Tickets now on Sale for NZ Opera’s 2020 Season

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Tickets go on sale today for New Zealand Opera’s 2020 programme – Revolution Redemption Resignation.This landmark year for the Company sees one three-centre mainscale opera tour and three site-specific works as New Zealand Opera celebrates 20 years and begins to implement a new strategic direction, purpose and values.

General Director Thomas de Mallet Burgess says that New Zealand Opera’s 2020 season offers both large-scale traditional opera and experimental works that target lovers of the lesser known repertoire and new audiences keen to experience the raw emotion of opera up close.

“Over the next few years you’ll see changes in New Zealand Opera’s programming as we explore new ways of presenting opera to ensure that the art form has a healthy future in New Zealand. In doing so we will support our creative talent both at home and in the diaspora to undertake new work – all the productions next year are new.”

The season begins next month in Festival season, with an out of the box opera experience of the modern masterpiece Eight Songs for a Mad King, by Peter Maxwell Davies and Randolf Stow/King George III. Exploring our complicated relationship between mental health and power, the concept is reinforced by a double performance that will see audiences experience the work once inside and very close to the performer, and once outside with the sound transmitted through headphones. Experience Baritone Robert Tucker pushed to the  very limits of a singer’s endurance as he sings across five octaves, accompanied by Stroma New Music Ensemble.

Tickets for Eight Songs for a Mad King are already on sale for the Wellington and Auckland seasons through the New Zealand Festival of the Arts and Auckland Arts Festival, with over 70% of tickets for Wellington already sold. Tickets to the Christchurch season at the new central library Tūranga go on sale today.

For the lovers of large-scale classics, a brand new production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro will visit Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in June and July. Led by Australian Director Lindy Hume and thrilling Greek Conductor Zoe Zeniodi, this production explores power, privilege and forgiveness and features a host of exciting local and international performers.

In September, New Zealand Opera moves into Auckland’s Holy Trinity Cathedral for five performances of Handel’s opera and oratorio hybrid Semele. Featuring a newly formed baroque orchestra under the baton of renowned baroque expert Peter Walls, this unique staging features Australian period specialist Celeste Lazarenko in the title role alongside an all-star Kiwi cast including Amitai Pati as Jupiter/Apollo. The Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus will be joined by the Cathedral Choir to give voice to the polyphonic choruses so beloved by Handel.

New Zealand Opera hits the road in October with a six-centre tour of Poulenc and Cocteau’s emotional drama The Human Voice. This micro-production features two of Australasia’s finest sopranos, Amanda Atlas and Fiona McAndrew as Elle, a woman alone in a hotel room (with an audience of 20 and a pianist), waiting for the phone to ring so she can speak to her ex-lover one last time.

Participation and outreach programmes will see a nine-centre Opera in Schools tour in March, across New Zealand where we introduce intermediate-aged children to the world of opera.  We continue to offer aspiring opera singers the chance to hone their skills before they continue their study overseas, through the New Zealand Opera Artist Development programme, thanks to the Dame Malvina Major Foundation and the new Voices of Aotearoa 6:24 collaborative project set to launch later this year.

The Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus will appear in Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s Peter Grimes in October and the company increases its concert offering with summer concerts in Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch, a concert with Manukau Symphony Orchestra in August, and two special concert programmes performed in Wellington in September.

Tickets to all productions are on sale now, with student and under 25’s tickets available from just $25* and group offers available via nzopera.com. For those booking for two or more performances, subscription packages offer the best value and are still available. Visit nzopera.com for full details.

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