Re-imagining Opera New Zealand Opera in 2020 and Beyond

New Zealand Opera reveals the Company’s 2020 programme, underpinned by a new purpose and values that are focused on connecting with New Zealand people and stories, and introducing the art form to new audiences.

The Company’s ambition is simple – to lead opera from Aotearoa in a way that reimagines the art form; embraces the cultural and social identities of our diverse communities; and ensures a vibrant and sustainable presence for opera in New Zealand.

He ārahi i te puoro whakaari i Aotearoa kia kitea rerekētia ai tēnei tū toi, kia awhitia ai ngā tuakiri ā-ahurea, ā-pāpori hoki o ō tātou hapori kanorau, ā, kia ora ia, kia toitū ai hoki te puoro whakaari i Aotearoa.

This ambition sums up New Zealand Opera’s new strategic agenda, and sits alongside the new purpose and values. General Director Thomas de Mallet Burgess says New Zealand Opera will begin to look different as the Company embarks on a new direction.

“I’m delighted to say that opera lovers will have more opportunities to experience our compelling art form, and that we’re already working with New Zealand creatives to develop new works that tell stories that resonate here,” he said.

Likewise, Creative New Zealand is thrilled to see New Zealand Opera take this new direction. Senior Manager Arts Development Services Cath Cardiff says, “In a strong show of our support, Creative New Zealand has provided New Zealand Opera significant renewed funding for the next three years.”

The 2020 season is the first programmed by de Mallet Burgess, who joined the Company in mid-2018 and recently made his directorial debut in New Zealand with a sell-out and critically acclaimed production of The Turn of the Screw. Each work presented next year is connected in some way to the theme Revolution Redemption Resignation.

New Zealand Opera will continue to present a mainscale production every year – the most traditional form of opera in large theatres with orchestras and choruses and full production. In 2020 the mainscale opera is a new production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

“The ideas contained in this opera are revolutionary for the time and their focus on power and gender in society and politics are very now. Interestingly, the opera ends with a statement of compassion and forgiveness,” says de Mallet Burgess.

The first of three site specific works in the 2020 programme is a three centre tour of Eight Songs for a Mad King, by Peter Maxwell Davies. The production is presented with the support of New Zealand Festival of the Arts and Auckland Arts Festival and in partnership with ground-breaking musical ensemble Stroma.

In September, Auckland’s Holy Trinity Cathedral will play host to Handel’s opera/oratorio hybrid Semele. The production will feature an orchestra formed especially for Semele featuring period instrument players conducted by Peter Walls, a globally acknowledged expert in the performance of Baroque music. The Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus will perform alongside the Holy Trinity Cathedral Choir.

The final production for 2020 (also site-specific), Poulenc and Cocteau’s opera The Human Voice, is the first step in New Zealand Opera’s move into regional New Zealand, with this compelling production performed in hotel rooms, bringing the audiences within inches of the story as it unfolds.

2020 marks the first stage of an exciting new opera development project. New Zealand Opera is looking for new voices to imagine what opera might be in the context of modern living in Aotearoa. This initiative is titled Voices of Aotearoa 6:24 and will involve singers, instrumentalists, composers and writers – collected into teams to develop ideas for works that may be commissioned in the future.

In 2020 there are more concerts on the agenda including Summer of Opera concerts in Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch, New Zealand Opera in Concert in Manukau and Wellington, and the Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus will take the stage in Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s Peter Grimes. The Opera in Schools and Opera in the Community programmes continue to grow, reaching new audiences of all ages, with the annual Opera in Schools tour reaching thousands of children each year.

2020 marks the 20th year of New Zealand Opera as a Company, formed when the National Opera of Wellington and Opera New Zealand merged in 2000. It also marks 20 years of a partnership with the Dame Malvina Major Foundation, and in 2020 a new programme will be launched, replacing the Emerging Artist programme. The three singers selected for the first year of the Dame Malvina Major Foundation Studio Artist Programme are Anna Simmons, Harry Grigg and Felicity Tomkins.

2020 will be a landmark year for New Zealand Opera, as the Company broadens its offering to showcase more of Aotearoa’s talent and stories.

Subscription packages for New Zealand Opera’s 2020 season – Revolution Redemption Resignation – are available today, and tickets will go on general sale on Tuesday 11 February. For more information please visit nzopera.com.

New Zealand Opera 2020 Season

Eight Songs for a Mad King
This new production by New Zealand Opera sees a King in distress, transformed into a modern corporate everyman as a disarming device to explore our complicated relationship with mental health and power. As an added twist, you will experience the action up close again, with only a window separating you and the King.

Maxwell Davies’ extraordinary score derives from the songs King George III played on his mechanical organ and attempted to train his bullfinches to sing. The music requires a baritone of extraordinary technique to sing over five octaves, with New Zealander Robert Tucker fit for the challenge. Partnering with the ground-breaking contemporary music ensemble Stroma, this modern take on opera promises to be a bold and immersive experience.

Music by Peter Maxwell Davies
Text by Randolph Stow and King George III
Directed by Thomas De Mallet Burgess
Designed by Robin Rawstorne
Conductor Hamish McKeich
Associate Conductor Lindy Tennent-Brown
Orchestra Stroma New Music Ensemble

CAST
The King Robert Tucker

Supported by New Zealand Festival of the Arts and Auckland Arts Festival

These performances of Eight Songs for a Mad King by Peter Maxwell Davies are given by permission of Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd, exclusive agents for Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd of London.

WELLINGTON
2, 4, 5, 7 March / 8.30pm
RNZB Dance Centre, 115 Wakefield Street

AUCKLAND
11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19 March / 8.30pm
Ellen Melville Centre, 2 Freyberg Place

CHRISTCHURCH
25, 26, 28, 29 March / 8.30pm
Tūranga, 60 Cathedral Square

The Marriage of Figaro
(Le Nozze di Figaro)
Power, privilege and forgiveness.

Comedy has always challenged the power structures of class and gender. The Marriage of Figaro did so from its first operatic performance three years before the French Revolution in 1786 and Beaumarchais’s once banned play, written a few years earlier. In this new production, director Lindy Hume and her creative team will explore the potent politics of this landmark opera and what it means in a modern context.

Composer Mozart and librettist Da Ponte did not shy away from writing roles for strong female characters who tested the status quo. In the story, it appears that Count Almaviva has all the power, but in actual fact the maid Susanna uses her natural wit and intelligence to gain the upper hand, with the help of the Countess. At the end, it is the Countess who flips the narrative, demonstrating the power of forgiveness.

The story unfolds in a single day of madness and trickery, with the non-stop action underscored by the glorious music that has made this opera an enduring favourite for more than two centuries. The production will be conducted by the thrilling young Greek musician Zoe Zeniodi, making her New Zealand Opera debut.
Composed by WA Mozart
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte
Directed by Lindy Hume
Assistant Director Eleanor Bishop
Designed by Tracy Grant Lord
Lighting designed by Matthew Marshall
Conductor Zoe Zeniodi

CAST
Count Almaviva John Moore
Countess Almaviva Emma Pearson
Figaro Richard Ollarsaba
Susanna Joanna Foote
Cherubino Bianca Andrew
Marcellina Kristin Darragh
Don Bartolo Andrew Collis
Don Basilio/Don Curzio Andrew Grenon
Barbarina Anna Simmons
Antonio Joel Amosa

The opera will feature the Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus in each centre, along with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.
AUCKLAND
4, 6, 10, 12 June / 7.30pm 14 June / 2.30pm
Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre

WELLINGTON
27 June / 7:30pm 30 June / 6:30pm 2 & 4 July / 7.30pm
The Opera House

CHRISTCHURCH
16, 18, 22, 24 July 2020 / 7.30
Isaac Theatre Royal

Semele
Fame and immortality. Mythology goes to church in this unique staging of Semele inside Auckland’s Holy Trinity Cathedral directed by Thomas de Mallet Burgess and Jacqueline Coats.

Handel’s score is an opera and oratorio hybrid, unlike his much more famous Messiah, this work was considered profane when first performed. Drawn from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and turned into a libretto by Congreve, the sensual story explores a love triangle between Jupiter, King of the Gods, his wife, the goddess Juno, and his lover, the mortal princess Semele.

A new Baroque orchestra will be formed especially for Semele featuring period instrument players conducted by Peter Walls, a globally acknowledged expert in the performance of period music. Influential British Baroque violinist Catherine Mackintosh joins the production as Concertmaster.

Australian soprano Celeste Lazarenko will make her New Zealand Opera debut in the title role, alongside remarkable New Zealand singers Amitai Pati, Paul Whelan, Sarah Castle, Stephen Diaz and Chelsea Dolman. The work incorporates the Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus and the Cathedral Choir to give voice to the polyphonic choruses so beloved by Handel.
Composed by GF Handel
Libretto by Congreve
Directed by Thomas de Mallet Burgess & Jacqueline Coats
Designed by Tracy Grant Lord
Lighting designed by Jo Kilgour
Conductor Peter Walls ONZM

CAST
Semele Celeste Lazarenko
Jupiter/Apollo Amitai Pati
Cadmus/Somnus Paul Whelan
Juno/Ino Sarah Castle
Athamas Stephen Diaz
Iris Chelsea Dolman
Concert Master Catherine Mackintosh

New Zealand Opera Baroque Orchestra
Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus
AUCKLAND
10, 12, 15, 17  September / 7.30pm 19 September / 5.00pm
Holy Trinity Cathedral

The Human Voice
(La Voix Humaine)
Written in the middle of the last century by two enfants terribles of the French art scene, Poulenc and Cocteau, The Human Voice is an uncompromising performance that challenges the audience to play detective in unravelling lies both spoken and unspoken. 

This site specific production will take place inside a hotel room, bringing audiences within inches both physically and emotionally to the performer. A woman waits for the phone to ring to talk to her ex-lover one more time.

This is a tale of love stripped back, the lies we tell to  others and ourselves, an unflinching examination of the human condition in 45 minutes of drama you cannot look away from.

The opera will be performed by two of Australasia’s finest sopranos, Amanda Atlas and Fiona McAndrew.
Composed by Poulenc
Libretto by Cocteau
Directed by Thomas de Mallet Burgess 

Elle Amanda Atlas and Fiona McAndrew
Piano to be confirmed
This production was first conceived for and produced by Lost and Found Opera in Perth, Australia. Directed by Thomas de Mallet Burgess. Musical director Chris van Tuinen. Elle Fiona McAndrew.
October and November in various hotel rooms
6,7,8 October 2020 Auckland, Hotel DeBrett
(Taupo, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson, Dunedin TBC)
Voices of Aotearoa 6:24
In 2020 sees stage one of an exciting new opera development project. New Zealand Opera is looking for new voices to imagine what opera might be in the context of modern living in Aotearoa.

Six teams, comprising an opera singer, an instrumentalist, a composer and a writer will develop the outline of an imaginary music-theatre work that may be commissioned in the future.

The teams will collaborate to develop a narrative, identify a moment of song and work together utilising their specific skills to realise the writing, composition and performance.

The intention is that the teams will reflect the diversity of our culture and musical heritage. While there will be a public sharing of the outcome, the project is primarily process-driven and designed to be a slow-cooking process with guidance, mentoring and financial support from the Company to complete the project.

We are truly open to engaging with a wide range of voices in what opera might be.
New Zealand Opera will be announcing the process and timeline for expressions of interest for stage one of Voices of Aotearoa 6:24 in 2020.

Concert Programme

2020 Summer of Opera

AUCKLAND MUSIC IN PARKS 
Join the tradition, bring along your picnic and enjoy a fabulous evening of music and song with some of New Zealand Opera’s most talented young singers. Due to popular demand, Opera in the Park is moving to the larger location of Glover Park, St Heliers. The programme is yet to be announced, but is certain to include some of your most well-loved operatic hits.

New Zealand Opera presents
Opera in the Park
25 January /  6pm – 8pm Glover Park, 32 Glover Rd, St Heliers
FREE

LAZY SUNDAYS CHRISTCHURCH
New Zealand Opera and Atlas Voices combine forces for a beautiful afternoon of opera under the musical direction of Ravil Atlas. The concert features local soprano Amanda Atlas, Freemasons New Zealand Opera Artist Andrew Grenon (tenor) and members of the Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus and Atlas Voices accompanied by New Zealand Opera’s Head of Music Lindy Tennent-Brown. The programme includes favourites by Mozart, Donizetti, and Verdi. Bring along a picnic and enjoy the music in the stunning surroundings of the Archery Lawn.

New Zealand Opera & Atlas Voices present
Opera in the Gardens
16 February /  3.30pm – 5pm
Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Rolleston Ave
FREE

HAMILTON GARDENS ARTS FESTIVAL
New Zealand Opera presents a delightful evening of opera in the beautiful setting of the Hamilton Botanic Gardens.

New Zealand Opera presents
Opera in the Pavilion
19 & 20 February /  7.30pm The Pavilion, Hamilton Gardens

New Zealand Opera in Concert

Manukau Symphony Orchestra  with Dame Malvina Major Foundation Studio Artists 
New Zealand Opera is delighted to be partnering with the Manukau Symphony Orchestra for the first time in 2020. Together we present New Zealand Opera’s three Dame Malvina Major Foundation Studio Artists and showcase their vocal talents. Having the opportunity to rehearse and perform live with a full symphony orchestra under the guidance of experienced conductors Uwe Grodd and Raymond Chan, is of immense benefit to these young singers as they develop their skills for an opera career.
Felicity Tomkins, soprano
Anna Simmons, soprano
Harry Grigg, tenor
Conductor Raymond Chan

22 August /  7:30pm
BNZ Theatre, Vodafone Events Centre, Auckland

Beethoven & Fauré   – Anniversaries in Song 
In this concert, we celebrate the melodic genius of two of the most influential composers in history. Ludwig van Beethoven was born 250 years ago, on 17 December 1770, and his influence on the development of classical music was immense. His brilliant song-writing sits in a quiet shadow behind the overwhelming fame of his symphonies, concerti, and chamber music.

Like Beethoven, Gabriel Fauré became the towering musical figure of his generation – Maurice Ravel, George Enescu, and Nadia Boulanger were among his students. He almost single-handedly catapulted the French mélodie into the high society salons of Paris – his reputation resting largely on his vocal works, which span more than sixty years of his working life.

22 September /  7.30pm   St Andrew’s on The Terrrace, Wellington
Celeste Lazarenko, soprano
Amitai Pati, tenor
Lindy Tennent-Brown, piano

Trouble and Strife – Stories in Song
A programme of songs and operatic arias and duets by Gustav and Alma Mahler, Mussorgsky, and Wagner, examining marital relationships, both literal and metaphorical.

25 September  /  7:30pm
St Andrew’s on The Terrrace, Wellington

Sarah Castle, mezzo-soprano
Paul Whelan, bass-baritone
Lindy Tennent-Brown, piano

A man on the outside, an unforgiving town. What harbour shelters peace?
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Presents
Britten’s Peter Grimes
9 October / 7:30pm
Auckland Town Hall
Book at apo.co.nz

Featuring the Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus.