News in General
Posted on 22 December 2016
The Foundation has been a significant supporter of the Lexus Song Quest
The Foundation has been a significant supporter of the Lexus Song Quest and associated masterclasses since 2012. The 2016 Lexus Song Quest was recently won by baritone Benson Wilson. Runner-up was tenor Filipe Manu. Soprano Madison Nonoa took placed 3rd place and was also awarded the $15,000 Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation scholarship ‘for the singer who shows the most promise’.
A grant from the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation (UK) for Bass, Blaise Malaba
A grant from the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation (UK) for Bass, Blaise Malaba (Democratic Republic of Congo), enabled him to attend the MA Opera Performance course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Angela Livingstone (Head of Opera, Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting) comments … ‘We are thrilled to have him and he has settled in very quickly and is very much part of the little “company’’ which is the opera course. Currently Blaise is working on opera scenes, as well as preparing the final scene from Onegin for our Gala concert with WNO in December. In early November, he will begin production rehearsals singing the role of Somnus in Semele. We have four shows in college in early February and then a tour of Wales. A busy term for him, but Blaise is rising to every challenge with great enthusiasm and brings good humour and a strong sense of team spirit to his work.’
The Kiri Programme generates enthusiastic financial support
When the Foundation Trustees endorsed the Kiri Programme project they did so knowing that it carried a significant financial commitment but were happy to underwrite the budget because they agreed the idea was too important to drop. Their decision was subsequently endorsed by the response to Dame Kiri’s letter inviting financial support. To date almost $80,000 has been received from individuals & trusts who obviously believe the Kiri Programme is important and heading in the right direction. One of the first donations came from the John and Margaret Hunn Education Trust which shares the Foundation’s objective of identifying and supporting outstanding young New Zealanders who have the potential to develop careers as opera singers. We were delighted to learn that the Trust has been active in the past providing additional funding for some of the singers currently being supported by the Foundation. Both organisations look forward to future collaboration. Continuing financial help is required to ensure the longterm viability of the Kiri Programme. Donations of any size are welcome and will qualify for tax deductibility within the allowances set out in the current New Zealand tax legislation. For further information about how to make a donation see contact details at the end of this newsletter.