Competition with an extraordinary history

With an impressive 62-year history, the Lexus Song Quest (previously called the Mobil Song Quest) is internationally recognised as New Zealand’s most prestigious singing competition, launching the world famous opera careers of many talented New Zealanders.

As part of a long-standing commitment to developing New Zealand’s best singing voices The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation has supported the competition since 2012. Its role as a key partner includes financial support for the competition itself and  a series of special Lexus Song Quest Masterclasses which provides the singers with the unique opportunity to experience what they can expect if they decide to continue their studiesand the presentation of a $15,000 study scholarship which is awarded to one of the finalists considered by the Head Judge to have the most potential. 

Dame Kiri has very happy memories of the competition – “ I  often wonder what course my career might have taken had I not won the Song Quest in 1965. What I can be certain about is that the experience was a vital factor driving my decision to go to Britain for advanced training at the London Opera Centre. Generations of outstanding young New Zealand singers can tell a similar story. Over the years the Song Quest has been the catalyst and the launch pad for so many careers. It is a great institution with an extraordinary history and it richly deserves the iconic status it has achieved.”