Carmel Courtney

As a musician Carmel has collaborated with many artists on projects in a wide range of styles from Klezma to Electronica, Experimental to World, from Latin, Jazz and Blues to contemporary Maori.  She has toured extensively with contracts in the middle East, Europe and the US playing venues and festivals such as ‘The North Seas Jazz’ , ‘Womad Reading’, The Faroe Islands and ‘Noenberg’ and in NZ – ‘Splore’, ‘Roots’ and ‘Parihaka’’

As a musical director Carmel has MD’d four Theatre productions, the most recent ‘Berlin Burlesque' (Lyttelton Circus Theatre Company). She has recorded and produced four albums and has composed for theatre and film, the most recent being ‘When a city falls’ (Gerard Smythe).

Carmel was Contemporary Music tutor full-time for four years at tertiary institutions ‘Polynesian Performing Arts School’ and ‘MAINZ’ in Auckland.

Carmel founded a music program (TooT TooT sounds) in the primary schools in Lyttelton and worked closely with Mike Friend and ‘Loons in schools’ on productions and in the pursuit of a healthy community through the arts.

Carmel continues to work with LAF via the Lyttelton Primary School productions and in Lyttelton Circus Theatre Company shows.