All sessions are open to the public.
There are 16 singers entered for this year's IFAC Handa NZ Singing School Aria Competition, competing for prizes of $4000, $2000 and $1000, plus prizes of $200 from Clean Earth for each of the unplaced finalists.
The Aria Competition will provide a real highlight of the festival. Winners of previous aria contests have gone on to win national singing honours, leading to international careers.
This year's aria contestants have a wide range of professional and educational achievement. Many are well advanced in performance degree courses, some are at post-graduate level and have had extensive operatic and recital experience, both in this country and overseas.
Entered are eight sopranos - Imogen Thirlwall, Felicity Tompkins, Olivia Sheat, Olivia Pike, Anna Mahon, Katherine McIndoe, Clare Hood, and Laura Loach, one mezzo-soprano, Elizabeth Harris, two tenors - Filipe Manu and Kalauni Pouvalu, four baritones - Will King, Angus Simmons, Jarvis Dams and Aidan Phillips, and one bass, James Henare.
Each competitor will sing an aria in the preliminary round on Saturday evening and up to six finalists will also sing a second aria.
Most of the aria competitors will also sing in the recital class on Friday evening and there will be a singing masterclass with the visiting adjudicator in the MTG Century Theatre from 10.30 on Sunday morning which is also open to the public. Admission $10.
Adjudicator for the senior singing classes and the aria will be bass Conal Coad from Australia.
Coad received his first training in New Zealand and then at the NSW Conservatorium of Music Opera School before joining Opera Australia, followed by a move to Europe where he has sung in the major European opera houses and also in New York and Washington DC and in Tokyo and Israel.
Napier singing teacher Orlena Wakeman will adjudicate the junior singing classes, former Royal Schools of Music Scholarship recipient and now based in Sydney, Catherine McKay, will adjudicate the instrumental classes, Auckland teacher Glenda Pearce the speech and drama classes with tap dance classes adjudicated by Courtney Cann from Auckland and the ballet and jazz classes by Rowan Cann, also from Auckland.
Admission $4 adults, Children $2 a session, with a day pass $6/$3. Aria preliminary admission - $10/$5. Final $25/$10. Singing Recital Class $10. For further information phone 844 1573 or visit www.napierpacs.org.nz