Once again we’re delighted to announce that acclaimed theatre and opera Director John Leo Wilkie joins the Festival Opera team to direct the 2020 season of Two Tales. One Town.
It's thrilling to see that staging opera is supporting incredible outcomes for young PPV singers. Lila LJ Crichton and Tomairangi Henare are two such graduates who have wowed a Wellington trust with their talent, focus and track records to be awarded scholarships totalling $70,000 between them.
Bringing international opera stars to local audiences provides more than just high calibre entertainment - it's all about the shop window! PPV students have the chance to share the stage with opera singers at the height of their powers. Seeing is believing, and by seeing what's possible, these young singers can take a punt on investing in their own potential.
The everyday challenges of parenting are intensified when an opera singer also needs to manage a high-level career, with exhaustive rehearsals, late night performances and international travel. Anna Patalong travels to Hawke's Bay with her small daughter and mother, and understands first hand, the need to accommodate parent singers and acknowledge the value of their contribution in all aspects of creating opera - from Artistic Leadership, to conducting from the pit. In effort to shine a spotlight on that need, Anna is co-founder of SWAP'ra - Supporting Women and Parents in Opera.
