About the Adam Chamber Music Festival

Introduction

The Adam Chamber Music Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary at the beginning of 2009. Running over 16 days from 23 January to 7 February, it present 42 events in the wonderful environment of the 'Top of the South' region.

Joint Artistic Directors, Helene Pohl and Gillian Ansell, invited 42 leading musicians and seven New Zealand composers to travel to Nelson for this biennial event.

With us in spirit was the German composer, Felix Mendelssohn as we celebrated his 200th birthday during the Festival period. Like the other Northern Hemisphere musicians and overseas Festival supporters, he escaped the harsh northern winter to enjoy a gorgeous Nelson summer.

Wellington's Dominion Post reviewer, Lindis Taylor said of the Adam Festival ..."it's a major festival in international terms and the only music festival in New Zealand that can foot it with the best in Europe." Regular patrons left the 2009 Festival calling it "the best ever" and confirmed its reputation as New Zealand's national chamber music festival.

Artistic Directors

Helene Pohl

Born in Ithaca, New York to German parents, Helene Pohl spent her childhood on both sides of the Atlantic and began her musical studies at age four. After attending the Musikhochschule in Cologne she continued her studies with members of the Cleveland Quartet at the Eastman School of Music and at Indiana University with Josef Gingold.

She toured internationally as first violinist of the San Francisco based Fidelio String Quartet 1988-1993 and joined the New Zealand String Quartet as first violinist in February 1994. She has also performed concertos with the Vector Wellington Orchestra and Auckland Chamber Orchestra, solo recitals at the Taupo and NZ International Arts Festivals and teaches violin and chamber music at Victoria University.

Gillian Ansell

Born in Auckland, New Zealander Gillian Ansell made her concerto debut as violinist with the Auckland Symphonia (Auckland Philharmonia) at 16 years of age. She was awarded an Associated Board Scholarship to the Royal College of Music, London where she won several prizes on violin and viola.

She took up a German Academic Exchange DAAD scholarship at the Musikhochschule in Cologne with Igor Ozim and the Amadeus Quartet. After working professionally in London for three years she returned to New Zealand in 1987 to become a founding member of the New Zealand String Quartet. In the 2008 New Year's Honours list she became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM).

Adam Chamber Music Festival Management

Colleen Marshall

Colleen Marshall was born and educated in Nelson and went on to further study at Christchurch Teachers' College and Canterbury University. Until retirement, she was Head of Music at Nelson College for Girls. She was Chair of the Nelson Arts Council for 12 years and a member of the Board of Creative New Zealand with the specific tasks of chairing the Music Panel.

Colleen Marshall is currently Chair of the Nelson Music Festival Trust which administers the Adam Festival of Chamber Music. She does voluntary work at the local community Radio station FreshFM, is Conductor of the Nelson Male Voice Choir and a member of the Board of the NZSO.

Other Board members are Janet Smith (Treasurer - Nelson business woman), Diana Marsh (arts administrator), Tony Stallard (Solicitor: Stallard Law), Hugo Judd (former Official Secretary to the Governor-General) and Roger Taylor (chartered accountant and independent financial consultant).

Roger Lloyd

Roger Lloyd became Manager of the Adam Chamber Music Festival in September 2007. Born in the English Midlands and formerly a professional clarinettist, he was General Manager of the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast, Artistic Manager of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and General Manager of the Wellington Sinfonia (now the Vector Wellington Orchestra).

As an independent music consultant, he held temporary appointments as Director of Expressions Arts and Entertainment Centre and Acting Manager of the New Zealand String Quartet. He currently manages the Classical Expressions series of concerts in Upper Hutt and is Registrar to the Institute of Registered Music Teachers of NZ. He is heard regularly as a presenter on Radio New Zealand Concert and contributes to a variety of publications.

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