Co-ordinated and administered by New Zealand Opera, the Artist Development Programme provides an opportunity for some of New Zealand’s most promising young opera singers to develop their craft within the context of our national opera company.
Each year, early career singers are selected as Dame Malvina Major Foundation New Zealand Opera Studio Artists (previously Emerging Artists). Dame Malvina is part of the selection panels. Artists are equipped with the skills to lay the foundations for a career in opera through a programme of training encompassing vocal and repertoire coaching, languages, acting, interpretation, career skills and performance mindset. They are mentored by resident and international experts while also being supported through role study and performance opportunities with New Zealand Opera. The programme is tailored specifically to meet the needs of each individual artist under the guidance of New Zealand Opera’s Head of Music.
Applications for the New Zealand Opera Artist Development Programme are invited annually via New Zealand Opera’s website.
Hannah completed a Bachelor of Music majoring in classical voice at the University of Auckland in 2020 and went on to study a Postgraduate Diploma in Vocal Studies. Hannah has sung with the New Zealand Youth Choir, Voices New Zealand, Auckland Chamber Choir, and Auckland Youth Choir. In 2021 Hannah, received the Mayor of Napier Vocal Award for Most Promising Singer and first place at the North Shore Becroft Aria competition.
Emmanuel has been an active member of Hawke’s Bay Youth Initiative Project Prima Volta – a music programme that helps empower young people through the art of classical music. Emmanuel was taught by Jose Aparicio for 4 years before heading off to university. Emmanuel was a finalist at the Lockwood New Zealand Aria Competition in 2019 and was selected for the NZ Opera School in Whanganui in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Emmanuel will be playing the role of Malcolm in NZ Opera’s production of Macbeth in 2022.
Katherine Winitana joins the programme again for a second year to continue her professional development. While she was a Studio Artist in 2021 she performed in many concerts, including Opera in the Park and concerts with Phillip Rhodes and Benson Wilson. She has experience in a wide variety of music genres as a performer and composer. In 2016 she was the inaugural recipient of the Vodafone and Recorded Music New Zealand scholarship award and performed a song she composed to commemorate the ANZAC Centenary at the 2015 Waiata Māori Music Awards.
“Thank you all so much for your commitment and belief in this wonderful programme... I will forever treasure this special time in my extraordinary journey.”
“One of my personal favourite parts of the program was the constant availability to work with visiting artists from overseas.”
