Elixir and Aida and Boheme, Oh my!
/Hi all, I think it’s time for another update! It has been an incredibly busy year for NZ Opera, with three more opera’s after Candide. The first of these was the delightful production from Australia of The Elixir of Love. Set in a small town in the Australian outback, the set was deigned to look like it was made completely out of corrugated iron! Once again I was a soldier (A theme is emerging in my opera chorus career!) visiting with Belcore. This was a production filled with many laughs and excellent colleagues. It was also quite surreal to share the stage with both Pene Pati and Amina Edris as Nemorino and Adina. They are both that perfect combination of phenomenal performers and great human beings and were a joy to work with!
After our run finished, there was a short break before we were back in the rehearsal room for APO’s Opera in Concert, Aida. I think the best part about being involved in this production was less our singing and more listening to Radames and Amneris. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t loving the piece that much. It was rather a challenge for a light young tenor like myself to sound like and imposing priest crying for the death of prisoners. All of that changed when we got to hear Antonello Palombi and Olesya Petrova sing out with the orchestra in the town hall. Rest assured, I fully appreciated the beauty of the music then!
Along with all of the Chorus work, I made the decision early in the year to return to University to do the Honours year of my Bachelor of Music. I couldn’t have made a better choice. As well as continuing to develop vocally I have been given the opportunity to learn the process of learning a role and this experience is such a rewarding one, as I am developing my stagecraft and acting skills alongside it. All the students and staff here at Auckland Uni have made me feel so welcome so to them I am eternally grateful for helping me settle in and remember how to function as a university student!
An incredibly exciting thing occurred at the end of July, I had the opportunity to meet and sing for Dame Kiri te Kanawa! It was a pleasure to finally meet her, after the foundation’s generous support over the last year, offering all of us on the program such valuable experiences and exposure to international teachers and coaches that would otherwise be impossible. Dame Kiri was so lovely and I look forward to Coaching with her later in the year.
I also popped down to Dunedin in early September to sing in my final concert as an RSA Scholar. The RSA Choir have been such a platform for my growth and development as a performer and I am so honoured to have been a part of the fantastic scholarship programme. While in Dunedin I couldn't pass up the opportunity to put together a fun little soiree at Elizabeth Bouman's, and a fun night was had by all! I managed to have my wonderful friends Sam Madden and Beth Goulstone come along and have a sing with me, and we were accompanied by the one man orchestra that is Terence Dennis!
The exciting but sad thing about this part of the year is that a lot of my incredibly talent friends are heading away to study overseas. I was lucky enough to perform for Sophie Sparrow and Clare Hood in their respective fundraising concerts. It’s a great chance to break out the Champagne choruses, the West Side Story duets and have a sing along with the audience to a bit of Moon River. I have told them and all other kiwis currently studying over seas that they are all my guinea pigs and I’m watching to see what the courses they are on are like and if it would be a good match for me! Go well Sophie and Clare, i’m sure we’ll see each other much sooner than we think!
As I write this I am incredibly excited for the Sitzprobe for La Boheme tonight with the APO. The great thing about this show is that we hardly sing, so there will be lots of time to listen and watch our amazing principals. And guess what role I have been given, and no it’s not a Hawker or parent. It’s a Guard! I told you there was a theme! There is no rest for the wicked however, as the day after we close I am getting on a plane and heading back to beautiful Italy! I will be there for Patricia Hurley’s Italian for Opera Singers tour, spending time at the stunning Villa Petrolo and working with Wyn Davies and three other Kiwi singers, presenting concerts and learning Italian with local teachers. Needless to say I am ridiculously excited for this opportunity and want to thank Patricia for my inclusion in the program. After this I will be in London for a week. It will be my first visit to England so I cannot wait to take in all the sights and sounds. My wonderful hosts for the week are also taking me out to Glyndebourne to see their touring production of La Traviata, a very special treat!
Upon my return I will have a crazy amount of study to catch up on and four days back I will be heading down to PACANZ in Palmerston North to compete in the performer of the year competition. I am excited to see how I function on what I’m sure will be very little sleep and a lot of jet lag!
Well that’s all for now! Though there are some exciting things in the pipeline that I cannot wait to share with you all, and I will be sure to share it as soon as I can! The next time I post an update I hope to be sipping on a cappuccino or glass of wine, time of day dependant, in Italia!
Until then, Ciao!
Harry
