Biography
Alanna joined the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in 2019 after spending the preceding years working for several orchestras in Australia and New Zealand. She is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Shepherd School of Music, Rice University. She was a Fellow with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for two years, and the Tanglewood Music Center for two seasons. Her primary teachers include Scott Pingle, Timothy Pitts, Paul Ellison and Alex Henery.
Although born in the United States, she grew up in the far north of New Zealand. She is a proud alumnus of iconic New Zealand music programmes including Whangārei Youth Music, Auckland Youth Orchestra and the NZSO National Youth Orchestra.
A passionate educator, Alanna teaches all ages and levels but has a particular passion for teaching youngsters the double bass. She was a gymnastics coach for twenty years and has an acute awareness of biomechanics and anatomy. This has helped to inspire an ergonomic approach to playing the bass, enabling her students to access their full playing potential. Alanna is co-founder of Piccolo Bass and the Wellington Music Education Trust.
QUALIFICATIONS
BMUS - San Francisco Conservatory of Music
MMUS - Shepherd School of Music, Rice University