Wanganui Collegiate School's director of music, Nicholas Grigsby, is moving to Hong Kong to take up a new teaching position. Photo/Bevan Conley
Wanganui Collegiate School's director of music, Nicholas Grigsby, is moving to Hong Kong to take up a new teaching position. Photo/Bevan Conley
A stalwart of Wanganui's classical music scene is leaving to take up a teaching position in Hong Kong.
Concert organist and Wanganui Collegiate School's director of music, Nicholas Grigsby, will leave Wanganui in early July, after 10 years in the city.
His new role will be director of music ata British international school - although he can't yet say which one.
"It's a great opportunity for me. It's a very high achieving, academically-focused school, that prepares students to go on to study at Oxford and Cambridge," Mr Grigsby said.
And while he'll be sad to leave the school he loves, it's time for a change of direction, as he wants to spend more time with his partner and 17-month-old son.
"Teaching at Collegiate is not just a job - we live and breathe it. We see the kids 40 weeks of the year, and we live in the same environment as them.
"I've been teaching for 18 years in total; now I want to teach and have a life as well."
Mr Grigsby, originally from Britain, trained as a teacher in Yorkshire. He decided on the spur of the moment to come to New Zealand, 13 years ago, when his first position was musical director at Scots College in Wellington. "But teaching at a Presbyterian boys' school didn't float my boat, so I jumped at the opportunity when the job here [at Collegiate] came up."
During his decade in Wanganui, Mr Grigsby has played in many organ recitals, accompanied many other musicians, helped make Wanganui Collegiate Chapel more accessible to the public, overseen the installation of a new organ in the chapel and taught and inspired many young musicians. "I will be sad to go. Wanganui has been a gorgeous place to have been for the past 10 years. I've worked with some amazing kids, including international students from all over the world."
Wanganui and Wanganui Collegiate will both have a special place in Mr Grigsby's heart, wherever he goes. "I just have a feeling I'll be back one day."
