Semisi Ahoatu

Semisi’s dad played the cornet in the church brass band and that’s when he was exposed to brass, falling in love with it straight away. Semisi started playing when he could walk and hold the cornet and was later taught by his uncle. He only started to play trumpet in high school which was probably one of the best things that happened to him (thanks to Antun Poljanich, he says!) – it has opened up a new pathway for him to explore in the future.

Semisi has recently joined Auckland City Brass Band and now the Auckland Youth Orchestra and was recently fortunate enough to be selected for the 2022 National Youth Brass Band of New Zealand. 

Semisi has been studying trumpet under Huw Dann and is in the third year of his conjoint degree of Music and Criminology at the University of Auckland.