ABOUT ANNA
VOCALIST - SONGWRITER - PERFORMER
Known for her expressive voice and moving interpretations, New Zealand songstress Anna Hawkins crosses the great divides of classical, folk and popular music.
“With a voice that has the power to uplift - irrespective of the song being sung” (NZ Musician) Anna’s music has been described as captivating and ethereal. A born performer, Anna first stepped out on stage at the age of seven starting out in country music and later moving into performing classical repertoire alongside orchestras and at special events. Entering her twenties Anna started to write and release original material, her songs and voice reflecting her Irish heritage and country roots whilst drawing upon her classical technique and range.
Anna has toured New Zealand as a solo artist and as a guest to famed Welsh tenor Paul Potts. She’s performed with the NZ Pops Orchestra, Trust Waikato Symphony, Opus Orchestra, Bay Symphonia and Christchurch Symphony debuting her original song Journey On at the ASB Classical Sparks in Hagley Park. Anna has also graced the stage in various musical theatre roles including Fantine in Les Miserables, Kim in Miss Saigon, Christine in Ken Hills Phantom of the Opera in Japan and more recently Florence in Chess and Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde. As an in demand entertainer Anna has performed at televised events such as Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park, Rugby World Cup and V8 Supercars as well as regular slots at various festivals, corporate and charity events.
Anna has four full-length albums to her name primarily recorded with longstanding producer Pawel Zarecki at his home studio in Warsaw, Poland. After a chance meeting, Anna traveled across the globe to work alongside Pawel and other world class musicians in Poland, London and Israel for the recording of her debut album Journey On. It was a daring move that brought her recording dreams to life with subsequent albums Bold Brave & Beautiful and Divine quickly following, the latter of which earned five weeks in the NZ album charts with a song clocking over 2 million views on youtube for its music video filmed in Israel.
In the making for four years, Anna's latest album project Dreamer features a talented and eclectic group of musicians from Poland, Israel and New Zealand. Dreamer first began in Poland and was later completed with local singer-songwriter Luke Thompson producing and Nic Manders on vocals and mixing. The album captures an authentic folk style while continuing to showcase Anna’s colourful classical range and haunting voice. Inspired by nature and spirituality, the albums musical landscape and lyrical content evoke feelings of exploration, playfulness and calm, seeing Anna embrace her New Zealand upbringing and Irish heritage to serve up her most original work to date.
“Dreamer is my small way of encouraging others on their journey. My driving force when it comes to creating and performing is to uplift people through the power of music, story and connection."