Francis Cowan B.Mus, Dip.Tchg, L.T.C.L
Piano Accompanist
Francis has 23 years experience as a music teacher. He studied piano with Ruby Campbell and then Judith Clark at Victoria University. Following completion of his degree in Piano Performance he trained at Wellington Teachers College where he continued to focus on music including training a demonstration choir of pupils from Karori Normal School. He also studied singing with Rosemary Quinn and taught piano privately.
Francis was appointed Director of Music at St Mark's Church School in 1989. At St Mark's he focused on developing the music programme into a fun and positive outlet for creativity in the academic tradition of the school's curriculum. The Festival Choir grew to over one hundred pupils while the Choral Scholars continued to provide music for the Sunday services at St Mark's Parish Church.
While in Wellington Francis gained experience as accompanist for the Russian Ballet School, and for singers and instrumentalists. He Accompanied local choirs in such works as Britten's St Nicolas Cantata, Mendolssohn's Elijah, and the Berlioz Requiem. Francis was also on the committee of the Royal School of Church Music and tutored at the Annual May Residential Choir School. He founded the Capital Boy's Choir, training the choir, balancing a sense of humour with development of a professional attitude, to an exceptional standard. In 1993 they toured New South Wales gaining a standing ovation from an audience of over 1500 at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.
In 1994 Francis moved to Hamilton inspired by the respected tradition of music at Southwell School. At Southwell he trained the Boys' Choir to international standards and devoted himself to achieving the highest possible level in all aspects of the annual Opera. This included designing and painting the sets and overseeing the artistic direction. Francis was invited to become the accompanist for the Hamilton Civic Choir in 1994 and has accompanied for competitions, exams and recitals on a regular basis. Highlights have included accompanying Dame Malvina Major, Tenors Richard Greagor, David Hamilton and Ben Makisi, Opera Waikato's Carmen (piano duo with Claire Caldwell) and coaching singers at the New Zealand Opera School in Wanganui.
In 2009 Francis was appointed Director of Music at St Paul's Collegiate School expanding his teaching experience into senior Cambridge and NCEA classes. At St Paul's Francis promoted the standard of the Annual Musical and conducted outstanding seasons of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd, Damn Yankees, Les Miserables and Little Shop of Horrors. The choir grew to membership of 38 students and in 2010 toured Hawaii and performed in public to high acclaim.
Inspired by his passion and humour several of Francis's students went on to pursue careers in the arts.
In 2010 Francis and family purchased the former Thames Police Station and embarked on restoration of the historic building.
From 2013-2014 Francis continued to teach at St Paul's Collegiate School part time as Director of Vocal Performance. This included musical direction of the St Paul's Collegiate Choir and the annual musical production. In 2014 he conducted the lively production 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'.. Wednesday to Friday he worked with the music students at the University of Waikato as Nora Howell Fellow-Music Performance Piano Accompanist with the violin, woodwind and brass students and voice class chamber music. This meant several years of travelling to and from Thames to Hamilton and staying over in Hamilton several nights each week.
In 2015 he was appointed full-time at the University of Waikato as Piano Accompanist for the Conservatorium of Music. This has lead to the difficult decision to move closer to Hamilton.
Francis also retains the position of assistant Conductor of the Hamilton Civic Choir.
Francis was appointed Director of Music at St Mark's Church School in 1989. At St Mark's he focused on developing the music programme into a fun and positive outlet for creativity in the academic tradition of the school's curriculum. The Festival Choir grew to over one hundred pupils while the Choral Scholars continued to provide music for the Sunday services at St Mark's Parish Church.
While in Wellington Francis gained experience as accompanist for the Russian Ballet School, and for singers and instrumentalists. He Accompanied local choirs in such works as Britten's St Nicolas Cantata, Mendolssohn's Elijah, and the Berlioz Requiem. Francis was also on the committee of the Royal School of Church Music and tutored at the Annual May Residential Choir School. He founded the Capital Boy's Choir, training the choir, balancing a sense of humour with development of a professional attitude, to an exceptional standard. In 1993 they toured New South Wales gaining a standing ovation from an audience of over 1500 at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.
In 1994 Francis moved to Hamilton inspired by the respected tradition of music at Southwell School. At Southwell he trained the Boys' Choir to international standards and devoted himself to achieving the highest possible level in all aspects of the annual Opera. This included designing and painting the sets and overseeing the artistic direction. Francis was invited to become the accompanist for the Hamilton Civic Choir in 1994 and has accompanied for competitions, exams and recitals on a regular basis. Highlights have included accompanying Dame Malvina Major, Tenors Richard Greagor, David Hamilton and Ben Makisi, Opera Waikato's Carmen (piano duo with Claire Caldwell) and coaching singers at the New Zealand Opera School in Wanganui.
In 2009 Francis was appointed Director of Music at St Paul's Collegiate School expanding his teaching experience into senior Cambridge and NCEA classes. At St Paul's Francis promoted the standard of the Annual Musical and conducted outstanding seasons of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd, Damn Yankees, Les Miserables and Little Shop of Horrors. The choir grew to membership of 38 students and in 2010 toured Hawaii and performed in public to high acclaim.
Inspired by his passion and humour several of Francis's students went on to pursue careers in the arts.
In 2010 Francis and family purchased the former Thames Police Station and embarked on restoration of the historic building.
From 2013-2014 Francis continued to teach at St Paul's Collegiate School part time as Director of Vocal Performance. This included musical direction of the St Paul's Collegiate Choir and the annual musical production. In 2014 he conducted the lively production 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'.. Wednesday to Friday he worked with the music students at the University of Waikato as Nora Howell Fellow-Music Performance Piano Accompanist with the violin, woodwind and brass students and voice class chamber music. This meant several years of travelling to and from Thames to Hamilton and staying over in Hamilton several nights each week.
In 2015 he was appointed full-time at the University of Waikato as Piano Accompanist for the Conservatorium of Music. This has lead to the difficult decision to move closer to Hamilton.
Francis also retains the position of assistant Conductor of the Hamilton Civic Choir.
