Foundation supports New Zealand singing school
Posted on 16 June 2012
The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation recently announced significant support for the 2013 New Zealand Singing School through a naming rights sponsorship of its Festival of Song. The Festival of Song is the programme of concerts that come out of each New Zealand Singing School: Te Wānanga Toi Waiata.
The Singing School which is based at the Eastern Institute of Technology in Taradale (Hawkes Bay)includes 11 days of masterclasses, technical sessions, lectures and a lot of singing practice. In just that short time, students of the School perform in the 9 concerts and a church service which make up the Festival of Song. Six of the concerts are in-house concerts performed on campus at the and ensures all students get a chance to perform solo in front of an audience. The 3 larger concerts are the Cabaret Concert with a musical theatre and contemporary singing repertoire, the Classics Concert with a classical and opera repertoire and the final Gala concert which showcases the best of the school across the streams of classical and contemporary singing.
“Funding the School and Festival is a continuing challenge, and without the support of organisations such as the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation, School fees would be around double what they are”, says New Zealand Singing School Chairperson Eileen von Dadelszen.”
“The support of the Foundation is a real honour and I think it’s a reflection of the calibre of faculty we appoint for each School and the ability of the students and their achievements following the School” she said.
Dame Kiri said ‘ the Foundation’s motivation for getting involved was to show its support for this important biennial school which has for nearly 30 years provided a platform for many of our finest young singers to develop their talents within a supportive environment and in a number of cases to launch their own international careers’.