Te Awamutu Music Federation to present Waikato University Student Showcase

Headshots of the performers of the Student Showcase which is set to take place in Te Awamutu. Photo / Supplied

Te Awamutu Music Federation, together with the University of Waikato Conservatorium of Music, will present a Student Showcase of their vocal abilities at 2pm on Sunday, July 16 at the St John’s Anglican Church on Arawata Street in Te Awamutu.

Tickets are $20 cash at the door. However, students can enter for free.

Director of vocal performance Kristin Darragh, the tutor of these students, said in a statement she is “beyond thrilled with the singers and pianist that are lined up for the concert. They are some of our very best voices”.

The singers will be accompanied by Jonathan Dunlop, the pianist who gave us such a wonderful concert last month.

Breony Bearman holds a teaching diploma in speech and drama, an LTCL with distinction in voice, and a Bachelor of Music with First-Class Honours. She has performed in many popular operas and is currently studying for her Master’s in voice performance at Waikato University.

Faamanu Fonoti-Fuimaono is a proud Samoan from Hawke’s Bay and has majored in classical vocal performance. He is a graduate of Project Prima Volta, which uses classical music to empower youth. He has performed in many mainstream operas and toured Respighi’s The Sleeping Beauty around 33 schools for over 10,000 students.

Jordan Fonoti-Fuimaono is also from Hawke’s Bay and began his musical journey with Project Prima Volta. He is studying under Kristin Darragh and was a finalist in the Lockwood NZ Aria and the Wellington and North Shore Aria Competitions. In 2023, he was the recipient of the Dame Sister Mary Leo Scholarship.

Szilvia Hernyak is a graduate of the NZ School of Music studying with Wade Kernot. He has sung with NZ Opera School and Wellington Opera productions and was assistant director for Festival Opera’s Die Zauberflote. He is currently studying for a diploma focusing on NZ music during the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

Niamh Bentley’s journey began in 2016 through Project Prima Volta. She has a Bachelor of Music in classical performance and is working towards her Master’s recital under Kristin Darragh. She has performed with Festival Opera NZ and on the recent University of Waikato production of Puccini’s hit comedy Gianni Schicchi.

Kristin Darragh is a New Zealand-born contralto, and her voice has been described as one of “breathtakingly beautiful depth”. She is a regular soloist with New Zealand’s orchestras and was a fulltime principal soloist at Theatre Luneburg in Germany for five years. Kristin trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London and holds a Master’s degree in voice performance. She teaches voice and assists in the training of New Zealand’s young singers.