2017 and into the future…

It has been a while since my last update, but nevertheless, here is a new one!

The last few months of 2017 were jam packed to say the least with one of the most exciting parts being the New Zealand Aria Competition over the weekend of the 29th of October. As I was doing both the open and U21 classes, it was a very hectic couple of days with much running between venues.This was a very successful weekend for me. I was fortunate enough to be awarded the John Bond award for the most promising singer in the open categories and was also a finalist in the Aria itself. I love singing with orchestras. It is something that I have been fortunate enough to do a few times now and relish and appreciate every experience. Being able to sing Lalo’s Vainement, ma bien aimee with the APO was one of those moments that I will treasure forever. I am not a lover of competitions I will be honest, but my absolute favourite part of them is getting to be around my colleagues. I love watching all of them in their element and performing fantastically. It was a particularly exciting day for me as the 29th of October was my birthday - the big 21! Walking into the orchestral rehearsal and having them play me Happy Birthday was the icing on the cake.

Once back from my sojourn up to Rotorua it was exam and recital time. It was a very special performance for me, as it was my last in Marama Hall as a student of the university. Three years seems like such a long time and it was a joy to present an awesome programme with my wonderful accompanist, Tom McGrath. About a month later I was walking across the stage in the Dunedin Town Hall collecting a wee piece of paper with lots of fancy words on it. I didn’t read all of them straight away, the only ones that stuck out were HARRY MATTHEW GRIGG and BACHELOR OF MUSIC. As wonderful as my time in Dunedin had been, it had also come to an end.

After a brief break, the year started off with a bang at the 2018 New Zealand Opera School in Whanganui. My third year at the school was as exciting as ever. Highlights for me included working with Della Jones and Cesar Ulloa, as well as singing at the Heritage house lunchtime recital and aboard the Waimarie, the local paddle boat. It takes the cake as the most peculiar place that I have performed. In saying that, it was so much fun! Accompanied by super star David Kelly, we serenaded the passengers of the steam boat and I walked around the boat conducting happy birthdays and singalongs. The chapel service this year was based around Handel’s Israel in Egypt and I was fortunate enough to sing a solo. It was one of my first forays into coloratura music and was exciting to sing. This is an area of music that I want to look into. The school finished with the wonderful final concert where I sang O Mädchen mein Mädchen from Lehar’s Friederike. This was one I had been given the week before and I always relish the challenge of learning a piece quickly!

Now we are already into February. “What’s next?” I hear you all cry. I will be working with NZ Opera in three of their productions, starting with Tosca this month in Christchurch followed by Candide and The Elixir of Love in Auckland. And with those productions, I will be making my move to the big smoke! (of New Zealand). I am nervous and slightly terrified but mostly super excited to be working with all of my phenomenal colleagues based there!

I will be sure to let you know how it all goes. I hope you have all had a fantastic start to the year and may that fantasticalness long continue!

Happy 2018!

Harry