Raised in West Auckland, bass Wade Kernot has held roles and appointments across the world throughout his opera career. A founding member of Auckland’s Opera Factory and former Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artist with NZ Opera, from 2010-2015 Wade held a full-time principal position at Theater St Gallen, Switzerland, where his roles included Monterone (Rigoletto), the Forester (The Cunning Little Vixen), Osmin (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) and Zuniga (Carmen).
Most recently seen on the NZ Opera stage in the role of Banquo (Macbeth), for this company Wade has also performed Zuniga (Carmen), Sarastro (The Magic Flute) and Fred (Brass Poppies), as well as appearing in our work Call of the Huia. Other notable recent appearances include Zuniga (Carmen, State Opera South Australia); Nettuno, Tempo and Antinoo (Il Ritorno d’Ulisse, Pinchgut Opera), and the roles of Masetto (Don Giovanni), Angelotti (Tosca), Raimondo (Lucia di Lammermoor) and Nourabad (The Pearl Fishers) for West Australian Opera. After five years as Lecturer in Voice at the New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University, Wade continues to teach at Dilworth College and Waikato University in between singing engagements.