As a company dedicated to the preservation and advancement of our artform in this part of the world, New Zealand Opera is dedicated to finding opportunities for local singers, musicians and artistic practitioners to build their skillsets and professional portfolios in a supportive and mutually beneficial environment.
Over the more than two decades since the formal establishment of New Zealand Opera, our fellowships and artist programmes have laid the groundwork for many of New Zealand’s greatest modern opera careers. The phrase “poipoiā te pitomata” – nurturing the potential – has its origins in traditional Māori horticulture. New shoots (tupu) emerge from the pito — the end of the kūmara — reaching for the sun and warmth; that living energy, the pitomata, is what we must nurture.
Because just as the cycles of seasonal planting and harvest lay the groundwork for future growth, so too do our artist support programmes focus not only on nurturing the immediate generation of rising stars, but on cultivating a healthy, self-sustaining opera ecosystem in Aotearoa – for today, for tomorrow, and for generations to come.
On this page we acknowledge the artists currently supported by New Zealand Opera and our generous benefactor partners, as well as the alumni of these programmes.
Ipu Laga’aia
The 2025 New Zealand Opera Freemasons Foundation Company Artist
New Zealand-born Samoan tenor Ipu Laga’aia has been singing all his life.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Te Oti Rakena at the University of Auckland, he has undertaken classical voice studies, supported by the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation. A highlight of his journey so far has been performing alongside Dame Kiri Te Kanawa at the 2019 renaming gala of the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre. In 2024, Ipu performed the role of Nemorino with NZ Opera’s ‘Opera in Schools’ touring production of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, sharing the joy of opera with students across Aotearoa.
This year, Ipu will make his professional role debut as Theseus in NZ Opera’s Australasian premiere of The Monster in the Maze, and is the 2025 New Zealand Opera Freemasons Foundation Company Artist. He is also a proud member of The Shades, a dynamic quartet of Tongan and Samoan voices who blend their classical training with other musical genres and Pacific Island roots. Ipu is fueled by his aspiration to explore opera on a global stage and loves sharing his engaging stage presence with audiences.
Brent Stewart
The 2025 New Zealand Opera Friedlander Foundation Associate Artist
Brent Stewart is a leading New Zealand conductor, percussionist, and pianist, acclaimed for his versatility across orchestral, choral, and contemporary music. Known for his musical fluency and energy, he brings creativity and precision to everything from symphonic premieres to genre-defying collaborations.
Brent is Music Director of Orpheus Choir Wellington and his conducting work spans the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington and more.
A passionate advocate for New Zealand composers, Brent has premiered major works by Claire Cowan, Karlo Margetic, Lucy Mulgan, Dame Gillian Whitehead, and Takerei Komene. His projects move fluidly between classical and contemporary, including Synthony, Mana Moana with Signature Choir and the NZSO, and Benee Live with the NZSO.
Brent is also in demand as a percussionist and pianist, performing regularly with orchestras. He is Assistant Director and pianist for the New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir, and remains deeply committed to mentoring, adjudicating, and educational outreach.
Beyond the podium, Brent works as a producer and arranger. Recent highlights include orchestral recording work for Nickelodeon’s Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie and music arrangements for the New Zealand feature film Tinā.
Zane Berghuis
The 2024/25 Pettman DARE Fellow
Zane is an experienced multi-disciplinary creative professional, whose primary interest is in the interplay between arts and culture. Influenced by his diverse whakapapa including his performance and academic study at Te Kōkī—the New Zealand School of Music—his work emphasises the importance of performance that reflects a rich cultural tapestry.
As the twentieth Pettman DARE Fellow, Zane is looking forward to deepening his understanding of cultural leadership within opera and to discover more about both Opera North and New Zealand Opera’s innovative community engagement initiatives.
New Zealand Opera artist programme alumni
Taylor Wallbank & Alfred Fonoti-Fuimaono
New Zealand Opera Freemasons Foundation Company Artists
Matthew Kereama
New Zealand Opera Friedlander Foundation Associate Artist
Steven Moseley
Pettman DARE Fellow (2023/24)
Ridge Ponini, Shiddharth Chand, Tayla Alexander & Rhiannon Cooper
New Zealand Opera Artist Development Programme
Andrew Gordon
Pettman DARE Fellow (2022/23)
Ben Kubiak
New Zealand Opera Friedlander Foundation Associate Artist (2022/23)
Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Studio Artist
Hannah Ashford-Beck & Katherine Winitana
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Studio Artists (2021/22)
Samuel Downes, Katie Trigg & Ben Kubiak
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Studio Artists
Imogen Thirlwall & Natasha Te Rupe Wilson
New Zealand Opera Freemasons Foundation Guest Artists
Eleanor Bishop
New Zealand Opera Friedlander Foundation Associate Artist
Anna Simmons, Harry Grigg & Felicity Tomkins
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Studio Artists
Arthur Adams-Close, Barbara Paterson, Claire Scholes, Emma Roxburgh, Emma Sloman, Jess Segal, Kate Lineham, Lachlan Craig, Declan Cudd, Lilia Carpinelli, Sarah-Jane Rennie & Will King
New Zealand Opera Freemasons Foundation Artists
Jacqueline Coats
Pettman DARE Fellow (2019/20)
Emma Roxburgh, Emma Sloman, Kate Lineham, Lachlan Craig, Declan Cudd, Lilia Carpinelli, Sarah-Jane Rennie, Andrew Grenon, Barbara Graham, Chelsea Dolman, Wendy Doyle, Manase Latu, Elizabeth Mandeno & Daniel O’Connor
New Zealand Opera Freemasons Foundation Artists
Joel Amosa
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Young Artist/Fellow
Will King, Angus Simmons & Pasquale Orchard
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Emerging Artists
Blaire White
Pettman DARE Fellow (2018/19)
Deborah Rogers, Emma Sloman, Kate Lineham, Lachlan Craig, Declan Cudd, Lilia Carpinelli, Sarah-Jane Rennie,, Andrew Grenon, Barbara Graham, Chelsea Dolman, Wendy Doyle & Elizabeth Mandeno
New Zealand Opera Freemasons Foundation Artists
Thomas Atkins
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Young Artist/Fellow
Samson Setu, Manase Latu, Thomas Atkins & Natasha Wilson
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Emerging Artists
Callum Blackmore
Pettman DARE Fellow (2017-18)
Eliza Boom, Olivia Sheat, Jamie Henare & James Harrison
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Emerging Artists
Atama Thompson
Pettman DARE Fellow (2016/17)
Amanda Atlas, Derek Hill, Morag McDowell, Robert Tucker, Emma Roxburgh, Emma Sloman, Kate Lineham, Sarah-Jane Rennie, Barbara Graham & Wendy Doyle
New Zealand Opera Freemasons Foundation Artists
Emma Fraser
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Young Artist/Fellow
Katherine McIndoe & Madison Nonoa (2015/16)
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Emerging Artists
Marcus Norman
Pettman DARE Fellow
Emma Roxburgh, Emma Sloman, Kate Lineham, Sarah-Jane Rennie, Andrew Grenon, Barbara Graham, Wendy Doyle, Amanda Atlas, Derek Hill, Morag McDowell, Robert Tucker & Milla Dickens
New Zealand Opera Freemasons Foundation Artists
Amelia Berry
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Young Artist/Fellow
Jarvis Dams, Filipe Manu, Chelsea Dolman, Christian Thurston & Emily Scott (2014/15)
Freemasons Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Gemma Lee
Pettman DARE Fellow
Emma Roxburgh, Emma Sloman, Kate Lineham, Sarah-Jane Rennie, Andrew Grenon, Wendy Doyle, Amanda Atlas, Derek Hill, Morag McDowell, Robert Tucker, Milla Dickens & Andrea Munro
New Zealand Opera Freemasons Foundation Artists
Rachelle Pike
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Young Artist/Fellow
Thomas Atkins, Cheuky Chan, Elizabeth Mandeno & Oliver Sewell (2013/14)
Freemasons Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Rosel Labone
Pettman DARE Fellow
Amanda Atlas, Maaike Christie-Beekman, Wendy Doyle, Derek Hill, Kate Lineham, Morag McDowell, Andrea Munro, Sarah-Jane Rennie, Emma Roxburgh, Emma Sloman & Robert Tucker
New Zealand Opera Resident Artists
Anna Leese
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Young Artist/Fellow
Bianca Andrew, Edward Laurenson & Kieran Rayner (2012/13)
Freemasons Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Chris Clark
Pettman DARE Fellow
Maaike Christie-Beekman, Wendy Doyle, Derek Hill, Matthew Landreth, Kate Lineham, Morag McDowell, Emma Roxburgh & Emma Sloman
NZBR New Zealand Opera Resident Artists
Phillip Rhodes
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Young Artist/Fellow
Stephen Diaz, Emma Fraser & Moses Mackay (2011/12)
PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Hugo Zanker
Pettman DARE Fellow
Wendy Doyle, Derek Hill, Matthew Landreth, Kate Lineham, Morag McDowell, Emma Roxburgh & Emma Sloman
NZBR New Zealand Opera Resident Artists
Phillip Rhodes
Dame Malvina Major Foundation Young Artist/Fellow
Cameron Barclay, Amelia Berry, Rachel Day & Xingxing Wang (2010/11)
PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Hedda Oosterhoff
Pettman DARE Fellow
Wendy Doyle, Derek Hill, Matthew Landreth, Kate Lineham, Morag McDowell, Emma Roxburgh, Emma Sloman & Helen Lear
NZBR New Zealand Opera Resident Artists
Andrew Grenon, Brigitte Heuser, Alexandra Ioan & Polly Ott (2009/10)
PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
David Kelly
PwC Dame Malvina Major Young Artist/Fellow
Wendy Doyle, Derek Hill, Kate Lineham, Morag McDowell, Emma Roxburgh & Emma Sloman
NZBR New Zealand Opera Resident Artists
Anna Argyle, Claire Barton & Daniel O’Connor (2008/9)
PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Kristen Darragh
PwC Dame Malvina Major Young Artist/Fellow
Wendy Doyle, Derek Hill, Matthew Landreth, Kate Lineham, Morag McDowell, Emma Roxburgh & Susie Ewart
NZBR New Zealand Opera Resident Artists
Hadleigh Adams, Barbara Graham, Michael Gray, Julia Hill (Booth), Matthew Landreth & Barbara Paterson (2007/8)
PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Wade Kernot
PwC Dame Malvina Major Young Artist/Fellow
Sarah-Ann Walker & Rachelle Pike (2006/7)
PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Catherine Norton & David Kelly
PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Paloma Bruce, Rebecca Crabtree, Malcolm Ed & Sarah Wood
PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Kristen Darragh, Andrew Glover, Phillip Rhodes & Wade Kernot
PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Stephanie Bain, Seamus Casey, Sarah McOnie (Court), Carla Parry & Elaine Wogan
PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Seamus Casey, Andrew Conley, Sarah-Jane Rennie & Sarah Sloman
PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Andrew Conley, Joanna Heslop, Helen Lear, Todd Mohi & April Marie Neho
Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
Joanna Heslop, Penny Davis, James Harrison, James Meng, Brendon Mercer & Wendy Dawn Thompson
Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists
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