New Zealand's next top opera singers will do hours of singing and a little yoga in Wanganui over the next two weeks.
Twenty students will be put through their strenuous paces at the 20th New Zealand Opera School, based at Wanganui Collegiate.
Straight after they arrived in the city yesterday they had to sing an aria cold on stage at the school, before intensive training started today.
School founder and executive director Donald Trott said the young singers faced 14-hour days of stringent one-on-one vocal tuition, early morning yoga or athletic exercise, and acting and stagecraft classes.
Nine new students have been accepted and 13 former students have returned.
Mr Trott said the students came because the school's training regime was superb and advanced their voices tenfold.
Among the tutors this year is leading international tenor and acclaimed vocal teacher Dennis O'Neill, who is director of the Wales International Academy of Voice.
Mr Trott said it had been a coup to bring in someone of Mr O'Neill's calibre.
First-time student Sophie Morris, 20, from Dunedin, said she really wanted to be at the school to meet Mr O'Neill again after meeting him at the Lexus Master class in Dunedin last year.
Mr Trott said the 2014 programme would include some big moments: the Collegiate Chapel service on Sunday at 11.30am featuring Mr O'Neill singing the Welsh National Anthem in Welsh with the students joining him, a special performance by NBR New Zealand Opera's three emerging students at a Heritage House luncheon at 1pm on Wednesday, and a gala outdoor concert by present and past students aboard the paddlesteamer Waimarie, beside the jetty.
The audience will be invited to sit along the riverbank to watch the January 16 show and a large screen will show the singers in close-up.
The school ends with a free concert at the Prince Edward Auditorium on January 19.