It was very heartening to see a capacity house at Whanganui's Element Restaurant on Sunday night to hear up and coming New Zealand mezzo soprano Bianca Andrew.

Bianca, with incredible accompanist David Kelly, showed how the New Zealand Opera School has fostered fine talent for 25 years now.

Bianca said it was like a homecoming for her, that Whanganui had felt like home when
she had been a student over four years at Collegiate School.

This once fledgling singer is soaring.

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Her time in London at the Guildhall has transformed our talented performer into a force to be reckoned with in the years ahead.

Her masterful command of the music together with her scintillating stage presence are a true blessing for Bianca's voice is now flying with superb control.

From Voi che Sapete from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro to beautiful lyrical melodies like Die Junge Nonne (Franz Schubert) and Sergei Rachmaninov's I'll wait for you were blissful.

Kelly's was the sensitive performance of a true meister.

A standing ovation was well deserved by these two and I would say for much of the audience pride was a big factor as well.

For me personally I thank Donald Trott, the founder and the chairman of the New Zealand Opera, once again.

He is the man, the man of music, the one who always gets it done.