with his dedication, and has worked with most of Israel's orchestras, including the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, the Buchmann-Mehta Symphony Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and the Israeli Camerata Orchestra, among others.
He is currently studying at the New Zealand School of Music towards his master’s in performance and composition.
Robertanna Moa
I am a passionate musician, educator, and evolving conductor. I teach strings and brass to students from year 2 to year 13, as well as school leavers, at Sistema Aotearoa. As a member of V7 (Dominant Seven), I perform a wide variety of musical styles with my group, which allows me to explore different genres and continue developing my craft. It also allows me to gain experience in organising and arranging for a music group. This experience has been wonderful, thanks to the support of Creative NZ’s Early Career Fund. I am dedicated to evolving my skills and creating innovative musical experiences that inspire and connect with others.
Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to serve as an NZSO Associate Conducting Fellow, gaining invaluable experience as a guest conductor and assisting Brent Stewart for Mana Moana 2025 in Wellington. I’ve also been involved in working on the soundtrack for a short film, which has been a rewarding challenge and a significant step in my career development.
Throughout my journey, I’ve learned a great deal by observing talented conducting fellows and learning from Hamish McKeich and James Judd. The positive feedback I’ve received from orchestras and audiences has inspired me to keep pushing forward.
Wayne Gao
Wayne Gao is a conductor, composer, and musician dedicated to the expressive power of contemporary and classical music. He is a SOUNZ Composer and a CANZ member. Wayne aspires to create music that resonates deeply with audiences through profound emotion and to positively impact society with innovative ideas and a unique artistic vision, in the hope of making the world a better place.
Wayne was a 2025 NZSO Conducting Fellow, studied under the guidance of Hamish McKeich and James Judd and conducting the NZSO during the Fellowship. In September 2025, he assisted Gemma New for the NZSO’s Mahler 6 programme. In August 2025, he conducted the NZSO Open Doors Tamariki Time concerts with NYO musicians. In May 2025, he conducted Sibelius at the APO Conducting Masterclass with the guidance of Shiyeon Sung. In 2024, he conducted the world premiere of his work, A Nightingale in the Darkness, with the NZSO during the CANZ Workshop, and he conducted Stravinsky’s Octet at the OCT Ensemble Workshop.
As a composer, Wayne’s orchestral work, Azathoth, was premiered by the NZSO, conducted by Hamish McKeich, at the 2025 Todd Young Composer Awards. His piano trio, Gothic, was premiered by the NZTrio at the 2025 NZTrio Composition Competition. His chamber work, Cloud Clusters, received a prize at the 2025 Douglas Lilburn Trust Composition Prize in Auckland. His string quartet Nature Sketches was read by APO musicians in October 2025.
Associate Fellow
Athena Shiu
Born in Hong Kong, Athena Shiu is an active conductor, trombonist, and educator based in Tāmaki Makaurau. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Classical Trombone Performance from the University of Auckland, and has performed with ensembles including Bach Musica, Opus Orchestra, the NZSO National Youth Orchestra, and Auckland Youth Orchestra.
Athena has learnt from various conductors, including Christoph Altstaedt, Benjamin Northey, Michael Joel, and Jono Palmer. Her current conducting engagement includes Youth Orchestra Waikato, NZ Youth Symphonic Winds, Uniband Jazz Band, and Uniband.
Athena has taught at various schools which have fostered a passion for education through community and collaboration. She wishes to utilise these experiences and continue to create environments where musicians feel supported, empowered, and collectively invested in the music-making process.
Langakali Halapua
Langakali Halapua is a Tongan-New Zealand conductor, violinist, and educator, with roots in Lapaha (Tongatapu) and Hihifo (Niuatoputapu), Tonga, and Thames, Aotearoa. Guided by lalanga—the Tongan practice of weaving together diverse strands—she leads with collaborative, culturally grounded artistry. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University of Auckland. Langakali was selected for the inaugural 2022 Creative NZ Pasifika Conductors Masterclass, is a recipient of the 2023–24 NZSO Conducting Fellowship, and completed the 2025 Louise Crossley Conductor Training Program with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. She is Music Director of the West City String Orchestra and Chiron Academy Strings, Acting Music Director of the North Shore Concert Band, and guest conductor for the South Auckland Youth Academy Orchestra (SAYAO). She also co-directs Talanoa Books, publishing original Tongan literature and philosophy.
Hua Wu
I am a PhD candidate in Creative Practice, focusing on choral conducting and community choirs in Aotearoa New Zealand and China. My current project compares community choirs in Auckland and Wuhan, exploring how history, cultural context, rehearsal practice, and organisational structures shape the sound and social life of ensembles.
Alongside my research, I am an active practitioner: I treat rehearsals, performances, and workshops as sites for practice-based research and artistic experimentation, constantly reflecting on gesture, rehearsal language, and collaboration.
Before starting my PhD, I worked in China as a university choral conducting teacher and took part in many choir competitions and performances, which gave me solid experience in both teaching and performance preparation. I am particularly interested in cross-cultural programming, collaborative rehearsal techniques, and creating inclusive musical spaces where singers of different backgrounds and abilities can feel challenged, supported, and artistically engaged. I aim to connect communities through shared music.
Linda-Heart Filimoehala
Linda-Heart Filimoehala is a Tongan musician and conductor from Auckland whose career reflects both artistic excellence and a deep commitment to community. In 2013, she made history as the first Pacific Islander and first Euphonium player to reach the finals of the Auckland University Graduation Gala Concerto Competition. She went on to dominate the New Zealand Concert Band Association solo circuit, earning five consecutive Golds in the open age category from 2017 to 2022.
Linda has performed with several respected ensembles, including the Auckland City Youth and Senior Bands, The Smiths Locksmiths Manukau City Brass Band, and the Royal Air Force Brass Band. She currently serves as Principal Euphonium for Waitakere Auckland Brass, the Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery Brass, and Central Auckland Brass.
Her leadership continues to grow across Aotearoa. She was recently appointed National Secondary Schools Brass Band Music Director for 2025 and 2026, and she is an active adjudicator for brass band solo competitions. In 2015, she and her family founded a free music academy supporting young musicians who would otherwise lack access to lessons and instruments.
Driven by cultural pride, service, and a genuine love for music, Linda remains dedicated to developing the next generation of Māori and Pasifika musicians through performance, education, and mentorship.
Interns
Esther Oh
Esther studies at the University of Auckland, and performed in the Anne-Sophie Mutter and Maxim Vengerov NZSO masterclasses. In 2024, Esther represented New Zealand at the Pacific Alliance of Music Schools Summit in Thailand. Esther was concertmaster for the National Youth Orchestra two years in a row, and has also played with the NZSO. They were the inaugural NZSO NYO exchange student for the 2025 Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp in Adelaide. They were a Young Artist at the 2025 Michael Hill Whakatipu Music Festival for both violin and conducting, working with Dr Karen Grylls and many international guest artists. Esther was also accepted into the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra conducting programme which involved workshops throughout the year under the guidance of Benjamin Northey. A graduate of the New Zealand String Quartet Adam Summer School, Esther enjoys playing chamber music with friends on violin but even more so on viola.
Toloa Faraimo
Toloa is a multidisciplinary artist from Porirua, Wellington, with roots from Fakaofo, Tokelau, and Namacu, Koro Island (Fiji). He began learning piano at age six and discovered the violin at twelve through the Virtuoso Strings in-schools programme at Rangikura School. In 2016, he commenced violin studies with Elizabeth Sneyd and soon after passed his Grade Eight Trinity Violin Exam with merit.
In 2018, Toloa received an internship with Orchestra Wellington, where he gained invaluable coaching from Concertmaster Amalia Hall and Helene Pohl. The following year, he led two ensembles in the NZCT Chamber Music Contest; both groups advanced to the national final, with the string quartet Sixteen Strings winning the overall prize and the Virtuoso Strings Octet receiving the People’s Choice Award.
From 2021, Toloa studied at Te Kōkī – New Zealand School of Music under the tutelage of Helene Pohl and Martin Riseley. He later appeared as a featured artist at the 2022 Martinborough Music Festival, collaborating with Wilma Smith, Gillian Ansell, and a number of other talented musicians.
Toloa currently tutors and co-ordinates a youth orchestra based in Porirua with Malaga Sā, where they rehearse weekly and distribute free stringed instruments and group lessons to school-aged children in Porirua. Toloa firmly believes that the arts should be accessible to all. He sees the innate storytelling of the arts - with its ability to communicate lived experiences and foster human connection - as its most vital and transformative quality.
David Codd
David Codd is a New Zealand-born horn player and pianist. Originally from New Plymouth, New Zealand, David undertook a Bachelor of Music 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 horn player, pianist, and conductor. 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, Auckland Philharmonia, 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, as well as orchestral keyboard for NZSO and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra.
David is Music Director of Capital City Wind Band, Wellington Combined Colleges Concert Band, and the Wellington High School Concert Band.
When David isn’t immersed in music he can be found on any of Wellington’s beautiful trails and walkways.