With the departure of Shannon Rego to focus on her studies we needed to find a new administrator. As a result of an opportune meeting at Lewis Eady we happily welcome Miranda Rocca to the AYC Committee. Here’s to a long and fruitful association with the AYC!

On 29 May, AYC performed a brilliant concert at St Michael's in Remuera, once again raising the bar to a new level. Congratulations to Ronnie and the choristers for a fantastic performance!

It was announced at the 2007 AGM that Lucille Ryan, aka Lucy Lawless, has agreed to be a patron of the AYC. Lucy was a founding member of AYC and now joins Mike Lee, Chairman of the Auckland Regional Council as a Patron of the AYC. Go Lucy!

The Choir is delighted to welcome Mrs Ronnie Karadjov as our new Conductor and Director of Music. Already she has displayed great enthusiasm and initiative by putting an exciting draft programme of performances and music together for 2007. Her qualifications and experience as a teacher, performer, conductor, composer and arranger are impressive and we look forward to a long and rewarding association together.

Ronnie is a native of Bulgaria where she did her musical training. At the age of 14 she was accepted into the Secondary School of Music in Sofia as a percussion student and she continued her studies at the Bulgarian Music Academy, majoring in choir conducting and musicology. She was a member of the prestigious Sofia Lady’s Chamber Choir and was hooked for life with a love for choral singing. After graduating from the Music Academy Ronnie taught Functional Harmony at the Secondary School of Music in Sofia. In 1992 she left Bulgaria for Swaziland, Southern Africa, where she spent the next 11 years working as a music teacher in a primary school and as HOD at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College and as founder and conductor of various choirs.

Ronnie came to New Zealand in 2003 as guest conductor for the Garden City Male Voice Choir (Christchurch) after which she accepted a position at Te Kauwhata College as HOD of music where she set up a thriving department. She came to Auckland 18 months ago with her husband and young son and she is currently teaching at Diocesan School for Girls where she has already made her mark by directing the Diocesan choir, Bella Cantoris, which was named Best Junior Choir at the Auckland Big Sing in 2006.

To find out even more about our new conductor, have a look at her website, www.ronmus.com. It makes impressive reading!