Opera School goes live with new website

NZ Opera School website goes live on Monday. Photo / John Wansbrough

The New Zealand Opera School which thrills opera lovers throughout the country will now showcase the school in all its glory worldwide online from Monday, March 14, when the new website is launched.

The comprehensive, intricately detailed site includes information about the now 28-year-old school held annually in January at Whanganui Collegiate School, from the glittering successes of former students on the world stages to every detail about the school, its tutors, accompanists and students.

The carefully designed and informative site has been built by former student Jack Bourke who said his time at the school from 1999 to 2004 had been utterly invaluable.

He said the school's founder and chairman Donald Trott was an inspiration ... a man who had encouraged him to live his best life and to sing.

"I still sing but my life took off overseas in the corporate digital tech world in global telecommunications, which was incredible."

When Jack returned to New Zealand last year and quarantined he caught up with his family in Auckland then contacted Donald.

Donald appointed him a trustee of the school and Jack set to work building the new website.

"It makes me very happy to do this for this wonderful school: it's my gift, payback for those important years in my life."

The signature of the school NZOS is displayed as the site opens together with the emblem featuring a spectacular design of the kōkako, a native bird that has a beautiful, clear organ-like song.

Also featuring is a large picture of world-acclaimed tenor Pene Pati with his success story.

This beautifully designed site takes the viewer back to the start of school detailing the accomplishments of former alumni, world-class tutors and accompanists.

The school has been touted by former students as an opera bootcamp where they worked hard, living and breathing music for two weeks on campus at Collegiate School every year.

All the stories from the events held through the years where every student featured in public performances from masterclasses to recitals, the glorious chapel service and finally culminating in the final concert Great Opera Moments held every year at the Royal Whanganui Opera House.

A great thrill included on the site are live streams of the final concert and the chapel service.

"They were watched by thousands world wide. We had viewers from Scotland and all over the world even Portugal ... it was exciting to see how many viewers we attracted."

The success of the school is celebrated in the new website with interviews and video clips from students, tutors and accompanists along with news stories and reviews.

And photographs from the last 28 years ensure that browsing this site will be an enlightening and satisfying experience for viewers here and throughout the world.

It's a remarkable showcase for Whanganui and the accolades again must go to the dedicated man himself Donald Trott.