TANZOS 2026 eNews, Issue #1: Including upcoming performances and successes

A Word from our Chair in Opera...

Tēnā koutou and welcome to our first eNews of 2026. 

It is such an honour and a privilege to lead TANZOS into its fourth year, as the programme continues to grow, deepen, and evolve. Our 2026 cohort has made a fantastic start since classes began on 2 March, working with quiet dedication alongside their teacher, Nikki Li Hartliep, and coaches David Harper and Catherine Norton. You can read more about their work in the 'What We’re Up To' section below. 

Alongside the activity in the studio, there has been significant work happening behind the scenes. Following our end-of-2025 stakeholder survey, we have been engaged in a series of strategic planning discussions with our senior staff and Advisory Board. We look forward to sharing more about the direction ahead—there is much to be excited about as we shape the next phase of TANZOS. 

We have also been working closely with our board member, Witi Ihimaera DCNZM QSM, on a refresh of our website, ensuring that our kaupapa is clearly and authentically expressed through our language and storytelling. 

We warmly invite you to join us for our first Lunchtime Recital of the year on 29 April in Hamilton. This performance will offer a ‘sneak peek’ of the cohort’s repertoire ahead of an exciting milestone: our inaugural Opera Gala in Christchurch with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dionysios Grammenos. This special concert honours Dame Malvina Major and her extraordinary contribution to opera and opera training in Aotearoa, particularly in the region she has long called home. 

As a nationally focused programme, we deeply value our partnerships across the country. Our relationship with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra has been especially meaningful—from supporting our first Christchurch masterclass with Sir Simon Keenlyside, to hosting a second public masterclass in 2024 with Sir Roderick Williams and international guest coach Peter Lockwood. This upcoming gala marks our first full performance with the orchestra, and we are both grateful and thrilled to be building on this collaboration. May it be the first of many. 

We will share further updates on events throughout the year, and we encourage you to keep an eye on our Events page for the latest information. 

Noho ora mai,

Madeleine Pierard

Dame Malvina Major Chair in OperaUniversity of Waikato

What we are up to...

TANZOS has hit the ground running in 2026 with a jam-packed Orientation Week at the beginning of March. We welcomed our five new singers to the programme while also welcoming back our four continuing artists who are with us until June. The students had their first lessons of the year with TANZOS Head Vocal Teacher, Nikki Li Hartliep, while also getting to work with internationally recognised vocal coach, David Harper. Group sessions included a musicianship session with Michael Joel, stagecraft with international director, John Wilkie, a stage combat workshop with fight director, actor, and motion capture artist, Allan Henry, a wellbeing workshop with the University’s Wellbeing Hub, and physical classes with Rachael Pugh and Emily Kendall-Grover. 

The week culminated in a very special function where major TANZOS supporters were invited to meet and welcome the new TANZOS artists for 2026. This was also an opportunity for the five new members of the cohort to perform for the first time as TANZOS artists; an important milestone in their journey with us and the first performance of many to come! 

We are now into the swing of our regular timetable. Weeks are centred around the students’ work with Nikki Li Hartliep, while also encompassing various essential skills for the modern opera singer, including repertoire coaching with national and international guest coaches, stagecraft and recitative workshops, German and Italian language lessons, and musical context sessions. 

We know many of you will be eager to hear the new TANZOS artists as well as our wonderful second-year artists, and we are excited to announce some upcoming events.   

In May, Te Pae Kōkako will be heading to the South Island for the first time since 2024 to present a landmark Opera Gala with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. A number of TANZOS artists have worked with the CSO recently, including in acclaimed performances of Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (Jordan Fonoti-Fuimaono) and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Rhiannon Cooper, Ridge Ponini, Sam McKeever), as well as upcoming performances of Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Faamanu Fonoti-Fuimaono). We are thrilled to deepen our relationship with this incredible event and look forward to introducing our full cohort to Southern audiences. Under the baton of Greek maestro Dionysis Grammenos, this concert is a celebration of the future of opera in Aotearoa and the living legacy of Te Pae Kōkako TANZOS patron and beloved Aotearoa soprano, Dame Malvina Major. You can catch this event in the Christchurch Town Hall, Friday 8 May – tickets available now! 

Can’t make it down to Christchurch? Never fear! TANZOS will once again be featuring in the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts Lunchtime Recital series, presenting a recital of operatic favourites at 1pm on Wednesday 29 April in the Dr. John Gallagher Concert Chamber. Keep an eye out on our Events page for bookings to open or purchase your tickets on the day.  

Upcoming Performances...

TANZOS Artist Lunchtime Recital

Wednesday 29 April 1pm, Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts. Tickets are available from our Events page or at the door. Our first-year cohort will present their first solo recitals as TANZOS artists. All recitals will take place at 7pm in the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts Concert Chamber – entry by koha.

The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra & Rova present Opera Gala

The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra & Rova present Opera Gala with the artists from Te Pae Kōkako TANZOS, led by Dionysis Grammenos. Friday 8 May, 7:30pm, James Hay Theatre, Christchurch Town Hall. Tickets available now. 

TANZOS Artist Recitals: Our first-year cohort will present their first solo recitals as TANZOS artists. All recitals will take place in the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts Concert Chamber – entry by koha. 

• 4pm Sunday 7 June – Cadence Chung 

• 7pm Wednesday 10 June – Szilvia Hernyak 

• 7pm Thursday 11 June – Caitlin Roberts 

• 7pm Friday 12 June – Rose Aldridge 

• 2pm Saturday 13 June – Emma Jones 

Winter Warmers 2026

Join us for an evening of opera favourites in our annual winter gala concert. 6:30pm, Friday 26 June, Concert Chamber, Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in hearing more about Te Pae Kōkako - The Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio, please ask them to contact tepaekokako@waikato.ac.nz to be added to our mailing list.