The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship Grant enabled us to research, learn from and collaborate with:
Maria Guinand, Director of Schola Cantorum de Venezuela, internationally acclaimed Choral Director, inspiring Sharon Thorburn, Titus Alapati, and a young intern of Schola Cantorum. (Winston Churchill Fellowship Research Grant trip to Venezuela).
Caracas, Venezuela, Mother Maria Luisa & Sharon
Caracas, Venezuela, Mother Maria Luisa stands with Sharon in the school she built that feeds, clothes and educates the children of the barrio slum labelled a 'killing field'. She is living proof that neither intimidation nor hopelessness can penetrate faith and courage. That courage will now been written into the lives of our Kotuku children. ( Sharon's Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship Report).
Kotuku hosts Schola Cantorum de Venezuela Graduate Paul Sojo.
Paul Sojo, (seen above), founder and former director of Proyecto Coral Curiepe; music teacher and conductor at Schola Cantorum de Venezuela's children; was later hosted by Kotuku to conduct workshops alongside Simon Toyne (Tiffin Boys Choir) and David Price, (Northern Ireland community liaison) in Wellington, New Zealand.
David Price, Community Liaison Officer hosted by Kotuku.
David, alongside Simon Toyne and Paul Sojo, was hosted in Wellington by Kotuku Choir, adding his expertise gained from working on many international collaborative community initiatives, including Boston City Singers under the direction of Jane Money, and Northern Ireland’s Corymeela Community.
Dr. Richard Nickerson, Choral Director for Windham School Singers of Maine hosted Kotuku on tour U.S.A. 27/12/2007 - 24/01/2008.
Kotuku is grateful for the hospitality of The New Zealand High Commission in both London U.K. & in Washington D.C. U.S.A., during our 2007 - 08 international tour.
Mark Churchill, El Sistema USA , welcomes Sharon as Guest Speaker at the pilot El Sistema Doctorate programme at New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, U.S.A.
2009: Kotuku reciprocally hosts Tiffin Boys Choir of London, and their iconic director, Simon Toyne, (part-funded by the Royal Opera House, London), seen here alongside Kotuku at the Wellington Convention Centre.
Jane Money, Founding Director of Boston City Singers, an award winning urban youth choir, hosts Sharon & later Sharon and Kotuku youth leader, Titus Alapati, to workshop and perform music of the Pacific Rim.
Founding Director of Pihcintu, award winning Composer, Con Fullam & Sharon meet in Maine to discuss vision and future Kotuku -Pihcintu collaboration. The Pihcintu Multicultural Chorus helps restart young lives. War-torn villages, bloodshed, refugee camps, famine, and political turmoil were devastating realities for many of these young singers before being embraced by the warmth, companionship and harmony that Pihcintu provides.
Daniel Rodriquez, New York Tenor, hosted by Kotuku
Daniel performs with Kotuku at the Wellington Convention Centre. We are hugely grateful for his generosity of heart. He profoundly inspired the youth of two representative Wellington region schools, Wellington Cathedral Choir, Tiffin Boys Choir who gathered around Kotuku to sing beside him.
Kotuku performs at Von Trapp Family Lodge, Vermont.
Kotuku Choir tour 2007: Sharon Thorburn and Maria Von Trapp share a precious moment after kotuku choir performance; Von Trapp Lodge, Vermont, USA