The Morton Trio

MORTON TRIO

Composed of husband and wife duo, Alex and Arna Morton, and pianist Liam Wooding, Morton Trio has been delighting and engaging audiences with charismatic performances throughout Aotearoa New Zealand and abroad for over eight years.

Following several successful tours with with Chamber Music New Zealand and UK-Based Pettman/Royal Overseas League, Morton Trio has firmly established their reputation as one of Aotearoa’s most innovative classical music ensembles through their discovery and performance of lesser known works for the genre alongside expanding the horn trio repertoire through their own arrangements and compositions, with some of these works featuring on their debut album released in 2024.

ARNA MORTON

One of Aotearoa's most versatile violinists, Dr. Arna Morton is a deeply passionate performer, music educator, and composer, comfortable on practically any stage as a soloist, chamber musician, improviser, and orchestral performer. Following the completion of both Bachelor and Master of Musical Arts degrees at the New Zealand School of Music, Arna completed her PhD in Violin Performance at the University of Melbourne.

In 2021, Arna won the position of Principal 2nd Violin with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, and is a founding member of Morton Trio alongside her horn-playing husband Alex Morton and pianist Liam Wooding. In May this year, Arna also performed as a Guest Artist with the New Zealand String Quartet during their South Island tour.

ALEX MORTON

Alex grew up in Christchurch as an incredibly nerdy musical kid, taking part in every performance opportunity he could get his hands on. While he originally set his sights on learning the trombone, his short eight-year-old arms meant that a french horn was placed in them instead, which thankfully turned out to be a rather fortuitous replacement.

In 2009, Alex moved to Wellington to complete his Bachelor of Music before continuing his studies at the Australian National Academy of Music. It was during his four years at ANAM where he really began to cut his teeth professionally in the wonderfully vibrant music scene that Melbourne – and Australia generally – had to offer, most notably holding contracts with both the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and appearing as Guest Principal Horn with Orchestra Victoria. As a chamber musician, Alex pursues his love of the medium as a member of the internationally-acclaimed ensemble, Morton Trio, with his wife & violinist, Arna Morton, and pianist, Liam Wooding.

LIAM WOODING

Liam Wooding (Atihaunui a Paparangi) was born in Whanganui, New Zealand in 1992. His love of the piano was fostered at an early age and developed through piano lessons and an array of musical experiences. He went on to study piano in Auckland and Hamilton under Rae de Lisle and subsequently Katherine Austin, graduating with a Master’s degree in music. He was then accepted into the selective piano class at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) to study with Timothy Young, and remained there for three years. More recently he studied in the United States as a Fulbright Scholar with Aleck Karis.
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Liam is the recipient of numerous awards. He was twice named the University of Waikato’s Creative and Performing Arts Person of the Year, was a prizewinner in the National Concerto Competition in New Zealand, and has received numerous awards from Creative New Zealand. In his work he performs as a soloist, chamber music partner, and accompanist, and also teaches and coaches younger students. He is a founding member of the Morton Trio, an ensemble consisting of the violin, french horn, and piano that are becoming increasingly recognised for their engaging performances.

He appears on four albums, Morton Trio (Atoll, 2024), Cabaret Songs (Rattle, 2023), Chamber Music Volume II by Lachlan Skipworth (Cygnus Arioso, 2022) and Play Pen (Atoll, 2019).