New Zealand Opera School graduates continue to follow prestigious paths in the opera world. The opera school - held annually for 10 days each January at Wanganui Collegiate School - has been running for 21 years and students vie for the 22 places every year. This year NBR Opera is presenting Toscaby Giacomo Puccini, an opera in three acts opening in Auckland and running from September 17 to 27, then playing in Wellington from October 10 to 17. Playing the lead roles Mario Cavaradosi and Baron Scarpia are two former and illustrious opera school graduates, tenor Simon O'Neill and baritone Phillip Rhodes. Even veteran baritone Barry Mora, who has taught at the opera school, will sing A Sacristan. Last week another graduate, bass-varitone James Ioelu was named the inaugural winner of an international award, the Victoria League Scholarship in Singing. It means Ioelu will have 12-months accommodation at the Victoria League's London base and he has also been accepted into the 2015-16 National Opera Studio programme (only 12 places are offered each year from hundreds of applications) which is considered one of the most prestigious training programmes in Britain. Ioelu was also recently placed in three major Australasian competitions, winning the NZ Aria and being runner-up in both the Dame Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Competition and the Sydney Eistedfodd Aria Competition. He has also secured a coveted spot at the Merola Opera programme in San Francisco where he will perform the title role in Don Pasquale.
