Young singers vie for prestigious opera title

Phillip Rhodes, winner of the 2007 Lexus Song Quest. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Six of the New Zealand's most promising young opera stars will compete in this evening's Lexus Song Quest at the Auckland Town Hall.

The finalists - Wade Kernot, Kristen Darragh and Andrew Glover from Auckland, Julia Booth from Hamilton, Aivale Cole from Wellington and Polly Ott from Christchurch - have spent the last week working with international judge and world renowned German tenor Siegfried Jerusalem.

Each singer will perform one lieder, accompanied by pianist Terrence Dennis, and two arias, accompanied by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Formerly known as the Mobil Song Quest, the biennial Lexus Song Quest has helped launch the careers of many successful New Zealand singers.

Past winners include Dames Malvina Major and Kiri Te Kanawa.

More recent winners who are now carving out successful international careers for themselves include Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Jonathan Lemalu, Anna Leese and Madeleine Pierard.

The finalists will be competing for study scholarships and a total cash prize pool of $63,500 at tonight's final.

The three prize winners will then accompany Jerusalem on a three-date national tour next week, giving recitals in Christchurch (April 26), Dunedin (April 28) and Wellington (April 30).

* Tickets for tonight's Lexus Song Quest final are available from buytickets.co.nz or call 0800 BUY TICKETS (0800 289 8425 387.