WHAKA-ARIA MAI: OPERA IN TE REO
2 years ago
AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND
Fri 22 Mar, 2013
Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall
On Friday 22 March, the Auckland Town Hall will be soaring with the
sounds of opera in Te Reo Māori thanks to the Auckland Arts
Festival 2013. In this world premiere, playfully titled Whaka-Aria
Mai, renowned New Zealand soprano Deborah Wai Kapohe will be joined
by emerging talents from the opera world to present a work that
explores classic opera arias transformed into Te Reo and popular
Māori waiata recreated in the lyrical language of opera.
Auckland Arts Festival's Māori and Pacific Programmes Manager, Tama
Waipara, said, "The world has heard Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's version
of Po karekare ana and seen the power of haka energise crowds of
thousands. Whaka-Aria Mai brings the world of Opera and Te Reo
together in a simple and significantly beautiful way. Whaka-Aria
Mai provides an opportunity to grow the operatic repertoire of
songs in Te Reo Māori, and combines the beauty of Te Reo Māori with
the rich history of opera to allow new generations of young New
Zealand opera singers to take our nation's heritage to the world
stage once more."
Born in Southland, Deborah Wai Kapohe is one of New Zealand's most
gifted sopranos. Also a highly regarded contemporary singer,
songwriter and guitarist, Kapohe's songwriting has encompassed a
commissioned work for the Southern Sinfonia in Dunedin, a national
tour performing her own music with Arts on Tour New Zealand and
three CDs of her own compositions.
Operatically, she has performed in The Magic Flute, La Boheme, Die
Fledermaus, Massenet's Werther, Norma, Falstaff, The Marriage of
Figaro, The Pearl Fishers, Faust and Carmen. Other, world premiere
operatic performances include Outrageous Fortune by New Zealand
composer Gillian Whitehead; Wide Sargasso Sea and Gauguin for
Chamber Made in Australia; Grandma's Shoes, a joint production
between Opera Australia and Theatre of Image in Sydney, and the
lead role in NBR NZ Opera Production of Jenny McLeod's Hohepa
at the 2012 New Zealand International Arts Festival.
www.aaf.co.nz
Deborah Wai Kapohe gave the outstanding performance of the evening
- Review of Trial of the Cannibal Dog, New Zealand Listener
Deborah Wai Kapohe as Te Rai is simply luminous - Review of Hōhepa,
TheatreView
SEASON DETAILS
Show Whaka-Aria-Mai: Opera in Te Reo
Where Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall
When Fri 22 Mar, 7.30pm
Duration 1hr no interval
Price GA $25
Bookings Book at THE EDGE: buytickets.co.nz / 09 357
3355 / 0800 289 842
Information www.aaf.co.nz
Social Media Facebook: facebook.com/Aklfestival
Twitter: @Aklfestival
Media enquiries Siobhan Waterhouse, Publicist
P: +64 (0)9 374 0317 | M: +64 (0) 22 126 4149 | E:
siobhan.waterhouse@aucklandfestival.co.nz
CREATIVE CREDITS
Producer: Tama Waipara
Director: Jonathan Alver
Musical Director: Robert Wiremu
Reo consultant/Kaitito Waiata: Pania Papa
AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND
Fri 22 Mar, 2013
Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall
On Friday 22 March, the Auckland Town Hall will be soaring with
the sounds of opera in Te Reo Māori thanks to the Auckland Arts
Festival 2013. In this world premiere, playfully titled
Whaka-Aria Mai, renowned New Zealand soprano Deborah Wai
Kapohe will be joined by emerging talents from the opera world to
present a work that explores classic opera arias transformed into
Te Reo and popular Māori waiata recreated in the lyrical language
of opera.
Auckland Arts Festival's Māori and Pacific Programmes Manager,
Tama Waipara, said, "The world has heard Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's
version of Po karekare ana and seen the power of haka energise
crowds of thousands. Whaka-Aria Mai brings the world of
Opera and Te Reo together in a simple and significantly beautiful
way. Whaka-Aria Mai provides an opportunity to grow the
operatic repertoire of songs in Te Reo Māori, and combines the
beauty of Te Reo Māori with the rich history of opera to allow new
generations of young New Zealand opera singers to take our nation's
heritage to the world stage once more."
Born in Southland, Deborah Wai Kapohe is one of New Zealand's
most gifted sopranos. Also a highly regarded contemporary singer,
songwriter and guitarist, Kapohe's songwriting has encompassed a
commissioned work for the Southern Sinfonia in Dunedin, a national
tour performing her own music with Arts on Tour New Zealand and
three CDs of her own compositions.
Operatically, she has performed in The Magic Flute, La
Boheme, Die Fledermaus, Massenet's Werther, Norma, Falstaff, The
Marriage of Figaro, The Pearl Fishers, Faust and Carmen.
Other, world premiere operatic performances include Outrageous
Fortune by New Zealand composer Gillian Whitehead; Wide
Sargasso Sea and Gauguin for Chamber Made in
Australia; Grandma's Shoes, a joint production between
Opera Australia and Theatre of Image in Sydney, and the lead role
in NBR NZ Opera Production of Jenny McLeod's Hohepa
at the 2012 New Zealand International Arts Festival.
www.aaf.co.nz
Deborah Wai Kapohe gave the outstanding performance of the
evening - Review of Trial of the Cannibal Dog, New Zealand
Listener
Deborah Wai Kapohe as Te Rai is simply luminous -
Review of Hōhepa, TheatreView
SEASON DETAILS
Show Whaka-Aria-Mai: Opera in Te Reo
Where Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall
When Fri 22 Mar, 7.30pm
Duration 1hr no interval
Price GA $25
Bookings Book at THE EDGE: buytickets.co.nz /
09 357 3355 / 0800 289 842
Information www.aaf.co.nz
Social Media Facebook:
facebook.com/Aklfestival
Twitter: @Aklfestival
Media enquiries Siobhan Waterhouse,
Publicist P: +64 (0)9 374 0317 | M: +64 (0) 22 1264149|
E: siobhan.waterhouse@aucklandfestival.co.nz
CREATIVE CREDITS
Producer: Tama Waipara
Director: Jonathan Alver
Musical Director: Robert Wiremu
Reo consultant/Kaitito Waiata: Pania Papa