Biography

Judy Bellingham has been involved in music all her life. Her first public performance was in August 1969 in Christchurch, and Christchurch was also the scene of her first professional performance in April 1974 as the soprano soloist in Bach’s St Matthew Passion sung by the Royal Christchurch Musical Society.

Since then Judy has sung with all the major Choral Societies in this country, and with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. She has sung with many of the Opera Companies and has created six New Zealand operatic roles.

Equally at home on the concert stage as the operatic stage, Judy has a reputation for intelligent and different programming. Some of her innovative recitals include Shakespeare’s Heroines and A Floral Bouquet. She is also passionate about New Zealand music and has commissioned, performed and recorded many works from New Zealand composers.

She has performed throughout New Zealand, and has also given recitals in England, America, and Taiwan.

As a clinician, Judy has presented workshops in Australia, England, America and Taiwan, and has taught for Glyndebourne Festival Opera. She is an inspirational teacher and can offer innovative and informative workshops on any vocal or choral issues.

Judy holds a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship with Distinction from the University of Otago, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Canterbury, and an FTCL and an LRSM in solo singing. She is also a trained teacher, holding a Diploma in Teaching from the Christchurch College of Education.

She was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration medal for Community Service, and in 1988 received the Elizabeth Baigent Mid-career Opera Bursary from the New Zealand Opera Society for services to opera.

Judy most recently has been on a concert tour of the Baltic States, Portugal and southern Spain as soprano soloist with the Choir and Orchestra of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch, conducted by Director of Music, Don Whelan. In 2004 she undertook a similar tour of South America, and in 1994/1995 a tour from Moscow to Madrid.

In 2008 she and colleague Terence Dennis undertook a recital tour of Libya, and a visit to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Bahrein is planned for February 2012.

Judy is currently researching the history of the teaching of singing in New Zealand and is Senior Lecturer in Voice at Otago University, New Zealand.

Contemporary New Zealand vocal music

Contemporary New Zealand vocal music is a particular interest of Judy’s and she has commissioned and performed many works by New Zealand composers. A selcetion follows:

Commissioned works:

• Dorothy Buchanan
  • The Blossom of the Branches 1982
  • Mary Magdalene and The Birds 1990. First performed at the NZ International Festival of the Arts, Wellington.
  • The Woman at the Store 1999 and 2001. I performed the title role twice, once in the James Cook Centra and once in the Composing Women’s Festival of Aotearoa.
• John Ritchie Zhivago’s Mary Magdalene Songs 1992, premièred Christchurch 1993, and which I subsequently performed  in Russia and inEngland.
• Anthony Ritchie Berlin Fragments (words by Cilla McQueen, New Zealand poet). Premièred Dunedin 1994, also sung in the UK
• David Hamilton At the Lighting of the Lamps 1996. Premièred in Salt Lake City, USA, in 1997. Also performed in Taiwan.

Some of the premières of New Zealand works performed by Judy:

• Anthony Ritchie, The God Boy, 2004, Mayfair Theatre,, Dunedin.
• John Drummond, Bridge to Somewhere, 2001. Otago Festival of the Arts in 2001 at the Fortune Theatre, Dunedin.
• Anthony Ritchie, The Trapeze Artists, 2001. Otago Festival of the Arts in 2001 at the Fortune Theatre, Dunedin.
• Gillian Whitehead, Outrageous Fortune, 1998. Mayfair Theatre, Dunedin.
• Philip Norman, Christmas Carol ,Canterbury Opera 1993, James Hay Theatre, Christchurch.
• David Hamilton, Paraha 1990 Christchurch Town Hall with the Christchurch Harmonic Society.
• Dorothy Buchanan, Magnificat 1980’s. The Roman Catholic Cathedal, Christchurch.