RNZ Concert's Bryan Crump with guest Jane Bulpin (Director: Orchestral Delivery for NZSO) in the studio. Photo: Tom Cardy/NZSO
There's a certain kind of phone call Jane Bulpin prefers not to get; the one which comes early in the morning, telling her all flights out of Wellington have been cancelled.
It's not that Bulpin is annoyed something has scuppered her holiday plans. It's that she's got an orchestra to move and no way of moving it.
Luckily, in her four years as Director: Orchestral Delivery for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Bulpin has almost always found a way to get the 90-odd musicians to the show on time.
Just once has it had to cancel.
Now Bulpin, originally from Cornwall in England, is heading back to the UK to take over as Orchestra Manager of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in Manchester.
She spoke with RNZ Concert about her time in New Zealand and a few of her favourite musical memories, including a concert with Flight of the Conchorder Bret McKenzie - and a bunch of muppets - in 2018.
Turns out there's a muppet etiquette: when the puppeteer is controlling a puppet you address the muppet, not the human.
Bulpin also has fond memories of managing the Hallé Youth Choir and recording the song 'Lippy Kids' with the Manchester band Elbow, before she moved to New Zealand.
One of the reasons she's looking forward to returning to Manchester for her next job.
Bulpin's last NZSO concert (as the top delivery person) is at the end of October when Simone Young conducts the orchestra in a concert of Brahms and Dvořák.
For once, she'll be able to listen to the music without having to worry about the flight back home.
