Dr Karen Grylls CNZM is an Honorary Associate Professor in Choral Conducting at the University of Auckland, with a distinguished career impacting choral music globally. She led the New Zealand Youth Choir from 1989 to 2011, founded Voices NZ in 1998, and served as Artistic Director for these two acclaimed national choirs and the NZ Secondary Student’s Choir until 2024, culminating in her 2025 appointment as Artistic Director Emerita to Choirs Aotearoa NZ. Her ensembles have achieved international recognition, including the Silver Rose Bowl in the BBC Let the Peoples Sing competition and being named NZYC Choir of the World at Llangollen.
At the University of Auckland, Dr Grylls established a prestigious postgraduate conducting pathway, mentoring numerous prize-winning conductors. Her significant services to choral music were recognized with an Auckland University Distinguished Teaching Award, and appointments as an Officer (1999) and Companion (2023) of the New Zealand Order of Merit, alongside two national citations for services to New Zealand music.
Globally, Dr Grylls is a highly sought-after adjudicator for competitions in Bali, Taipei, Tolosa, and Marktoberdorf, and she regularly conducts international masterclasses and workshops. She has been a plenary speaker at major conferences and served as a jury member for the International Tokyo Choir Competition. Her online lectures have reached audiences across Toronto, Los Angeles, Boston, Montreal, Sydney, Philadelphia, and Helsinki.
