BRENDON PACKARD

The man behind 11degrees Entertainment

It's apparent in order to be succesful in the music industry (especially in Aotearoa New Zealand) you need to wear many hats... and not just to wear them, you need to OWN them and Brendon has many!In no particular order these include: Musical Director, Manager, Musician (Trumpet), Vocalist, Sound / AV Engineer, Arranger, MC and DJ.
With over 45 years experience, Brendon has been involved in many high-profile successful projects. As his credits extend over many years the most recent are outlined below:
Musical Director + ArrangerTVNZ’s hit series “So You Wannabe A Popstar?” (2005) Dean Lonergan’s "Fight for Life" - Live TV + Stadium event (2003~2006)Dean Lonergan’s "Circus X, Cirque Rocks and La Disco de Cirque" - Live TV + Stadium event (2004, 2006, 2007)"The Lady Killers" - Tina Cross, Jackie Clarke, Taisha and Suzanne Lynch. (2005~2006)David Tua’s televised comeback fight - Live TV + Stadium event (2005)Ted Clarke and the Love Shack band (2002~2003) Rotorua "Lakeside" (2009) Outdoor concert for 40,000 people (link below)
Link to Live recording of Brendon Conducting "When the Pipers Play / Tusk"
  • 2005 saw Brendon again rise to new heights with his musical arrangements featured in the well publicised Fight for Life show. His energetic direction of the 65-piece orchestra, 30-piece gospel choir and his 12piece Super Highway band set a new benchmark establishing for live performance and a new sustainable direction for entertainment in Aotearoa New Zealand.
  • In addition to that in 2005 he directed, played, arranged and produced the music for TVNZ’s record breaking live show “So You Wannabe a Popstar?” which further demonstrated his diverse range of skills.

  • If that wasn’t enough, in the same year he produced Tuxedo Swing’s second album “At the Fat Man’s".

  • It seems that no matter what the challenge Brendon continues to prove that New Zealand music is alive and well and it isn’t difficult to see why his talents are in such demand.

  • Musical Director + Manager
  • Super Highway Band (2004~2006)
  • Tuxedo Swing Orchestra (2002~2021)
  • Viva la Diva (2005~2006)

  • Horn Section Leader - “The Upper Cut Horns”
  • “Mike King Tonight” 10 week TV Series 2003 (Bruce Mason Theatre, Auckland)
  • From Vegas the “Elvis to the Max” Show (3 national tours)
  • "Shane Cortese's Class of '58" show 2006 (national tour)
  • Tim Beveridge's "Vegas" Show (national tour)
  • "Les Femmes" Caberet Show 2021/2022 (Wintergarden Theatre, Auckland), 2023 (Q Theatre Auckland)
  • "Kawerau Xmas in the Park 2016~2024
  • "Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge" (Civic Theatre 2022, Hamilton Gardens 2023)
  • "The Bootleg Beatles NZ Tour" (Aotea Centre, Auckland 2023)
  • "Pink Floyd Orchestrated" (Civic Theatre 2025) - Booked
  • Other credits for Brendon include Michael Crawford (national tour), Gene Pitney (Aotea Centre, Auckland).
  • In addition to this Brendon and the Upper Cuts have featured on numerous recordings for local and international artists and are regulars at Neil Finn's Roundhead recording studio in Auckland.

  • His talent has taken him to many varied destinations from the Golden Sands Resort (Penang, Malaysia), The American Club (Taipei, Taiwan), International Music Festival (Vancouver, Canada), Disneyland (Los Angeles, USA), Sheraton Resort (Fiji), Tokyo and Yokohama (twice) and is a regular performer at the Queenstown Winter festivals plus numberous corporate events through out New Zealand playing or providing high end sound/lighting/AV solutions.

  • Freelance Trumpet Player (Stage Shows)
  • As a musician Brendon is most often found in the orchestra of major touring shows such as:
  • “West Side Story” (Civic Theatre, Auckland)
  • “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (St James, Auckland)
  • "Anything Goes" 2012 (Civic Theatre, Auckland)
  • "42 Street" 2013 (Civic Theatre, Auckland)
  • "Priscilla" 2014 (Civic Theatre, Auckland) - 4 shows only as standby "dep"
  • "Singing in the Rain" 2015 (Civic Theatre, Auckland / St James, Wellington)
  • "Mary Poppins" 2016 (Civic Theatre, Auckland)
  • "Joseph" 2018 (Civic Theatre, Auckland / Opera House, Wellington) Rehearsals in Cape Town, South Africa
  • "Matilda" 2018 (Civic Theatre, Auckland)
  • "Phantom of the Opera" 2018 (Civic Theatre, Auckland)
  • "Les' Miserables" 2019 (Civic Theatre, Auckland)
  • "Jersey Boys" 2021 (Civic Theatre, Auckland / Opera House, Wellington)
  • "Kinky Boots" 2023 (Civic Theatre, Auckland / Opera House, Wellington)
  • "The Music Man" 2023 (Aotea Centre, Auckland)
  • "Matilda" 2024 (Bruce Mason Theatre)
  • "Priscilla" 2025 (Civic Theatre, Auckland) - Booked to play
  • ....he has also played in the orcheastra for five Auckland Christmas in the Park events.
Brendon’s associations in the entertainment industry are boundless and he places a great deal of importance in not only bringing his "A Game" to every event but forging strong relationships with all his clients, performers and suppliers.
His diverse skills, coupled with 10 years of corporate sales and marketing experience, has lead Brendon and his company 11degrees Entertainment into the corporate market with the sole purpose of supplying solutions that exceed the expectations of its customers.
You may well ask: “What will 2024/25 bring?” Above are some clues, but for the remainder you’ll have to wait and see!