It’s a well-known fact that Aotearoa punches above its weight in the world of opera singing.
Photo: Nick MacBain
We grow them, send them out into the world, and occasionally we are allowed them back for the odd performance.
As it turns out, the stars have aligned in more ways than one this month.
A number of New Zealand singers, with flourishing international careers, are back in the country and are taking part in the Opera Gala Concert.
Baritone Benson Wilson and soprano Claire Filer talk to Upbeat about life in London and the journey home.
Benson, fresh out of managed isolation, is relishing his newfound freedom.
"It was terrible," he laughs, referring to MIQ.
"I was more than happy to do it.. but whether I want to do it again...hmm."
An opera singer yearning to practice, but also be mindful of his neighbours, he found the two weeks cooped up in a hotel a unique challenge.
Photo: Broadway Studios
Claire, however, made a snap decision to return last year as the situation deteriorated in the UK.
She arrived just before New Zealand's own lockdown, and was fortunate enough to spend isolation at home, singing to her heart's content.
"My neighbours actually enjoyed it."
Listen as the singers tell host Cynthia Morahan about the Kiwi singing whānau in London, why for Benson opera in English is far more challenging, and what Claire, a gin aficionado, recommends from New Zealand's distilleries.
The Opera Gala Concert will be held in the Auckland Town Hall on Sunday August 15.
Music details:
KORNGOLD: Mein Sehnen, mein Wähnen, from Die tote Stadt - Benson Wilson
VERDI: Parigi, o cara, from La Traviata performed by Kathleen Battle and Plácido Domingo, Metropolitan Opera
