Performer

Profile

The Bel Canto Vocal Ensemble was formed in 1987 by Guy Jansen. The group sang in Australia and New Zealand delighting audiences with its blended yet colourful choral sound. The flexibility of vocal technique and the extent of the choral and solo experience of the Bel Canto pool of members was always very impressive.

Their concerts ranged across the whole repertoire from performances of the Monteverdi Vespers to acclaimed concerts of Mozart’s lesser known works with Dame Malvina Major, vocal jazz with Malcolm McNeill, and to new and commissioned works by New Zealand composers.

As well as giving first performances of works by David Farquhar (his A Christmas with Carols and Concerto sul La), Ross Harris, Dorothy Buchanan and other NZ composers, they performed with the New Zealand String Quartet, NZSO, Wellington Sinfonia, Michael Vinten, Bruce Greenfield, Robert Oliver, Rita Paczian, Michael Leighton-Jones and other leading NZ musicians.

Bel Canto was disbanded in 2000.