Rugby playing baritone taking on Aria for the third time

Opera singer Samson Setu. Photo / Michael Bradley

Samson Setu used to be a Samoan rugby player who sung opera.

Now he's a Samoan opera singer who plays rugby - but not as often as he would like.

Next weekendhe'll be in Rotorua taking part in the prestigious New Zealand Aria competition.

The Dilworth School old boy said he took to the rugby pitch well before the stage, but it was the stage that was now his focus and his time on the footy field had taken a back seat.

This will be his third time competing at the NZ Aria.

"The competition is definitely one of the more friendly ones," Setu said.

"There's a decent contingent of us travelling down which makes it more fun, and it's always great to get out of Auckland.

"While we're all competing against each other, there is no competition among us."

Setu, who is doing undergraduate studies at Auckland University, said he would push thoughts of pending exams to the back of his mind while on stage.

"Our exams basically start the week after the NZ Aria and I've been focusing on them for so long it's going to take quite an effort to forget them for a while.

"But I'll be there doing my best, that's all I really can do. And when I'm not singing, I'm hoping for a little downtime to relax with my mates.

"It'll also be awesome to be there watching them sing."

Setu took up opera singing in his final year of Dilworth after being encouraged to do so by a teacher and said he hadn't looked back since.

As well as studying, the baritone is one of the 2018 Dame Malvina Major emerging artists working with New Zealand Opera.

The programme includes an opera-in-schools tour, where he has been visiting schools in New Zealand to inspire students in pursuing a passion in the music industry.

Once he graduates, Setu is looking at continuing his study at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

"The Head of Voice contacted me after a performance at the New Zealand Opera School and has stayed in touch.

"I haven't made a definite decision yet but it would be nice to get out of New Zealand for a while, plus I've got heaps of family in America."

This year the venue for all classes is Rydges Hotel, with finals night being held in the Destiny Auditorium.

New Zealand Aria Trust president Joanne La Grouw. Photo / Stephen Parker

New Zealand Aria Trust president Jo-Ann Le Grouw said the competition almost didn't go ahead.

"At the beginning of the year we had decided we were not going to hold it because we didn't have a venue," La Grouw said.

"But we put our thinking caps on and started making calls. Rydges was the only hotel that had four available rooms we could use for the different completions and the Destiny Auditorium was the only venue big enough to have the full orchestra at the front.

"We're pleased we pulled it off and are looking forward to the weekend."

She said the New Zealand Aria was the largest annual singing competition in Australasia and one of the very few where singers were accompanied by a full orchestra.