Felicity Tomkins: from Te Puke to world opera

Te Puke-raised Felicity Tomkins is a semifinalist in the 2024 Lexus Song Contest.

Whistle-stop visits to New Zealand are the norm for Te Puke-raised opera singer Felicity Tomkins.

But for once, she is home for an extended visit, and while here she will compete in 2024 Lexus Song Quest that is being held over the next couple of weekends.

And, as a bonus, she has been able to hop across the Tasman a couple of times, and has won the 2024 Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship.

The opera scholarship comes with a prize of $3000 cash plus $40,000 to undertake overseas study for the operatic stage, including vocal tuition/coaching, languages and stagecraft (inclusive of travel and airfares)

Now her focus is on the Lexus Song Quest which as last held in when Felicity, in New Zealand on one of those fleeting visits, was runner-up.

She says, though, that isn’t something that spurs her on to go one better in 2024.

“I’m not really into that kind of pressure thinking,” she says.

“For me it’s, if I’m home, I can participate in it. It’s a lovely thing to be part of, but it can never be predicted - that stuff is impossible. I’m just excited to be a part of it again because it’s a great competition.”

Felicity is one of 10 semi-finalists from a pool of 29 top-quality applications for the competition that is presented in association with the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation.

International head judge, Grammy Award-winning South Korean lyric coloratura soprano Sumi Jo, will this weekend select the five finalists who will go on to perform with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at the Grand Final Gala at Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre on August 3, the same venue used two years ago.

“That was the highlight for me two years ago, the final with the NZSO - it was amazing and at that point, it was probably the biggest orchestra I’d sung with.”

“Listening to (MC) Clarissa’s (Dunn) calming voice, I thought, ‘I’m in the zone’, then walking out to 2-3000 people in the Michael Fowler Centre, it was quite something actually.”

She says the competition is a way to promote classical music and opera and “it’s a really fun evening”.

Felicity Tomkins (centre) in the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music production of Dialogues des Carmélites (Poulenc).

Now London-based after completing her Artist Diploma in Opera Vocal Performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music last August, Felicity is due to return in the northern hemisphere autumn. She says it is nice to be home for longer than just a flying visit.

“[Last August] I went to went to London briefly and was involved in competition there, then went to Austria for a summer programme which was fabulous as well.”

The last time she was in New Zealand was in October and November 2023 when she won the Lockwood NZ Aria in Rotorua.

“Then the last wee while I’ve been travelling between UK and Europe doing auditions.”

It will be more of the same when she returns.

“I’m in that phase in my career where it’s auditioning. It’s intense and it’s weird and it’s hard but it’s fantastic. You have a plan you want to put into action but you just have to keep grinding away, chipping away. It’s the classic career in the arts.”

The pandemic is also still having an influence.

“With Covid, everything had to slow down and now it’s picking up but the system hasn’t quite evened out yet.

“Plus, some companies won’t be auditioning for certain voice types so you have to play the long game.

“I just tell myself, ‘you are only 27, don’t panic’. You train and you work super super hard and it’s a passion and it’s a job you want to be doing full time.”

Felicity Tomkins at The Concourse Theatre, Chatswood, Sydney. Photo / BWP Studios

Her goal, but by a long way not her only option, is to join a company.

There are other possibilities such as freelancing and you can guest - you can do solo work and concert work and recitals.

“So it’s quite a variety of things. It’s an exciting phase but quite daunting.

She says she is grateful for the support she has received.

“We are lucky that there are people out there who want to be benefactors for the arts such as Dame Malvina [Major] and Dame Kiri [Te Kanawa].

“I’m very thankful for the people who have supported me but it is tough, more now that ever.”

She says she doesn’t understand the idea that opera or the arts are elitist or inaccessible.

“I don’t think it is though. The arts always seem to be the first thing cut, but during lockdown, that’s what a lot of people turned to - they did some painting, did some writing.

“More than ever I think directors try and come up with ways to take a story from 2-300 years ago and put it in a modern setting or change it up or do loads of different things with it. There are some creative people out there trying to make it accessible for all.”'

Felicity says she began singing at the suggestion of a Te Puke Intermediate School teacher.

“I thought I’ll give it a go’ and sort of fell into it somehow.”