Students embrace opera experience

IMPROVISATION: Kuranui College arts students Charlotte Penman (left) and Keziah Stonnell perform during a special workshop on opera at the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University. PHOTO/ZOE THURSTON

Four students from the gifted and talented arts programme at Kuranui College have completed an opera workshop at the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University.

Year 12 students Keziah Stonnell and Charlotte Penman and final year students Thor Elley and Zoe Thurston went to Wellington last Monday to participate in the two-hour taster.

Kuranui College head of music Trish Webster was impressed with the amount of skill displayed in performing in the "challenging genre".

"Opera involves both movement and singing; it is extremely difficult and the hardest art form to perform," she said.

The workshop included watching a rehearsal directed by Frances Moore for the music school's production of a Ravel opera.

"There were at least four opera stars in the rehearsal group, what voices, they were amazing."

The director of the New Zealand School of Music, Euan Murdoch, talked to the students about the rich and diverse legacy of music at the school and encouraged them to look at opera as a possible art form to study.

The workshop also included activities and games that develop group performance and movement, essential components of the genre.

Ms Thurston has won a number of first placings in performing art competitions with her singing and is keen to look at studying opera when she leaves college at the end of the year.

"I love singing and opera is something I've thought about going further with," she said.

"As part of the workshop we had to do a devising piece where we had to create a scene from part two with one of the choruses of the opera. It was really interesting to see what they do with opera and how you can actually go somewhere with it.

"You can manipulate the way your body works when you sing to get the right sound and right strength behind it. You also have to have the right actions and facials to go with it to portray your character in a particular scene," she said.

"It does require a lot of technique and strength. It's not just about the singing - you have to act as well."