We're thrilled to announce our 2026-27 Te Pae Kōkako TANZOS Cohort

Announcing our 2026 TANZOS Artists...

We're thrilled to introduce our 2026 cohort who will be on the Te Pae Kōkako TANZOS Programme until mid-2027:

Rose Aldridge (mezzo-soprano)

Rose Aldridge is a proud Cook Island/Samoan mezzo-soprano from Wellington and completed her undergraduate studies at Te Kōki - New Zealand School of Music under the tutelage of Dr. Margaret Medlyn and Rosel Labone.

Rose gained an appreciation and passion for performance throughout her time at Newlands College as being a part of several productions, choir, and Kapa Haka.

During her studies at the NZSM, Rose was a recipient of the Moyra Todd Foundation Scholarship, and Mona Ross Excellence in Singing Award for 2025. Rose has also competed in various competitions and was a finalist for the Canterbury Aria Competition in 2024, received the ‘Mike Steiner Interior Design Junior Award’ and ‘Kowhai Award for Highest Marks in New Zealand Composer’ at the Lockwood New Zealand Aria Competitions in 2024, and most recently the ‘Robin Dumbell Memorial Cup for Most Potential’ at the Hutt Valley Performing Arts Competitions for 2025.

Rose has enjoyed being a part of various NZ Opera and Wellington Opera productions including Le Comte Ory and Tosca for 2024, and La Bohéme and Un ballo in maschera for 2025. She was also a part of the Day’s Bay Opera performance of Il Pirata for 2025. Rose will also be a part of the New Zealand Opera School for 2026 in the summer.  

Cadence Chung (mezzo-soprano)

Cadence Chung is a 22-year-old mezzo-soprano, composer, and poet from Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington. She has performed in the choruses of NZ Opera, Wellington Opera, and Days Bay Opera, and as a concert soloist with organisations such as Stroma New Music Ensemble, Parliament, the New Zealand Choral Federation, the Goethe-Institut, and Victoria University.

Cadence has won numerous awards, such as the FAME Emerging Practitioner Award, the Cammick Scholarship for an Exceptional Voice Student, and the Ariadne Danilow Music Prize for the BMus student with the highest GPA. She has won prizes at national vocal competitions, including receiving the highest marks in the Under 21 section of the Wellington Vocal Competitions two years in a row. Her Bachelor of Music with Honours at the New Zealand School of Music will conclude in late 2025, and she also attended the prestigious NZ Opera School in January 2025.

Cadence champions diversity and interdisciplinary projects, having created original shows such as In Blind Faith (2022), Hector (2024), and Love Letterz (2025). Her art songs are regularly performed, including having been played by the New Zealand String Quartet and on RNZ Concert. She has released an anthology of art from young New Zealanders, as well as two original poetry books. As part of the release of her book Mad Diva (Otago University Press, 2025), she toured around the country, performing as a singer and reading poetry.

Szilvia Hernyak (mezzo-soprano)

Szilvia Hernyak is a graduate of both the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington and Waikato University, where they completed an PGDip degree in Music majoring in Classical Voice. Recent projects include oratorio works with Handel Consort and Quire, Cantando Choir, and Napier Civic Choir.

Szilvia participated in the New Zealand Opera School in 2024 and 2023, was chorus member for both New Zealand Opera Wellington and Wellington Opera for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and assistant director of both NZSM’s Opera Scenes in 2022, and Festival Opera's Die Zauberflöte in 2021. 

Emma Jones (soprano)

Emma Jones completed her Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours and is currently studying towards her Master of Music under the tutelage of Ks Emma Pearson.

Emma attended the 2025 New Zealand Opera School and was awarded the Merle Higgie Opera Prize of Potential. She has successfully competed in numerous vocal competitions throughout New Zealand, including winning the DMMF Waikato University Aria Competition and receiving the prize for Most Promising at the 2025 Nicholas Tarling Aria Competition.

She was also honoured to be recently selected as a finalist in the 2025 Coombes Johnston BMW New Zealand Aria competition. Emma performs regularly around Waikato and Auckland including as a Soprano soloist for the following performances; Opera in the Strand, Handel’s Jephtha (role of Iphis), Mendelssohn’s Symphony No.2 (Hymn of Praise) with Bach Musica NZ as the Soprano 2 soloist in the Auckland Town Hall, John Rutter’s Mass of the Children, and Faure’s Requiem. Most recently, she performed as Micaëla from Carmen (Act III) in the University of Waikato Opera Scenes Showcase.

Emma has received Music Blues Awards for five consecutive years and was named the Creative and Performing Arts Person of the Year in both 2024 and 2025. In 2025, Emma was also awarded a University of Waikato Sir Edmund Hillary Medal for excellence in the Creative field. Earlier this year she toured with the New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) which won a Grand Prix of Nations in Denmark and earned the title of Choir of the World in Wales.

Caitlin Roberts (soprano)

Caitlin Roberts has recently completed a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours at the University of Waikato. She graduated from the New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī, at Victoria University of Wellington with a conjoint degree of a Bachelor of Music; double majoring in Classical Performance & Music Studies, and a Bachelor of Arts.

Previous concert engagements have included soloist appearances with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Kāpiti Chorale, Project Prima Volta and Napier Civic Choir. She was the 2021 recipient of the Kapiti Chorale Award in Vocal Performance and was a finalist in the Canterbury Opera Foundation and the University of Waikato Aria Competition and was awarded second at the University of Waikato Aria Competition in 2025. Caitlin is currently completing her Master of Music with Catrin Johnsson and will be attending the New Zealand Opera School in 2026.