Pene Pati wins international opera award

Pene Pati has won People’s Choice in 2022 International Opera Awards. Photo / Dave Simpson / Getty Images

It was never a secret that South Auckland Samoan tenor Pene Pati was headed for international opera stardom even when he was a student at the New Zealand Opera School in 2012 in Whanganui.

On campus at Whanganui Collegiate School the young blossoming tenor with an infectious giggle was much loved by his fellow students and tutors alike.

And just last week he was awarded the Readers Choice award in the 2022 International Opera awards, the only award voted for by the public.

As well as being a member of popular trio Sol3 Mio, Pene’s star quality has had a meteoric rise over the past few years.

He has performed at some of the world’s greatest opera houses and recently released his debut solo album on Warner Classics to critical international acclaim.

Pene has often been described as “the most exceptional tenor discovery of the last decade” and touted as a “young Pavarotti”.

This was after his early debuts as Il Duca di Mantova (Rigoletto) at San Francisco Opera under Nicola Luisotti and Percy (Anna Bolena) at Opéra National de Bordeaux under Paul Daniel.

Accepting the Opera International award via video, he said it was an “absolute surprise”.

“Thank you to everyone who voted – what an amazing feeling to know that your singing has touched many people. When you’re from little old Samoa on the other side of the globe, you never quite imagine that your voice will reach this far, so thank you truly from the bottom of my heart and I hope to sing for you in the near future.”

He was thrilled to be able to be one of four New Zealand tutors two years ago at the New Zealand Opera School in at Whanganui Collegiate School, Whanganui in January 2021 during the world Covid crisis.

Earlier this year he also won the audience and second prizes at the prestigious Operalia competition at the Royal Opera House in London, taking home $20,000 and a Rolex watch.

He said the audience award was one of the best feelings because you know that everyone in that theatre loved you.

“It’s one of the best feelings in the world was standing in the limelight on the stage when they called the audience prize and opening my arms out wide to accept the honour and to feel such love and to feel people really loving what you do.”

There were 40 quarterfinalists drawn from 21 countries around the world. Pene was the only competitor from New Zealand.

Our feted and loved young tenor, already a star here in New Zealand, is another young Kiwi out there conquering the world.

NZ Opera School director Donald Trott said sending young classical singers to the world’s opera stages was precisely what the school was about.

“And will ever continue to be.”