Burnside High School Big Band

Directed by Chris Petch, the Burnside High School Big Band has established itself as New Zealand’s finest high school big band, winning Gold and “Best Big Band” titles at the ARA Jazz Quest ten times, at the NZSM Wellington Jazz Festival on each of their 5 appearances and at the Manawatu Jazz Festival on their only visit in 2018. The band were also winners of the national “Jazz Band-it” competition in 2022 and 2023. In addition to their competition success the band enjoys regular concert tours and performances closer to home, especially those as part of the Christchurch Big Band Festival which they have given every year since 2012. Many of the band are members of Burnside’s Specialist Music Programme, a unique programme in New Zealand that provides high level music education for especially talented young musicians, and the band has a proud history of students selected for CYJO and the New Zealand Youth Jazz Orchestra.