Meet the Orchestra
Jason Balla
Musical Director
Jason was born in Wales and began studying piano at age 5 and was later awarded the prestigious organ scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford where he also sang in the choir of New College, Oxford. Jason sang and toured as a soloist with the National Youth choir of Great Britain and at age eighteen he became the youngest member of the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London. After completing post-graduate studies in voice and opera at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London Jason went on to a busy schedule internationally as a singer, pianist, organist and music director.
As a conductor and choral trainer his choral repertoire ranges from masterworks of the renaissance through Handel oratorios and Mozart masses to 20th century English choral pieces. He has conducted performances of Mozart operas as well as operettas by Gilbert and Sullivan. His orchestral repertoire includes Handel Concerti Grossi, Mozart symphonies and orchestral works by Benjamin Britten.
As a teacher of music and voice in particular Jason has tutored at the University of Oxford, Hong Kong International School, Goldsmith’s College of Music, and is a former faculty member of Roosevelt University, Chicago. As a singer he appears regularly in opera, concert and oratorio throughout the U.K., Europe, the Far East, and North America. He has performed most of the major concert and oratorio works, including Verdi’s Requiem in Chicago and London; Lloyd Webber’s Requiem in London and Edmonton; Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Victoria, B.C. and London, and Dvorak’s Requiem with the Birmingham Festival Chorus and Orchestra in the U.K.. He has also recorded recitals of French and English music for Radio Hong Kong and has also been featured on CBC and BBC radio broadcasts, as well as CD recordings of Mozart’s Requiem and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with the Slovak Philharmonic. Jason was a company member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago from 1995-2018.
His Organ and Piano instrumental recital tours have taken him from the West Coast of the U.S.A. to Germany, the U.K. and the Far East. He has been a guest organist at such places as Westminster Abbey, London, Grace Cathedral, California, St. John’s Cathedral, Hong Kong. He is also in demand as a vocal coach and accompanist having worked as a rehearsal accompanist for the Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Grant Park Festival Chorus.
Jason moved to Nelson, NZ in July 2021 and is currently the Music Director of the Nelson Civic Choir. He also works actively with other orchestras and choirs in the region producing large-scale choral and orchestral concerts.
John Thomson
Concert Master
John Thomson began playing with the Nelson Symphony Orchestra in February 2009, having returned to New Zealand after 25 years in the USA, where he gained his doctoral degree in violin performance and taught violin at universities. He has performed with numerous orchestras in the USA, and appeared as soloist and recitalist throughout North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe and before dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth II and former President George Bush.
Critics have praised him as a “stellar soloist” with “brilliant technique and appealing cantabile” and have called his playing a “rare treat.” Other press reviews state: “The audience was in awe of Thomson’s performance”, “Thomson’s performance of Wieniawski was a highlight of the season”, and mentioned “the highest classical style.” Italian violinist Franco Gulli wrote to John after a performance “I have admired your remarkable facility in performing the music of Paganini.” After a recent recital in Seoul, Korea, a reviewer wrote: “his playing was full of great sonority combined with a tender sweetness that tugged at the audience’s heart.” John has published his arrangement of some music of the romantic Norwegian violin virtuoso, Ole Bull and has written articles on the music of Tartini, Viotti and Joachim. John is also considered to be an expert on Gypsy violin music.
John has enjoyed a variety of musical experiences, including the standard classical repertoire, but also frequently accompanying many celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, and Bernadette Peters, and acting the part of musical characters in Hollywood movies. In addition to his performances on violin, he plays baroque violin, viola d'amore, and viola. In 2005, he became the first to record on the violotta, an unusual German instrument developed around 1880. He is featured on four compact disc recordings available through Albany Records and AK Coburg and may be seen in a clip playing violotta in the Andromeda-Saal, Schloss Ehrenburg, Coburg, Germany.
Lissa Cowie
Principal Cellist
Lissa was born in Scotland and emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 12. She has a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours from Auckland University, a Postgraduate Performance Diploma from The Royal Academy of Music in London and a LRAM Teaching Diploma.
She has worked with various orchestras including the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, National Symphony Orchestra of Scotland, Scottish Festival Orchestra and Opera della Luna. She was a member of the Elgin Piano Trio, formed at the Royal Academy in 1997. They gave many concerts in the UK at venues including St-Martin-in-the-Fields and St John’s Smith Square as well as performing the Beethoven Triple concerto in 2002. They were awarded a full scholarship to attend the Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada, as trio in residence for one month. Lissa also performed in string quartets, giving concerts in England, the Isle of Mann, Belgium and castles in Scotland. They also provided background music at Clarence House (then the Queen Mother’s residence), at various events such as London Fashion Week and many weddings. Lissa taught cello and chamber music at the Junior Department of Royal Scottish Conservatoire and Jordanhill School.
Lissa now enjoys being part of the Top of the South’s vibrant music scene, including playing with the Nelson Symphony Orchestra, Goya Ensemble and duo partnerships with Mark Secker and Blenheim pianist Marsha Stringer. She teaches cello privately, at various schools in Nelson and through NCMA.