Dame Malvina Major's garden opera

New Waikato University Senior Fellow Dame Malvina Major will take the stage with past and present students at the Hamilton Garden Arts Festival today.

Dame Malvina will perform alongside special guests Chase Douglas, a University of Waikato Sir Edmund Hillary Scholar, and past Canterbury University student Amina Edris, on the Rhododendron Lawn as part of the Hamilton Gardens Festival.

"I'm really looking forward to performing with the young singers. I've made it my business over the last 10 years to include 'up and coming' singers in my concert programmes," says Dame Malvina.

"I believe they learn much from watching a professional performing, and also learn what stamina is needed for performance.

"They discover what their capabilities are, and also if they are really cut out to be opera singers or maybe some other genre."

Dame Malvina has had an outstanding international opera career, singing major roles all over the world before returning to New Zealand to teach and perform.

Chase Douglas, who recently toured the country with Hayley Westenra, says he feels "very privileged to be performing with Dame Malvina and even more so to have her as my vocal coach and mentor this year at Waikato University".

The University of Waikato is an event partner and is supporting the performance by Dame Malvina. She'll be accompanied by the Opus Orchestra, under the direction of Peter Walls.

Her appointment at Waikato University was announced in December. She will teach voice students in the university's music programme and play an ambassadorial role for the university.