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Tenor Amitai Pati – a member of the hugely popular Sol3 Mio musical trio – will be the star performer at Auckland Opera Studio’s Matakana Summer Picnic Concert in February.
Each member of the trio has been active in pursuing solo independent careers of late and Amitai has a chock-full calendar with upcoming engagements in Paris, Compiegne, Toronto and Shenzhen.
In March, he is the tenor soloist in the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s performance of Beethoven’s ninth symphony and in September he will appear as Jupiter in New Zealand Opera’s production of Handel’s Semele.
As a former Adler scholar with San Francisco Opera, Amitai is no stranger to the main stage having appeared as a soloist in many of their productions over the last three years.
Auckland Opera Studio spokesperson Stephen Fitzgerald says for 2020 Amitai promises to bring something “a little different”.
“With his own special brand of South Sea Island charm and friends fresh from near and far next year’s picnic promises to be full of surprises,” he says.
Amitai will be joined by another tenor, Ipu Laga’aia, a member of the Pacific Island opera quartet The Shades.
Ipu was the surprise guest performer last month at a gala concert to mark the renaming of the Aotea Centre’s main theatre to the Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre.
Dame Kiri was so moved by Ipu’s singing of the classic Granada that she took to the stage for some impromptu Spanish dancing.
The Matakana concert will also feature bass-baritone Joel Amosa, who this year was announced as the Dame Malvina Major Young Artist with the New Zealand Opera, entitling him to performance coaching for a mainstage role.
Soprano Amelia Berry will complete the line-up. Amelia frequently performs with New Zealand Opera and last year played Yum-Yum in The Mikado and Frasquita in Carmen.
The concert will be held in a large private garden on the corner of Ward Road and Matakana Valley Road on Saturday, February 22 at 5.30pm. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring their own picnic.
If the weather is inclement, the concert will be postponed to the following day.
Tickets are available from aucklandoperastudio.co.nz. Adults $50, under 16 free.
Ticket Giveaway
Mahurangi Matters has two tickets to the Matakana Summer Picnic Concert to give away. To go in the draw, email your contact details to editor@localmatters.co.nz. Put “Opera” in the subject line. Competition closes on Jan 20.
