In Year 11, all students complete a broad foundation year that ensures they are ready for senior study. 

• Cambridge IGCSE Music, where students build performance, composition, and listening skills. 
• Alongside Music, students study other IGCSE subjects such as English, Mathematics, Languages, Social Sciences and Sciences.  
• This IGCSE year allows students to balance their academic study with intensive music training, preparing them for their chosen academic pathway in senior school. 

At Year 12, students select the academic pathway Cambridge or NCEA that best suits their goals and musical focus. 

Cambridge International Pathway (AS Level): 

• Students take AS Music, with a focus on performance, composition, and music research. 
• Alongside Music, students choose additional AS subjects from a range that includes Literature, Maths, Sciences, Social Sciences, Languages, Psychology, or Business. 

NCEA Pathway (Level 2): 

• Students extend their skills as soloists, composers, and ensemble musicians. 
• The course is entirely internally assessed and includes a research project investigating an aspect of New Zealand music, ensuring study is connected to Aotearoa’s unique musical identity. 

In their final year, students complete their chosen academic pathway alongside advanced musical study. 

Cambridge A Level / AS Level Pathway: 

• Music remains central, with options to complete Extended Performance, Extended Composition, or a Music Investigation. 
• Alongside Music, students take additional AS/A Level subjects to ensure academic depth and rigour. 

NCEA Level 3 Pathway: 

• Students extend their performance and composition portfolios, often taking on leadership roles in ensembles. 
• A major research project continues the focus on New Zealand music and cultural context. 
• Students also meet UE literacy and numeracy requirements, ensuring broad academic preparation. 

Students in either pathway may also sit NCEA Scholarship Music, providing further extension and recognition of excellence. 

Students following the Cambridge pathway must meet three key requirements: 

• Numeracy: A minimum of a D grade in IGCSE Mathematics. 
• Literacy: An E grade or higher in AS English Literature. 
• UCAS Points: A total of 120 points across the best three AS subjects (A = 60, B = 50, C = 40, D = 30). 

This structure ensures that while Music is central, students also complete a balanced programme across other AS or A Level subjects. 

Students following the NCEA pathway achieve University Entrance by meeting the following requirements: 

• NCEA Level 3 qualification (60 credits). 
• 14 credits at Level 3 or above in each of three approved subjects (Music is one of these). 
• 10 literacy credits at Level 2 or above (5 reading, 5 writing). 
• 10 numeracy credits at Level 1 or above. 

Hannah’s genre-crossing career as a flutist has included work with artists ranging from Renée Fleming to Diana Krall. Before moving to SOUNZ, she was the Principal Flute of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Artist Teacher at the University of Canterbury’s School of Music. She has toured for Chamber Music New Zealand with award-winning Canadian guitarist Steve Cowan (2022), and American percussionist Justin DeHart (2024). Hannah can be heard on a number of New Zealand Symphony Orchestra recordings on the Naxos, EMI, and Universal labels, including the soundtrack to The Hobbit. She also features on Frank Ticheli’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated work Songs of Love and Life recorded on Klavier Records in the United States, and on Les Oiseaux, an album by French indie-pop band Les Passagers recorded in Montreal. She has also actively commissioned new works, including four works by NZ women composers funded by Creative NZ, and also features in the recent award-winning documentary film Tiki Taane in Session with CSO.

International appearances include a concerto at the 2019 International Conference on Mixed Music Pedagogy in Montreal, a free improvisation clinic at the 2020 Jazz Education Network conference in New Orleans, and a residency with the International Contemporary Ensemble at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

In-demand as a teacher, she has given guest classes in a range of locations across Canada, the United States, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. In 2020 she was awarded the McGill Teaching Award for her commitment to innovation and collaboration in her work on the teaching staff at McGill University in Montreal. Hannah has been a touring coach for student ensembles preparing for the annual CMNZ Chamber Music Contest, and has worked with the woodwind sections of countless youth and community orchestras and bands, including the NZSO National Youth Orchestra. She has recently presented sessions at the conferences of both MENZA and the Institute of Registered Music Teachers of New Zealand.

She has a Doctor of Music from McGill University, a Master of Music from the University of Colorado Boulder, and an MBA in Arts Innovation through the Global Leaders Institute. She is also a graduate of Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music.