Get your singing voice in tune

Wednesday, January 4, 2012 11:34

Soprano Madeleine Pierard sings with the NZSO National Youth Orchestra at the Napier Municipal Theatre in 2008. Photograph by Glenn Taylor

This year is time again for the Voices of Tomorrow Lexus Song Quest.

"This provides a platform for young talented singers to develop, perform and gain exposure both nationally and internationally," says NZ Arts Festival Director Sue Paterson. We know plenty about this aspect of the competition with two recent winners, soprano Madeleine Pierard and bass Philip Rhodes, coming from Hawke's Bay.

Prizes are worth winning with a $10,000 cash first prize plus a $15,000 Study Scholarship and return international airfares.

The preliminary adjudicators will be vocal coach and repetiteur for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sharolyn Kimmorley, and internationally acclaimed New Zealand bass Rodney Macann.

The adjudicator for the final will be Welsh tenor Dennis O'Neill who is regarded as one of the world's leading operatic tenors. He has appeared internationally for all the major opera companies and is a prolific concert performer and recording artist.

Entries will close on March 30 - auditions to select the 12 semi-finalists begin on April 23 - with broadcasts of their programmes in June/July and the final with accompanist Terence Dennis and the NZSO in Wellington on August 300, followed by master classes in early September.