KEY POINTS:
What: Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Celebrate Christmas
Where and when: Holy Trinity Cathedral, Friday Dec 12 at 7.30pm & Sunday Dec 14 at 3pm
Soprano Madeleine Pierard describes her latest trip home as a whirlwind. Next week she guests at the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's Celebrate Christmas concerts, following major concert appearances in Wellington. Yet, it was only a fortnight ago that she flew into the capital to be presented with a $25,000 New Generation Award from the Arts Foundation of New Zealand.
"It was quite amazing to be singled out," Pierard says. "You don't apply for it and you are not even aware you're in the running until you get that phone call."
In January the soprano returns to England for her final six months at the Benjamin Britten International Opera School, where the intensive professional training even extends to make-up classes. "It's just like a real opera company," she laughs, "except you don't get paid."
Nevertheless, in April, her Meleagro in Handel's Atalanta caught more than one critic's fancy - her most ambitious role so far, with an updated character that she describes as "a bit of a Harry Potter football fan. The part was very high and florid, being written for a castrato. And I really enjoyed playing a man as well."
Training in piano and composition has given this Napier-born singer a cool intellectuality, leading to collaborations with more than one New Zealand composer.
In 2006, Ross Harris wrote his Second Symphony for her and a new project with composer Jeroen Speak and pianist Stephen De Pledge hopes to mount two concerts of Kiwi music in London.
Next year, Naxos will release her disc of two Lyell Cresswell works with the NZSO. "The Voice Inside has some amazing imagery," she explains. "It's a double concerto for voice and violin, and [NZSO concert master] Vesa-Matti Leppanen's part is insanely virtuosic."
Yet frequent sessions working with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa have made it clear that technical brilliance is not all. "She sang Ach, ich fuhls to me and I was absolutely sobbing by the end. She invested so much emotionally in the music."
Unexpectedly, Pierard's latest craze is boxing. "I love it. ... I box in a ring with a trainer but don't do the sparring ... yet."
She is also receiving business mentoring with a human resources consultant as part of her recent competition success. "She is helping me to market myself and sing to lots of agents. There are thousands of singers and you need to show you have something different. You need to be the whole package, visually appealing as well as having a solid technique. Above all you should specialise."
She has been advised to focus on Rossini and she admires the classic Joan Sutherland recordings, which take bel canto as a serious art.
Next week, her APO contributions range from Tavener and Franck to a beautiful mini-cantata by Schutz. Christmas music, says Pierard, "always makes Christmas that much more exciting".
