About Claire

I am a Vocal Coach and Healer and I established Musicatalyst Studio to help people harness the power of the voice for personal and societal change.

I was for many years the Performing Arts Manager and Director of Choral Music and the vocal program at Dilworth School where I realised that my passion lay in unlocking the vast potential of ourselves when we face our vulnerabilities. My students may have begun their journeys at school, but they are now performing on the great stages of Europe, Australia, Asia and America. They have learnt how to be the very best version of themselves, not only as singers but as performers, colleagues, story tellers and creatives.

Whether you are someone who claims they cannot sing, or a performer who has areas of weakness you want to delve into and strengthen, this is the work that lights my fire. I especially love working with people who have been told they cannot sing, and witnessing the joy that comes from overcoming this barrier and the personal changes that flow on from this.

The Dilworth choir "Fortissimo" is known worldwide for its curation and performance of works in Te Reo Māori, commissioned and composed for the choir, and for their innovative medleys of works in Pasifika languages. The connection to place and people is so vital in understanding our place in the world.

My work with multi award winning operatic trio Sol3 Mio has seen me tour New Zealand many times and travel overseas as their accompanist, and as Musical Director on their DVD "Ladies and Gentlemen - Sol3 Mio in concert".

As well as offering 1:1 and group training sessions, I am on staff at the University of Auckland as a vocal coach, the Dame Kiri te Kanawa Foundation, the Auckland Opera Studio, and involved in a range of choirs and other initiatives including the Auckland Youth Choir, Auckland Choral Society and diverse community and school choirs. My connection to Dilworth is ongoing, primarily through my mentoring relationships provided by the Staples Education Foundation. I have been involved for over 30 years with the NZAria competition, which has launched the careers of many of our successful opera singers.