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It has been a while since I last wrote and there are many exciting things to fill you in on! I have been kept busier than ever since the beginning of the year; I had three new modules start and I seem to always have various performances to work towards. Despite a few weeks of mild stress regarding all that I had to do and all the music I had to learn, my studies at the Royal Northern College of Music are going extremely well. My main focus for the first few months of the year was our spring opera: Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. I was cast in the role of Gertrud (Mother), a role I have come to love. In fact, I have fallen in love with the whole opera! It's a musical masterpiece and the production our director Stephen Medcalf and designer Yannis Thavoris came up with was witty and heart-wrenchingly beautiful. After a thorough rehearsal process, we opened the show on 17 March; it received an enthusiastic response from the audience and the production will soon be making its way to Grange Park Opera. I continued my immersion in Hansel and Gretel and used the opera as the topic of my Repertoire Research paper; I looked at three different productions and analyzed how they highlight different aspects of the story. So Hansel and Gretel was the majority of my life for a good four months! Though it's over for now, I would love to have the opportunity to perform it again some day. Frederic Cox AwardIn February I was absolutely thrilled to be named the winner of the prestigious Frederic Cox Award at the RNCM. The award is for a student who will be continuing their studies the following year. I've put links below to two of my performances, so do have a listen. I am very excited to announce that I will be staying on at the college for the next academic year on the prestigious International Artist Diploma. This is an elite course that allows the singers on it (this year it will be myself and an Australian tenor) time and opportunity to hone their performance skills. As part of the course I will be working on roles in two Puccini operas: Nella in Gianni Schicchi and the title role of Suor Angelica. I'm so happy to have the opportunity to continue developing my craft under the guidance of my teachers and coaches here as well as receiving regular input from external coaches of the highest calibre. I am in the process of finding funding for my next year of study; though my course is under full scholarship, I have a substantial amount of living costs to cover. I'm hoping I will not need to work too much, but instead be able to focus on my vocal development. Visiting Dame Kiri A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of going down to Dame Kiri's home to work with her and two wonderful coaches on repertoire that I will be performing over the next month or two. It was a terrific day, we got a lot of work done and enjoyed some time in the (all too rare) sunshine. And it was wonderful to be able to catch up with fellow Kiwis Katherine, Madison and Filipe. So, thank you for your hospitality Dame Kiri! Upcoming Events Though the term is winding down, I do have a few performances before I fly back to New Zealand for the summer. This week I sang in a conducting masterclass with Sir Mark Elder. We worked on the Act 2 finale of Le nozze di Figaro, in which I sang the Countess. It was fantastic to be able to sing the piece with orchestra for the first time and Sir Mark had some wonderful insights to offer to both the conductors and singers. On the 6th of June I am competing in the finals of the Joyce and Michael Kennedy Award for the Singing of Strauss (quite the mouthful - more commonly referred to as the Strauss prize!). I will be singing a short 15 minute recital alongside some of my very good friends here at college. It promises to be a night of some wonderful singing! If you click on the photo to the left, you will be directed to the event page on the RNCM website.  My final performance for the academic year is as one of the soprano soloists in Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle on the 15th of June. What a lovely way it will be to finish off my Masters! Again, if you click on the photo to the left, you will be taken to the event page.
Once I have finished the academic year at college, I will be flying home to spend some time with family and prepare for my upcoming roles. I am also planning a fundraising concert in Whangarei and I will be looking for further performance and fundraising opportunities while I am home. I will be in New Zealand until the 10th of August, when I fly to Nice to take part in Les Azuriales Festival. While there, I will be competing in their prize, working with coaches in masterclasses and singing the role of Thérèse in Poulenc's Les Mamelles de Tirésias. It looks like it is going to be a lot of fun and a wonderful learning opportunity. Well, I think that is all the news from me at the moment. It has been a marvelous year for me here at the RNCM and I truly am excited to see what opportunities the next year will bring! Thank you so much for all your support, Eliza x I have successfully journeyed across to the other side of the world! It is now almost three months since I left New Zealand and even though I do miss home with its blue skies and green pastures (a combination not so often found here in Manchester), I have had an unbelievable time exploring new places. My trip began in Thailand, where I met my sister Katie; we swam, rode elephants and ate incredible Thai cuisine. We then flew to Athens and braved the 42°C heat to visit the amazing array of historical sites the city offers, all of which were amazing to experience and recall the history of millenia past. Following a few days in Athens, we headed out to the islands (Tinos, Syros and Santorini). I have long dreamed of visiting the Greek Isles. Often when you have dreamed of something for that long, you idealize it beyond what it can really supply. Not so here - I was utterly blown away by just how beautiful it is. Similarly to Thailand, we swam, walked and ate copious amounts of souvlaki. I then said goodbye to Katie and flew to London where I met my parents. We spent a week traveling through Yorkshire and the Lakes District before they dropped me to my new home in Manchester. And just like that, I was on my own in a new country, a new city in which I knew no one whatsoever. Inevitably, there were tears, but I am launching into my new life with zest, passion and a ready smile. A full month at the RNCM has come and gone... I have met some wonderful people and I am so excited to be studying here amongst such a high standard of musicians and tutors. So far my time here has been spent primarily on rehearsals for Cendrillion, in which I am singing step-sister Noemie. We are already having a lot of fun working on this hilarious opera, and begin production rehearsals next week. If you happen to be in Manchester in December, make sure you come along! I have put a link to buy tickets below (my cast performance dates are 6, 10 and 14 December). Aside from Cendrillon, I have been working in lessons, performance classes, movement and stagecraft classes etc, and I was lucky enough to be able to work with Susan Bullock in a masterclass two weeks ago. My most recent news is very exciting... I have been cast as the Mother in the RNCM's March production of Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck! I am ridiculously happy that I have the opportunity to perform two complete roles while here at the RNCM - firstly because it will be a terrific learning opportunity, and secondly because it's just a whole lot of fun! So things are off to a superb start here in Manchester and I will be sure to keep you up to date with all my various comings and goings in the future months. I would like to sign off by saying thank you to you all for your support. It does mean the world to me. Eliza x
 2pm, Sunday 16th July.
Capitaine Bougainville Theatre, Forum North, Whangarei. I very clearly remember my first performance as a 'proper' singer. I was fifteen and unbelievably nervous. I had been performing for forever, but this was different. I stepped out onto the stage at the Capitaine Bougainville Theatre, my breathing high and legs trembling, scribbled lyrical prompts on my left palm. I had been taking lessons for about 6 months and my teacher had encouraged me to enter into the local performing arts competitions. I hadn't the slightest inkling that in eight years I would be returning to that very stage to sing a farewell concert before I leave to study in the U.K. I am truly excited to be coming home to perform again - it's been a few years! I have managed to wrangle two of New Zealand's top young male voices (and my dear friends) to join me on stage - baritone Jonathan Eyers and tenor Manase Latu. We are looking forward to performing a concert filled with beautiful, lively and entertaining music, all accompanied by the incomparable Claire Caldwell. Though I feel a little strange saying it - this is a concert not to be missed! Eliza x Adult $25 - $30 Student/Child $15 I love Christchurch. This year, because of my work with NZO, I have been able to spend a significant amount of time there, whereas before that, my experience was limited to a few days every year for the Dame Malvina Major Christchurch Aria competition. It was this annual pilgrimage that brought me back to Canterbury last week.
After spending a week in Wellington observing Carmen rehearsals (which, I must say, is a beautiful show), I flew down south and was able to spend a couple of days relaxing before the competition started. My wonderful Mum came and met me down there which was special. The competitions were (as per usual) a fantastic time. I love being able to meet with friends who I don't get to see so often, and to be able to hear their progress is always exciting. The finals night was a lot of fun - and I am very proud to announce that I was awarded first place by adjudicator Barry Mora! A huge thank you to the Dame Malvina Major Foundation for their sponsorship and continuing support. I'm back home now and I am busy learning plenty of new repertoire for my upcoming fundraising concert in Whangarei - keep an eye out for the advertising which will be commencing soon. Eliza x Following several weeks of preparation, on the weekend I performed alongside my beautiful friends Katherine McIndoe, Filipe Manu and David Kelly for the Auckland Opera Studio. We did two concerts, one at the Vivian Art Gallery in Matakana (what a beautiful place!) and a second at the opera studio itself.
Performing is always a rush, but it was especially exciting to be performing a whole lot of new repertoire, including my first outing of Fiordiligi! I have been starting to learn the role and while its a way away from being ready to perform as a whole, it was terrific to have the opportunity to perform it in such a receptive environment. So, thank you Frances Wilson and the Auckland Opera Studio for having us before we leave for the U.K.! The countdown is well and truly on... Eliza x |
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