Every year the staff and pupils of the Wanganui Collegiate School commemorate ANZAC in a very moving ceremony. Have look at the ceremony to the accompaniment of the fine chapel pipe organ, played by Director of Music Nicholas Grigsby.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
The year of the countertenor
2010/11 seems to be the year of the Countertenor. It was a great pleasure to have Stephen Diaz at both the 2010 and 2011 New Zealand Opera School to work on his beautiful countertenor voice. His singing captured the hearts of all who heard him. At only 21 years of age, one can already see in him a great voice for the future and I (and others) predict he will go far. Today the Baroque works of the 17th and 18th centuries are being rediscovered and performed in many opera houses around the world and a voice like Stephen’s will be a winner. Have a look at this TV One clip of Stephen working with Paul Farrington at the 2010 NZ Opera School.
During the 2011 NZ Opera School, Stephen learnt the great Riccardo Broschi (1698-1756) aria ‘Ombra fedele anch’io’ from the opera Idaspe. Riccardo was the brother of Carlo Broschi who was one of the greatest of the castrati and performed under the stage name Farinelli. Stephen performed this aria in the Royal Wanganui Opera House during the final concert before a capacity audience. Have a look at Stephen’s performance of this beautiful aria.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Auckland Town Hall Organ – Inaugural Concert
A CD of the Inaugural Concert of the Klais Organ of the Auckland Town Hall (21 March 2010) is now available for purchase. The CD features the inaugural performance of Symphony in C composed for the occasion by Auckland City Organist, Dr John Wells.
Signed limited-edition copies of the score are also available for purchase.
Buy a copy of the CD and the Symphony score for a special 'package' price.
A must-have for all lovers of choral and organ music!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
BREAKING NEWS: Royal Deaths in Scotland
News is coming out of Scotland of a series of Royal murders. We will update this story as more information comes to hand. Click here to get the latest updates.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
New Zealand Opera School Newsletter - July 2010
Welcome
A warm welcome from the board of the New Zealand Opera School.
Over the past 17 years, over 200 students have attended the NZOS and the number of students eager to attend the school is at an all-time high, with interest from overseas singers as well. We hope we can help alumni network and make the application process easier by staying in touch by way of ‘the odd’ newsletter update. This won’t be a regular addition to your inbox, simply a way to let you know our latest news. Plenty to share this month!
A warm welcome from the board of the New Zealand Opera School.
Over the past 17 years, over 200 students have attended the NZOS and the number of students eager to attend the school is at an all-time high, with interest from overseas singers as well. We hope we can help alumni network and make the application process easier by staying in touch by way of ‘the odd’ newsletter update. This won’t be a regular addition to your inbox, simply a way to let you know our latest news. Plenty to share this month!
Website Launch
Thanks to the skillful design of Arie Hoeflak, we are proud to launch the new face of the NZOS. A temporary site is currently available while the full site is still under construction however you can already access the 2011 Application Form at www.operaschool.org.nz
New Logo
What better symbol to represent a New Zealand school for voice tuition than a native New Zealand songbird: “The KÅkako has a beautiful, clear, organ-like song. Its call can carry for kilometres. Breeding pairs sing together in a bell-like duet for up to an hour in the early morning. Different populations in different parts of the North Island have distinctly different songs which many people consider analogous to human dialects."
Thanks to the skillful design of Arie Hoeflak, we are proud to launch the new face of the NZOS. A temporary site is currently available while the full site is still under construction however you can already access the 2011 Application Form at www.operaschool.org.nz
New Logo
What better symbol to represent a New Zealand school for voice tuition than a native New Zealand songbird: “The KÅkako has a beautiful, clear, organ-like song. Its call can carry for kilometres. Breeding pairs sing together in a bell-like duet for up to an hour in the early morning. Different populations in different parts of the North Island have distinctly different songs which many people consider analogous to human dialects."
Our new school motto 'Nihil tumultus, tantum opera' is a Latin translation of
one of Director Donald Trott's favourite catchphrases: "Minimum fuss,
maximum outcome!". The use of the word 'Opera' is no accident, although in
this case it actually mean 'works' or 'output'! Thanks to John Rosser and
Warren Buckingham for putting much effort and time into what turned out to be a
rather tricky translation job!
Applications for 2011
Applications are now OPEN for the 2011 School. To maximize what the school has to offer, places are strictly limited to 22 so please complete an application immediately and correctly. Please note that first time applicants will be required to submit a headshot and audition CD.
Applications forms are available online at www.operaschool.org.nz
Applications close September 31st. Late applicants will not be accepted however a place will be held for the winner of the NZOS scholarship awarded at the New Zealand Aria as the competition takes place after the closing date.
Applications are now OPEN for the 2011 School. To maximize what the school has to offer, places are strictly limited to 22 so please complete an application immediately and correctly. Please note that first time applicants will be required to submit a headshot and audition CD.
Applications forms are available online at www.operaschool.org.nz
Applications close September 31st. Late applicants will not be accepted however a place will be held for the winner of the NZOS scholarship awarded at the New Zealand Aria as the competition takes place after the closing date.
Facebook Page
We are proud to support our students in whatever way we can. Often this means helping to advertise upcoming events or helping network with people studying and working overseas. Good ‘ol facebook (although you won’t find Donald on there!) is the obvious place to do just that so if you haven’t already joined, go to our page: New Zealand Opera School Alumni. It is a closed group, reserved for those privileged enough to have been accepted at the NZOS!
We are proud to support our students in whatever way we can. Often this means helping to advertise upcoming events or helping network with people studying and working overseas. Good ‘ol facebook (although you won’t find Donald on there!) is the obvious place to do just that so if you haven’t already joined, go to our page: New Zealand Opera School Alumni. It is a closed group, reserved for those privileged enough to have been accepted at the NZOS!
Alumni News
A number of recent alumni have found success over the past year. Tavis Gravatt recently won the North Shore Aria, Hadleigh Adams has accepted a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Cam Barclay, Amelia Berry and Rachel Day were recently named the 2010/2011 PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists. Kararaina Walker was runner-up at the University of Waikato Aria Competition and Frances Moore provided interesting reading in the programme notes for the NZSO’s recent tour with Dame Malvina Major. The list is endless. Please, if you have any news you’d like to share, don’t be shy (it’s ok to be proud!), send your updates to julia@juliabooth.co.nz
We look forward to hearing from you!
A number of recent alumni have found success over the past year. Tavis Gravatt recently won the North Shore Aria, Hadleigh Adams has accepted a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Cam Barclay, Amelia Berry and Rachel Day were recently named the 2010/2011 PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists. Kararaina Walker was runner-up at the University of Waikato Aria Competition and Frances Moore provided interesting reading in the programme notes for the NZSO’s recent tour with Dame Malvina Major. The list is endless. Please, if you have any news you’d like to share, don’t be shy (it’s ok to be proud!), send your updates to julia@juliabooth.co.nz
We look forward to hearing from you!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
A GREAT LAUNCH
After five years of planning the new Auckland Town Hall Organ was launched in all its glory on the 21st March 2010. A fine Maori welcome, superb singing from three combined choirs, a new organ symphony composed by City Organist, John Wells, and an organ concerto with the Auckland Youth Orchestra and young Nicholas Tarling at the console, all made for a great day and a time for celebration. Subsequently the APO and international organist Thomas Trotter gave us two further organ concertos later in the week and three weeks later Thomas Heywood of Melbourne gave a splendid solo concert at our April free concert. For all the events the hall was packed – a far cry from the past and the miserable way the organ was treated prior to the late nineties refurbishment of the Hall as the accompanying photo shows. Just contrast the photo from the past below with the photo in one of my previous blog postings, showing the organ as it is now.
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