About
Alexandra Hope
Alexandra is a British-New Zealand composer, performer, lyricist and arranger with a passion for both classical and contemporary music, specialising in composing for theatre and in the future extending to film and television. Alexandra is studying at the University of Canterbury (UC) working towards a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Composition having completed a Master of Arts with Distinction, in Performance and Composition and a Bachelor of Music in Classical Performance. Alexandra also holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, reflecting her diverse academic interests.
Alexandra recently received funding from Creative New Zealand’s Early Career Fund and won the 2023 UC Lilburn Composers Competition with her song ‘Tell Me’, a song that attempts to understand the deeper connections that we share. Alexandra has also compered at the Christchurch Town Hall for the University of Canterbury’s 150th Anniversary Concert in 2023 and The Big Sing Choir Festival over several years.
Alexandra has completed two musicals: A Magical Musical Mystery, based on ‘Nonsense Verse’ by Lewis Carroll which premiered at The Piano in Christchurch, NZ with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and The First 8 which premiered in the Bradshaw Hall at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, UK on 4 March 2025. This tells the story of the first eight female pilots employed by the Air Transport Auxiliary during World War II. As a pilot, this story and musical is particularly important to me.
Alexandra is currently developing two new musicals: CLEO, based on the life of Cleopatra, the last Queen of Egypt, and Our Nightingale, which will explore the contribution of Florence Nightingale to medicine.
A multi-instrumentalist, Alexandra studied classical voice, plays piano, violin, cello, flute and harp, giving her a strong understanding of orchestration across genres. Alexandra was part of the NZSO Mentorship Programme under Associate Principal Donald Armstrong, a member of the UK National Schools Symphony Orchestra from 2011 - 2018 and a member of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, Girls Choir, who performed at the Sheldonian in Oxford and recorded “A Ceremony of Carols” on the CD “A Festival of Britten”.
She regularly performs as a soloist and with both CSO Chorus and NZ Opera Chorus, having sung in the mainstage production for Verdi’s Macbeth and Rossini’s Le Comte Ory. Alexandra performed with the NZ Opera Chorus at the 10th Anniversary Concert of the Isaac Theatre Royal in late 2024 and is singing in the community based opera The Monster in the Maze. Alexandra has participated in several masterclasses with New Zealand Opera, Jonathan Lemalu, Trevor Jones and Amanda Echalaz.
Alexandra has led North Canterbury Academy of Music as Musical Director since 2021, helping to make music more accessible in the local community. Alexandra also introduced a biannual Orchestral Weekend in 2021, in partnership with CSO, an initiative that is now preparing for its third weekend this year, developing orchestral music in North Canterbury and providing the opportunity for NCAM students and local schools to play in a large orchestra.
