05 June 2024 - 0 Comments

Preliminary Judges Andrea Creighton and Peter Lockwood have selected 10 semi-finalists from a pool of 29 top-quality applications for Aotearoa’s premier opera singing competition, the 2024 Lexus Song Quest, presented in association with the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation. The semi-finalists are (alphabetically):

· Austin Haynes (countertenor) – from Kā-Muriwai/Arrowtown and moved to Oxford to study a BA and Masters in medieval and renaissance literature in 2019. A poet, translator, and researcher, he currently teaches te reo Māori online with Learn Māori Abroad. He will commence a Masters in Voice at the Royal College of Music in September 2024.

· Felicity Tomkins (soprano) – from Te Puke, currently based in London and Europe having completed her Artist Diploma in Opera Vocal Performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of tenor Stuart Skelton. Runner-up in the 2022 Lexus Song Quest.

· Madison Horman (soprano) – from Palmerston North, currently living in London, is a recent graduate at the Royal Academy of Music as a Bicentenary School, under Nuccia Focile and Ingrid Surgenor, with mentorship from Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Prior to that, she attained her Master of Music and Postgraduate Diploma from the Royal Northern College of Music.

· Katie Trigg (mezzo-soprano) – from Hamilton. Received her Bachelor of Music from the University of Waikato, before continuing her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she’s currently situated.

· Morgan-Andrew King (bass) –from Tahaaroa. Currently studying a postgraduate degree at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, USA. He graduated from the Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music with a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours.

· Alfred Fonoti-Fuimaono (baritone) – from Flaxmere, Hastings, he completed his musical education at the University of Waikato, before a Masters in Advanced Opera Studies at The Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio (TANZOS) as Sir William and Lady Judi Scholarship Artist.

· Emmauel Fonoti-Fuimaono (tenor) – from Flaxmere, Hastings. His musical journey took a significant turn in 2013 when he joined Project Prima Volta, an experience that introduced him to the world of classical music. 2022 Lexus Song Quest finalist.

· Samuel McKeever (baritone) – from Hastings. Bachelor’s degree in music (Classical Performance) graduating with First Class Honours in 2021 at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music Victoria University of Wellington.

· Tayla Alexander (soprano) – born in South Africa, raised in Auckland. A 2024/2025 Bicentenary scholar at the Royal Academy of Music in London and will begin her one-year intensive masters followed by an Opera programme.2022 Lexus Song Quest Semi-Finalist.

· Manase Latu (tenor) –Auckland based-Tongan tenor who has recently completed the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera. 2018 Finalist in Lexus Song Quest.

Commenting on the preliminary judge’s selection Dame Kiri Te Kanawa said “Right back to my time singing in the Song Quest, it’s been a marathon. Sustained pressure is one of the factors that makes this such a unique and worthwhile test of young voices. Talent is on trial but so is character. The judges have done a great job in whittling the field down to 10 semi-finalists. But it won’t be until early August that the marathon is decided once and for all. I wish all the singers well as they face the joys and rigours of what lies ahead.”

New Zealander’s will be able to track the journey of these elite young opera talents as they vie for the country’s most prestigious singing accolade and a share of $92,000 in prizes.

The 10 semi-finalists will present their repertoire before the International Head Judge, Grammy Award-winning South Korean lyric coloratura soprano Sumi Jo on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 July at St Andrew’s on The Terrace, Wellington. Sumi Jo is one of most sought-after sopranos of our time, renowned for her interpretations of the bel canto repertoire, and serves as a jury member at prominent competitions such as BBC Singer of the world in Cardiff, the Queen Sonja singing competition in Oslo, the Hong Kong International Operatic Singing Competition and the Glyndebourne Opera Cup 2020. The promotion of young singers is of particular importance to her.

From the semi-finalists, Sumi Jo will select the five finalists who will go on to perform with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at the Grand Final Gala at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington on Saturday 3 August.

Vice President of Lexus New Zealand, Andrew Davis says he wishes the 10 semi-finalists all the very best for the road to the 2024 Grand Final Gala, a spectacular evening widely considered to be one of the most exciting nights on Aotearoa’s classical calendar.

“We will follow the journeys of the 10 semi-finalists on their road to opera stardom with great anticipation. I’m sure it will be an exhilarating experience as they perform in front of this year’s head judge, the internationally acclaimed Sumi Jo.”

The winner will be announced live at the Lexus Song Quest in association with the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation Grand Final Gala on Saturday 3 August. Tickets for the Grand Final Gala will go on sale to the public on 5 June.

Find out more about the semi-finalists and follow their journey atwww.songquest.nz

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