Currently residing in Rotorua, Elisha enjoys a busy and fulfilling career working with young budding talents as a music and pasifika arts studies teacher at Rotorua Boys’ High School, performer,a choir director of various community choirs and the Artistic Director of Opera In The Pā. Previous to this, Elisha worked in the tertiary sector as a Music tutor at the Waiariki Institute of Technology, and, as a private singing teacher from her home studio.
Choral music has always been a huge part of Elisha's life. Her passion for choral singing stems back to her days growing up in the Samoan church choir and being in choirs throughout primary and secondary education. Elisha was a member of the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir under the directorship of Elise Bradley, and the New Zealand Youth Choir under the directorship of Professor Karen Grylls.
Elisha holds a Bachelor of Music and Post-Graduate Diploma of Music (Distinction) from the University of Auckland, a Master of Music (First Class Honours) from the University of Waikato and a Graduate Diploma in Teaching from the Bethlehem Institute of Technology. Elisha is a recipient of numerous awards and achievements which include the Ministry of Education Kupe Leadership scholarship for teaching, the Dame Malvina Major Scholarship and the Creative New Zealand Iosefa Enari Memorial Scholarship. Competition successes include being a Lexus Song Quest semi-finalist, winner of the Maori Song Aria Competition and third place in the New Zealand Aria competition.
Some of Elisha’s performance experiences include working with NBR New Zealand Opera, Operatunity, Bach Musica NZ, Auckland Opera Studio, Auckland Arts Festival, Wellington Arts Festival, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, the Bay of Plenty Symphony Orchestra, Choral Societies throughout New Zealand, The Dame Malvina Major Foundation, Opera In The Pā, The Rotorua Lakeside, The University of Auckland, The University of Waikato, The University of Otago, The University of the South Pacific (Fiji and Samoa), Motone Productions (Rarotonga), P&O Cruises (Australasia) and Princess Cruises (Australasia).
