Our Kaupapa

Te Paemanu Korihi Virtuoso Strings is a multicultural orchestra based in Porirua City, reflecting the diverse communities of Porirua and offering opportunities for young people to learn a stringed instrument and perform music with their peers.

We provide musical instruments and professional tuition for young people wishing to join the orchestra. To ensure we are representative of all communities, we offer scholarships to students who are from low income, Māori, Pacific, and former refugee families, or who have a disability.

We provide free after-school individual and group tuition for scholarship holders. We have weekly orchestra rehearsals, and weekly chamber music rehearsals for secondary school students who have regular success at national competitions.

We encourage and help our students to take music exams – they have a high pass rate. We also offer a limited number of scholarships for students who wish to pursue their music studies at university.

There are holiday programmes and social activities for the students to enjoy. We have public performances, including concerts in Porirua and Wellington, and groups of our members play at functions and events around the Wellington region.

Our music is arranged and composed by our own professional composer. Our patron is internationally renowned Samoan opera singer, Jonathan Lemalu, who performs with our orchestra when he is in Aotearoa.

Our music programme builds young people’s skills, confidence and self-esteem and so helps them to realise their dreams, whatever they may be.

Te Paemana Korihi Virtuoso Strings is a programme of the Virtuoso Strings Charitable Trust, which was founded in 2013.