The Royal New Zealand Ballet announces new music director

The Royal New Zealand Ballet is delighted to announce that following an extensive search process, respected ballet conductor Nigel Gaynor has been appointed to the position of Music Director for the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

"To have someone leading the RNZB music department, with the extensive ballet experience, versatility and expertise that Nigel Gaynor possesses, is certain to enhance the quality and consistency of all of our artistic endeavours. I couldn't be more excited to begin collaborating with Nigel and I know the rest of the organisation shares my enthusiasm," says Ethan Stiefel, Artistic Director, RNZB.

Nigel Gaynor has enjoyed an international career as a specialist conductor for ballet and is also a highly accomplished ballet accompanist. He is originally from Australia and worked with The Australian Ballet for 15 years.

Some of his career highlights include working with Rudolf Nureyev, Sir Robert Helpmann and Ji?í Kylián; conducting The Australian Ballet's Red Earth on live television; and collaborating on new ballets with choreographers Wayne McGregor and Christopher Wheeldon.

For the past decade he has been based in the United Kingdom and has worked extensively with Northern Ballet, English National Ballet and The Royal Ballet.

In 2011, Nigel Gaynor was engaged by the Royal New Zealand Ballet for the recording-breaking Meridian Season of The Sleeping Beauty.

"Nigel Gaynor is a fine ballet conductor, reading the dancers not the score, and their resulting musical phrasing of movement is deeply satisfying"- Jennifer Shennan, Dominion Post

Nigel will take up this role in early January 2013.