Jenny Wollerman

Jenny’s career as a singer, and more recently a classical voice lecturer, is inspiring to all girls wishing to pursue their passions in all fields, but particularly cultural. Jenny attended Wellington Girls’ College from 1976-1980 and was involved in many aspects of school life, both sporting and cultural. She took part in athletics, winning the 200m senior sprints in 1980. As well as this, Jenny was involved in many facets of the cultural life of the school, including playing Dido in the school’s production of ‘Dido and Aeneas’. It was her musical talents that she later decided to pursue.

Jenny has had a long and very successful career, so it will be hard to try to condense all her achievements. She completed a Bachelor of Science at Victoria University and after this, attended Wellington Polytechnic for vocal training, achieving a certificate with distinction in executant music. Jenny won a full fees scholarship to study at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, from where she graduated with a Masters of Music in 1991.

Jenny eventually returned to New Zealand and Australia to continue her career as a singer. The critics say that she is noted for expressive interpretations of new and unfamiliar works as well as the classics. She performed all over the world and is a sought after soloist for leading New Zealand arts organisations, most notably the NZ Symphony Orchestra, in the NZ International Arts Festival and for NZ Opera, the State Opera of South Australia and the Tasmanian, West Australian, Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras.

As well as performing, Jenny currently holds the position of Senior Lecturer in Classical Voice at the New Zealand School of Music where she teaches, among others, our former Head Girl (2011) Katherine McIndoe. She is also a Trustee of the Dame Malvina Major Foundation.

Because of her obvious passion for her work and her exceptional talent, Jenny is an inspiration to not only those girls intending to have a career in music, but all students. It is a privilege to have Jenny inducted into the Wellington Girls’ College Cultural Hall of Fame.