Performing Arts Faculty

Stephen has been a staple of the New Zealand jazz scene since his return to NZ in 2000 after spending a few years performing and studying music in Europe and the USA.

As an alto and soprano saxophone specialist, he has performed and recorded regularly with many of Auckland's leading jazz musicians. Stephen has performed at many national festivals and has been part of the headline acts several times at the annual Tauranga Jazz and Blues Festival.

A passionate educator, Stephen has managed music programmes and conducted a large range of ensembles at prestigious Auckland schools. He has a passion for musical theatre and believes that involvement in the arts is of great value to all students.

Driven by a desire to create better performance opportunities for secondary age students, in 2013 he founded the Auckland Jazz Competition in association with the Auckland Jazz and Blues Club and Pete McGregor Music.

Michael has been a teacher at St Peter’s since 2010. He is passionate about the integration of Music Technology with traditional music making mediums in the classroom and the opportunities this creates for students.

As a percussionist and drummer, Michael has performed in a wide range of groups, from orchestras through to rock bands. Alongside his classroom teaching, he has been involved in the creation of co-curricular groups such as Petra Uke (ukulele ensemble), Impact (senior percussion ensemble), and has grown the Prep Rock Band programme to encourage opportunities for younger students. In the past ten years he has been more involved in Musical Theatre for Hamilton Operatic Society and various other local groups.

He has a Bachelor of Media Arts in Commercial Music with Honours from WINTEC and a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching from The University of Waikato.

Renate’s varied theatre background sees her deliver a full and passionate programme to drama students with an emphasis on both onstage and backstage/technical components. With extensive drama and theatre networks throughout New Zealand, St Peter’s students gain full benefit from Renate’s enthusiastic teaching and knowledge.

Renate has many accomplishments to her name. When studying at Waikato University she was a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholar for Theatre and also President of the university’s theatre club, Upstage. In 2006 she won a Waikato Blues Award for Services to the Creative and Performing Arts. Renate has a passion for creative writing – particularly playwriting, and has had several pieces of her work published. Renate won a considerable grant to have her multi-media play The Ticket performed by Hillary Scholars at the University of Waikato, which she also designed, produced and directed. Renate has performed and worked with various theatre groups in the Waikato including performing at the Summer Garden’s festival as Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and working as David Sidwell’s Second Assistant for Hamilton Operatic productions of Avenue Q and Mamma Mia. Her most recent accomplishment is her appointment as the Waikato Regional Representative for the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand, which means St Peter’s will be hosting the Sheilah Winn Competition for Waikato in 2017.

After completing the I.B Diploma in Switzerland, Renate O’Sullivan returned to New Zealand to complete her Bachelor of Arts (Theatre Major) and then a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching at the University of Waikato.

Marg is a longstanding member of the St Peter’s staff who has worked for the past eight years in the Music and Performing Arts Faculty (PFA) as Coordinator. She is extremely passionate about performing arts and does an incredible job of providing support for academic staff, itinerant teachers, students and families. In this role she works closely with Victoria and the other Faculty members to coordinate major performance events. Marg is the first port of call for many performing arts families and interested community members at St Peter’s.

Marg is an active member of the Cambridge Squash club and supports the local Cambridge Repertory.

Ashleigh is an accomplished dancer, choreographer and teacher who has been immersed in the Auckland musical theatre scene for the last 10 years. Having moved to the Waikato at the end of 2018, Ashleigh took up the position of HOD of Dance at St Peter’s. Coming from Rangitoto College in Auckland, where she successfully grew the department to double in size, Ashleigh has a wealth of knowledge that helps her students fulfil their potential.

Whilst studying a Bachelor of Dance at Auckland University of Technology, Ashleigh also taught jazz and contemporary for Neverland Studios (one of New Zealand’s leading dance schools) and therefore has a breadth of understanding of both studio and classroom dance teaching. Upon completing her Bachelor, she then gained her Graduate Diploma in Secondary School Teaching and has been teaching ever since. During this time, Ashleigh auditioned successfully for a number of high profile musicals staged at The Civic Theatre in Auckland such as CATS and Mamma Mia! Her passion and talent for musical theatre has seen her work on numerous choreography opportunities including ‘Dogfight’ which won a Northern Area Performance Theatre Awards (NAPTA) award for Best Musical.

St Peter’s is fortunate to have a highly trained and experienced group of musicians teaching in the itinerant music programme. One on one lessons are delivered each week by tutors specializing in a vast range of instruments - from classical voice to electric guitar to banjo, and more. Our tutors are known regionally, nationally, and in some cases internationally for their performance skills and teaching ability, with many of them holding national accolades and titles.