Local Focus: Founder reflects on NZ Opera School and Opera Week success

It's been another successful year for the NZ Opera School. The summer school has been a January fixture in the Whanganui calendar for almost three decades.

The school started in 1994, founded by Donald Trott (ONZM) who is also the driver behind the associated Whanganui Opera Week where the students of the school perform at public events.

Trott is clear about the reasons for the school's success.

"Number one was the support of the local community, number two was the wonderful facilities of the Whanganui Collegiate School, number three was the opportunity to sing in a European style opera house," Trott said.

"That's why it's Whanganui. It becomes part of the community of Whanganui, they love it, they support it, they support it extremely well… If we were to do it in a place like Auckland I don't know if we would even be noticed."

The Opera Trust is now in planning mode, keen to secure the school's success for the next few decades.

The venues and scenic backdrops of Whanganui may even provide the key to an international future for the city as an opera hub.

Live streaming and recordings of opera are an increasingly popular option for international audiences no longer able to attend live concerts because of Covid. The relatively low cost of production in Whanganui is a major plus.

"One always needs to look to the future," said Trott. "I've always tried to do that, none of us is eternal.

"And you need to make sure that the future is secured in the place where it's been nurtured, developed and enhanced. And this is the place where it's happened."

Since the school began, benefactors and sponsors have ensured the 21 students' tuition costs are covered and there's never been a shortage of tutors.

"They are very keen to come, they are remunerated. It's our sponsors and so on that provide the funding whereby we can pay them."

This year the Freemasons came on board to support the school.

"If it weren't for the sponsors there wouldn't be the arts," said Trott.

The school was able to go ahead this year despite Covid due to the strong contingent of NZ based international opera stars and tutors in New Zealand. Alumni student Simon O'Neill was able to come because of Covid.

"Normally he would be under contract in Berlin," Trott said. "But because everything is closed down there as far as any type of entertainment is concerned."

O'Neil was joined by a star-studded cast of tutors including Dame Malvina Major, Pene Pati of Sol3 Mio, soprano Amina Edris and Emma Pearson.

But how did one of the most prestigious opera schools in the world end up in Whanganui?
Trott recounts the story of his chance attendance at a meeting in Auckland in 1993, in his capacity as director of what is now Opera New Zealand.

"A letter came from a person who had been teacher of mine and had helped me enormously when I was learning to sing opera, her name is Frances Wilson.

"This letter came from Indiana where Frances had gone to be the accompanist to the students that were learning with Madame Virginia Zeani, a great Romanian Italianate opera singer. The letter was suggesting, from Frances, and it came to this meeting, that Madame Zeani would be prepared to come to New Zealand to conduct masterclasses for the Auckland University."

"The university had already engaged Sir Donald McIntyre, but when I heard that Virginia Zeani would come to New Zealand I got in touch with Frances... and to cut a long story short, ultimately that happened.

"That was the catalyst for starting the New Zealand Opera School."

In Whanganui, the school has a very special home.

"We live-in at Collegiate School, we dine in Collegiate school, we use all the music facilities, the big school, the chapel, all the facilities are available to us and we live there for a whole fortnight and it's just perfect."

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