Opera Superstar Makes Her New Zealand Debut With NZSO In November

Multi- GRAMMY® and Olivier Award-winning American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato makes her long-awaited New Zealand debut this November with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

DiDonato performs in Wellington and Auckland with the orchestra under the baton of acclaimed New Zealander Gemma New, the NZSO’s Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor.

Joyce DiDonato Summer Nights features two music masterpieces: French composer Hector Berlioz’s exquisite song cycle Les Nuits d'été and Austrian composer Anton Bruckner’s monumental Seventh Symphony.

The concerts promise an unforgettable musical experience, showcasing DiDonato’s “24-carat gold” voice (The Times) and her unmatched artistry, praised by the New Yorker as “perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation.”

Her performance of Berlioz’s The Death of Cleopatra with the London Philharmonic last year was praised by The Guardian “as a tour de force.”

“I expect my audience to be transformed by the end of the evening,” DiDonato has said about performing.

“I want them to have the experience of a lifetime and feel something deep and true that normal, everyday modern life doesn’t usually afford them. I want them to be utterly uplifted.”

In addition to her New Zealand debut performances, DiDonato will offer rare insights into her craft through two exclusive masterclasses in Wellington and Auckland. The masterclasses, presented in collaboration with The Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio (TANZOS) and the Dame Malvina Foundation in Wellington, and by NZ Opera and Circle100 in Auckland, will feature emerging New Zealand opera talent and provide audiences with a behind-the-scenes look at the discipline and passion that define DiDonato’s career.

“We’re genuinely delighted that Joyce DiDonato has chosen to offer masterclasses as part of her New Zealand debut,” says NZSO Chief Executive Marc Feldman.

“Her generosity—on stage and in the studio—is legendary. Her work with young singers in her renowned Carnegie Hall programme has inspired countless artists around the world. For the NZSO this is truly an honour, it's more than a teaching moment; it’s a chance to connect, collaborate, and help shape the next generation of operatic talent here in Aotearoa.”

The Wellington masterclass on 27 November will be held at the Michael Fowler Centre. The Auckland masterclass on 30 November at NZ Opera’s Parnell studio offers a more intimate setting with limited tickets available.

DiDonato’s Wellington concert with the NZSO and her Wellington masterclass will be livestreamed at nzso.co.nz/plus courtesy of Erato/Warner Classics. Usually, DiDonato’s livestreamed masterclasses are exclusive to Carnegie Hall, but the acclaimed singer has given permission for her Wellington masterclass to be livestreamed.

Bookings to the concerts and masterclasses are available at nzso.co.nz

Joyce DiDonato Summer Nights

GEMMA NEW Conductor

JOYCE DIDONATO Mezzo-soprano

BERLIOZ Les Nuits d'été

BRUCKNER Symphony No. 7

TE WHANGANUI-A-TARA WELLINGTON | Michael Fowler Centre | Friday, 28 Nov | 6.30pm

TĀMAKI MAKAURAU AUCKLAND | Town Hall | Saturday, 29 Nov | 7.30pm

Wellington TANZOS Masterclass

TE WHANGANUI-A-TARA WELLINGTON | Michael Fowler Centre | Thursday, 27 Nov | 6pm-8pm

Auckland NZ Opera Circle100 Masterclass

TĀMAKI MAKAURAU AUCKLAND | NZ Opera Studio, Parnell | Sunday, 30 Nov | 11am-1pm

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