Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand's purpose is to create, nurture and promote vocal excellence in choral singing. Our objective is to sustain and promote three complementary but distinct choirs. An internationally renowned professional choir - Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir and two youth choirs which inspires and develops New Zealand's extraordinary young talent, the nationally selected New Zealand Youth Choir and the New Zealand Secondary Student's Choir. The New Zealand Youth Choir has achieved considerable success since its formation in 1979. Touring nationally in New Zealand and every years to destinations overseas, the choir has won many awards including the ‘Choir of the World’ title at the International Music Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales and the ‘Grand Prix Slovakia’. The Choir is presently led by Artistic Director Dr Karen Grylls and Music Director David Squire. Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir was formed in 1998 with Dr Karen Grylls as its Music Director. As a nationally selected choir of the highest calibre, Voices NZ is a chamber choir that is flexible in size, and capable of performing a wide repertoire. Many of the singers are alumni of the New Zealand Youth Choir. Highlights for Voices New Zealand include: winning gold and silver awards at the Tolosa International Choral Competition in Spain (1998), collaboration with Aradia Ensemble from Canada resulting in the completion of a world premiere recording of the Vanhal Masses, "Spirit of the Land" wins Best Classical Album at the 2006 NZ Music Awards, representing New Zealand at 9th International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf, Germany, and performing Mahler's Symphony No 8, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy, with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (2010). Voice NZ’s CD ‘Voice of the Soul’ on the Atoll label was released in 2014. Choirs Aotearoa also manages the biennial National Choral Academy and the newly established annual choral composition competition COMPOASE AOTEAROA!