Quality Opera On Offer At NZ Opera's 05 Season

Quality Opera On Offer The Nbr New Zealand Opera 2005 Season

The NBR New Zealand Opera today reinforced its commitment to delivering the highest possible standard of opera to New Zealand audiences, by announcing a dramatic and entertaining season for 2005 alongside several new and significant initiatives aimed at further developing and securing the artform in New Zealand.

The 2005 season includes a New Zealand premiere - John Adams's THE DEATH OF KLINGHOFFER - to be performed at the Auckland Festival, AK05, with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra - and two of the world's most admired opera classics mounted as mainstage productions in Auckland and Wellington - The NZI Winter Season of Mozart's DON GIOVANNI and The Genesis Energy Spring Season of Verdi's LA TRAVIATA.

A feature of the new season is the significant number of top New Zealand singers, both established international performers and younger emerging stars, who will take the stage here in 2005. Among them; Conal Coad, Jared Holt, Patricia Wright, Rodney Macann, David Griffiths, Paul Whelan, Zan McKendree-Wright and Wendy Dawn Thompson.

"We're absolutely committed to delivering the most professional opera experience we can to discerning New Zealand audiences," says Alex Reedijk, General Director of The NBR New Zealand Opera. "So it is especially gratifying for us to be able to secure such a large number of top kiwi singers for our 2005 season. We have a duty of care to the produce the best opera product possible - to do this with such an esteemed line up of New Zealanders is also part of that mission."

On the heels of its busiest opera year to date, the company also announced several new initiatives aimed at making opera more accessible to New Zealand audiences. For the company's Auckland and Wellington mainstage seasons these included a new middle ticket price band, an “Under-25’s Rush Ticket”, more seat availability in the lower price bands and developments in group bookers incentives. In both centres the company has also reintroduced mid-week matinées.

“These are a direct response to us having listened to our audiences and refined what we can offer them,” says Alex Reedijk. “It is about developing new audiences for opera and continuing to satisfy our current core constituency of supporters.”

The company also announced the establishment of The New Zealand Opera Foundation. The Foundation will be headed by David Gascoigne, current Chair of The NBR New Zealand Opera Board, with eleven experienced Trustees representing a broad range of opera, arts and business interests.

The Foundation is about helping secure the future of opera, as it sets out to be a major long-term source of financial support for The NBR New Zealand Opera. It's purpose is to support the long-term development of professional opera in New Zealand and help develop a solid base for opera production.

Taking a lead from overseas arts organisations, the Foundation will introduce bequest funding to stand alongside benefaction and other fundraising activities, currently carried out by The NBR New Zealand Opera. The Foundation Trustees will supervise a securely managed fund, using interest earned to support The NBR New Zealand Opera activities on an independent basis including the production of seldom-performed or more ambitious works.

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