Former Rotorua man Jarvis Dams is the NZ Aria 2017 winner. Photo/ Tony Whitehead
Former Rotorua man Jarvis Dams is the NZ Aria 2017 winner. Photo/ Tony Whitehead
Baritone Jarvis Dams is testament to the phrase practice makes perfect.
The former Rotorua man has entered the New Zealand Aria many times and was named a finalist twice, but last night was named winner of the prestigious event.
Admitting he still hasn't come back down to earth yet, Mr Dams described the weekend as amazing.
"The level of singing in the final last night was just incredible and I thought my colleagues all did so well, it was a complete surprise when they announced my name," Mr Dams said.
Part of his $20,000 prize package was $5000 toward entry in the Sydney Eisteddfod competition next year.
"I am absolutely looking forward to Sydney, I think it will be a good challenge for me, but with the amount of support I have received from the New Zealand Aria Trust and the Dame Malvina Major Foundation I am definitely looking forward to meeting that challenge."
New Zealand Aria trustee Ian Edward said it had been fantastic to see Mr Dams win.
"At the completion of the final and before the winner was announced I found Jarvis sitting in the foyer of the theatre," Mr Edward said. "He told me he had booked out of his motel that morning and was planning to drive back to Hamilton after the winner had been named as he was beginning a new role within with his employers on Monday."
Mr Edward said he told Mr Dams that was not acceptable and, if need be, he would ask Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick to phone the Hamilton Mayor (Mr Dams works at Hamilton City Council) and say he would be late.
"In my eyes there could not have been more a deserving winner than Jarvis," Mr Edward said. "He's been entering the competition since he was a young man and was the runaway winner last night.
"Often singers are told to go back home and work on areas of their performance and Jarvis has done just that. He has worked hard and it has taken him to the top."
Mr Dams said he was very lucky to work for Hamilton City Council. "It is a fantastic organisation that is very supportive of my artistic endeavours."
Another Rotorua local Tehezib Latiff made the finals alongside Taupo's Chelsea Dolman, Moonyoung Jang, Boyd Owen, Samson Setu, Harry Grigg, Tabatha McFadyen, Oliver Sheat and Sophie Sparrow.
First time entrant Jang placed second and Australian Owen was third.
Mr Dams took home a prize package of $20,000 courtesy of the Dame Malvina Major Foundation.
NEW ZEALAND ARIA 2017 Results Under 21 Section Class 1 - Own Selection Under 10 Years Will Connolly-Tevendale First Place Koen McKenzie Second Place Kahuariki Ahuriri Third Place Te Aira Timoti Very Highly Commended Maie Rapana Highly Commended Whiuwhiu Mitai Highly Commended Chloe Slater Highly Commended Class 2 - Folk / Traditional Under 10 Years Chloe Slater First Place Maie Rapana Second Place Koen McKenzie Third Place Will Connolly-Tevendale Very Highly Commended Class 3 - Sacred/Oratorio Under 10 Years Raukura Makoare First Place Class 4 - Light Entertainment Under 10 Years Chloe Slater First Place Koen McKenzie Second Place Will Connolly-Tevendale Third Place Maie Rapana Very Highly Commended Rangitoia Rurehe Highly Commended Class 5 - Own Selection 10 and Under 13 Years Te Pumanawa o toku ate Rogers First Place Clara Douglas Second Place Connor Klein Third Place Emilie Rosset Very Highly Commended Jasmine Hulton Very Highly Commended Lily Isaac Highly Commended Class 6 - Folk / Traditional 10 and Under 13 Years Charles Adams First Place Clara Douglas Second Place Emilie Rosset Third Equal Connor Klein Third Equal Tate Tisdall Very Highly Commended Lily Isaac Very Highly Commended Ava Hook Highly Commended Lauren Thompson Highly Commended Class 7 - Sacred / Oratorio 10 and Under 13 Years Te Pumanawa o toku ate Rogers First Place Charles Adams Second Place Lily Isaac Third Place Katelyn Bedford Very Highly Commended Tate Tisdall Highly Commended Class 8 - Light Entertainment 10 and Under 13 Years Lily Isaac First Place Charles Adams Second Place Tate Tisdall Third Equal Connor Klein Third Equal Clara Douglas Very Highly Commended Emilie Rosset Very Highly Commended Te Pumanawa o toku ate Rogers Highly Commended Class 9 - Own Selection 13 and Under 16 Years Jacob Siohane-Royle First Place Edward Smith Second Place Anahera Waiariki Third Place Jocelyn Scott Very Highly Commended Jean-Daniel Rosset Very Highly Commended Hannah Flacks Very Highly Commended Isabella Reid Very Highly Commended Sinaea Hull Highly Commended Jaenelle Whittaker Highly Commended Class 10 - Folk / Traditional 13 and Under 16 Years Sinaea Hull First Place Jacob Siohane-Royle Second Place Anahera Waiariki Third Place Jocelyn Scott Very Highly Commended Jade Okey Very Highly Commended Anabel Jamieson Very Highly Commended Jemma Chester Highly Commended Edward Smith Highly Commended Class 11 - Sacred/Oratorio 13 and Under 16 Years Edward Smith First Place Jemma Chester Second Place Anabel Jamieson Third Place Jean-Daniel Rosset Very Highly Commended Sinaea Hull Highly Commended Jacob Siohane-Royle Highly Commended Isabella Reid Highly Commended Class 12 - Light Entertainment 13 and Under 16 Years Jacob Siohane-Royle First Place Jocelyn Scott Second Place Anahera Waiariki Third Place Jemma Chester Very Highly Commended Hannah Flacks Very Highly Commended Anabel Jamieson Very Highly Commended Jean-Daniel Rosset Highly Commended Edward Smith Commended Jade Okey Commended Isabella Reid Commended Sinaea Hull Commended Jaenelle Whittaker Commended Class 13 - Restricted Class Under 14 Years Tate Tisdall First Place Lauren Thompson Second Place Class 14 - Duet Under 14 Years Clareabell Taoho and Wini Te Kurapa First Place Class 15 - NZ Composer Under 14 Years Sinaea Hull First Place Isabella Reid Second Place Brianna Lemalie Third Place Class 16 - Maori Song Under 14 Years Isabella Reid First Place Te Pumanawa o toku ate Rogers Second Place Jasmine Hulton Third Place Waikimihia Douglas-Karauna Very Highly Commended Class 17 - Restricted Class 14 and Under 21 Te Ohorere Williams First Place Maia Carrington Very Highly Commended Class 18 - Duet 14 and Under 21 Sophia Yang and Arthur Close First Place Claudia Cooke and Larissa Kent Second Place Equal Hannah Flacks and Hazel Francis Second Place Equal Class 19 - NZ Composer 14 and Under 21 Aidan Phillips First Place Arthur Adams-Close Second Place Claudia Cooke Third Equal Hannah Flacks Third Equal Class 20 - Maori Song 14 and Under 21 Anahera Waiariki First Place Anna Kelland Second Place Tyrell Tamaki Third Place Class 21 - Own Selection 16 and Under 18 Years Emily Dela Rue First Place Victoria Hos Second Place Holly Minchington Third Place Tyrell Tamaki Very Highly Commended Class 22 - Folk / Traditional 16 and Under 18 Years Victoria Hos First Place Emily Dela Rue Second Place Tyrell Tamaki Third Place Holly Minchington Very Highly Commended Anna Hamilton Very Highly Commended Class 23 - Sacred / Oratorio 16 and Under 18 Years Tyrell Tamaki First Place Victoria Hos Second Place Holly Minchington Third Place Anna Kelland Very Highly Commended Class 24 - Light Entertainment 16 and Under 18 Years Tyrell Tamaki First Place Anna Hamilton Second Place Holly Minchington Third Place Victoria Hos Very Highly Commended Emily Dela Rue Highly Commended Class 25 - Own Selection 18 and Under 21 Years Te Ohorere Williams First Place Sophia Yang Second Place Madison Horman Third Place Arthur Adams-Close Very Highly Commended Class 26 - Folk / Traditional 18 and Under 21 Years Harry Grigg First Place Arthur Adams-Close Second Place Aidan Phillips Third Place Mary Laing Very Highly Commended Class 27 - Sacred/Oratorio 18 and Under 21 Years Mary Laing First Place Arthur Adams-Close Second Place Class 28 - Light Entertainment 18 and Under 21 Years Harry Grigg First Place Aidan Phillips Second Place Alex Matangi Third Place Arthur Adams-Close Very Highly Commended Madison Horman Very Highly Commended Class 29 - Operatic Aria 16 and Under 21 Years Harry Grigg First Place Madison Horman Second Place Te Ohorere Williams Third Place Mary Laing Very Highly Commended Class 30 - Oratorio/Sacred Song 16 and Under 21 Years Mary Laing First Place Katie Trigg Second Place Te Ohorere Williams Third Place Class 31 - Lieder/Art Song 16 and Under 21 Years Harry Grigg First Place Te Ohorere Williams Second Place Arthur Adams-Close Third Place Larissa Kent Very Highly Commended Class 32 - Own Selection 16 and Under 21 Years Harry Grigg First Place Larissa Kent Second Place Katie Trigg Third Place Arthur Adams-Close Very Highly Commended Mary Laing Highly Commended Madison Horman Highly Commended Alex Matangi Highly Commended The Maureen Potter NZ Aria Award Under 10 Years Koen McKenzie First Place Equal Will Connolly-Tevendale First Place Equal Chloe Slater Second Place Maie Rapana Third Place The Maureen Potter NZ Aria Award 10 and Under 13 Years Clara Douglas First Place Connor Klein Second Place Emilie Rosset Third Place NZ Aria Award 13 and Under 16 Jacob Siohane-Royle First Place Anahera Waiariki Second Place Jocelyn Scott Third Place NZ Aria Award 16 and Under 18 Victoria Hos First Place Emily Dela Rue Second Place Equal Tyrell Tamaki Second Place Equal NZ Aria Award 18 and Under 21 Years Arthur Adams-Close First Place Madison Horman Second Place Aidan Phillips Third Place Equal Sophia Yang Third Place Equal Mike Steiner Interior Design Junior Award Harry Grigg First Place Te Ohorere Williams Second Place Mary Laing Third Place Kowhai Award Sinaea Hull First Place Isabella Reid Second Place Aidan Phillips Third Place NZ Aria Award - Most Promising Competitor Under 21 Years Te Ohorere Williams Winner Adult Section 18 Years and Over Class 330 - Baroque Classical Aria Sophie Sparrow First Place Tehezib Lathiff Second Place Olivia Sheat Third Place Sophie Lamb Very Highly Commended Class 331 - Maori Song Mereana Teka First Place Class 332 - Solo Own Selection (not an Operatic Aria) Laura Loach First Place Tehezib Lathiff Second Place Malinda Di Leva Third Place Chelsea Dolman Very Highly Commended Alicia Cadwgan Very Highly Commended Class 333 - Oratorio or Sacred Solo Jarvis Dams First Place Tehezib Lathiff Second Place Tabatha McFadyen Third Place Class 334 - Lieder Own Selection Jarvis Dams First Place Boyd Owen Second Place Harry Grigg Third Place Tabatha McFadyen Very Highly Commended Laura Loach Very Highly Commended Samson Setu Very Highly Commended Class 335 - Folk or Traditional Anna Mahon First Place Harry Grigg Second Place Jonathan Dunlop Third Place Class 336 - 20th Century Art Song (in Original Language) Harry Grigg First Place Tehezib Lathiff Second Place Equal Boyd Owen Second Place Equal Jarvis Dams Third Place Moonyoung Jang Highly Commended Class 337 - Vocal Duet Katie Trigg and June Potifara First Place Class 345 - New Zealand Aria - 2017 Heats Jarvis Dams Finalist Harry Grigg Finalist Boyd Owen Finalist Tabatha McFadyen Finalist Moonyoung Jang Finalist Samson Setu Finalist Tehezib Lathiff Finalist Sophie Sparrow Finalist Chelsea Dolman Finalist Olivia Sheat Finalist Class 346 - New Zealand Aria 2017 Jarvis Dams First Place Moonyoung Jang Second Place Boyd Owen Third Place John Bond Award Harry Grigg Winner Ethel & William Harman Ambassador's Award Chelsea Dolman Winner
