The NZCS consists of prominent concerto soloists with national and international careers and extensive chamber music experience.
The core of the ensemble is the piano trio consisting of New Zealand pianist, Katherine Austin, American-born cellist, James Tennant and violinist, Lara Hall.
Other collaborators have included David Griffiths (composer) and baritone, clarinettist, Peter Scholes and harpsichord specialist, Rachel Griffith-Hughes.
This was performed with the Opus Chamber Orchestra under the baton of conductor, Dr Peter Walls in Hamilton, Rotorua and Tauranga.
The same work was later performed and recorded by the NZCS (trio) with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in 2010,[9] for national radio broadcaster, Concert FM.
[13] The CD featured the programme of Russian composers performed on the 2009 international tour and included piano trios by Rachmaninoff, Babajanian and Shostakovich.
[15] Katherine Austin and James Tennant contributed as part of the Ogen Trio, along with Dimitri Attanasov, concert master[16] of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
[18] Among recent and current award-winning students have been the Leonari Trio,[19] Rafaella Garlick-Grice[20] and the top equal prize winner of the Beijing International Cello Competition in 2010, Santiago Canon Valencia.