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Kiri Programme young singers soar

Posted on 5 July 2017

A year ago, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa called on philanthropists and businesses in New Zealand to partner with her charitable foundation in a new nursery of artistic excellence called The Kiri Programme. Its aim was to develop skills in young singers ambitious to follow in her footsteps, setting out to carve their own imprints in a marketplace that Dame Kiri believed to be much more difficult and competitive.

England’s National Opera Studio Director, Kathryn Harries, was appointed to head the programme, giving feedback on its progress direct to Dame Kiri. Her expressed wish was to have young singers at “a higher level” when going overseas to further their careers. The programme of five intense modules addresses skill gaps identified during an eight-year study by the Foundation. 

During the year the curriculum evolved to include motivational psychology, grooming and media training, as well as business skills, language, acting and vocal development. Experts in their fields were brought in from overseas and around New Zealand.

The six singers have all responded well to the resources made available and credit The Kiri Programme for playing a large part in an impressive string of successful auditions, competitions and achievements.

  • Katherine McIndoe, Filipe Manu and Madison Nonoa are taking up GBP 20,000 scholarships this September at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. 
  • Eliza Boom has recently won the Dame Malvina Major Foundation Christchurch Aria and takes up a masters’ degree scholarship in Manchester in September. 
  • Jarvis Dams won the top award at the 2017 Napier Performing Arts Competition. 
  • Natasha Wilson and Madison Nonoa have been cast in professional stage productions on both sides of the Tasman. 
  • Filipe, Natasha and Katherine were semi-finalists in this year’s IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition, with Filipe going on to the finals to compete against four Australians on 15 July, immediately following the final module of The Kiri Programme.

Course director Stephen Dee says the sharpened career trajectories of all six are testament to the talent of New Zealand’s best young singers, and early evidence that the programme is focussing effectively on the skills required to speed them on their musical journey.

Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation deputy chair, Diana Fenwick, says the programme prepares to enter its second year with optimism and a sense of achievement. “We would like to thank the generous individuals, trusts and companies that have made continuing commitments. They see the Foundation’s programme as a credible vehicle for investment in the future of our young singers. Enormous credit is also due to the tutors and visiting experts giving such fulsome commitment to the hard-working first-year participants whose successes have quickly proven the potential of the programme.”

The Foundation expects to finalise the second year’s participating singers in early July.

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