Taylor Wallbank*
Voice Type
2024 Associate Artist - Tenor
Home Town
Paharakeke, Hastings
Iwi
Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Heretaunga
How did you become interested in opera singing?
I originally joined the school choir with some friends doing barbershop. I later found out from the same guys that they were doing Opera with Project Prima Volta. I joined PPV and left my sporting pathway to focus on singing.
Performance highlights so far?
Verdi Requiem with Napier Civic Choir, 2023
Featuring in many of the TANZOS 2023 events, especially the public masterclasses with Jack LiVigni
Chorus in m(Orpheus) with NZ Opera, 2023
Monostatos in The Magic Flute with Festival Opera and NZSO, 2023
Rinuccio and Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi with University of Waikato, 2022-23
Messiah 2021 and 2023 with Napier Civic Choir
L’Elisir D’amore 2014 with Festival Opera
Carmen 2016 with Festival Opera.
Photo © Charles Brooks
What are you looking forward to about being part of TANZOS?
Hands on focused intensive teaching that will be specialised and tailored to me. The opportunities presented are once in a lifetime as well and a great starting point for a potential overseas career.
What are your career hopes following TANZOS?
A chance to further develop overseas with international tutors such as Jack Livigni and also career opportunities to learn and earn on the job. Overall - to be able to work and have fun while not having to worry about my financial situation and sing the works I fell in love with.
Taylor Wallbank is supported by an Anonymous Donor and Joan Egan
Biography
Taylor has completed his BMus (Hons) Classical Voice (1st), Master of Music and is currently undertaking a Master of Music in Advanced Opera Studies at TANZOS under the tutelage of Kristin Darragh.
He has placed 1st in the Dame Malvina Major Waikato Aria Competition (2022), 1st place in the South Auckland Competition Recital/Aria (2023), 1st place in The Ronald Dellow Vocal Recital (2023) and recently placed 3rd place in the New Zealand Aria Competition.
Taylor is a part of the Te Pae Kōkako Aotearoa New Zealand Studio Artist programme and was also a member of the New Zealand Opera Studio.
Taylor debuted his career at 18 as Le Remendado in Festival Opera’s Production of Carmen (2016). He has since performed the roles of Gastone in La Traviata for Festival Opera (2018), Spallanzani in The University of Waikato’s production Tales of Hoffman (2020), Rinnuccio and Gherardo for The University of Waikato’s production Gianni Schicchi (2022) and Monostatos with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Festival Opera’s production of Die Zauberflöte (2023).
He has extensive experience as an oratorio soloist performing with Napier Civic Choir, Cantando Choir, Edgecumbe Choir, Bach Musica, and Scholars Baroque around Aotearoa for performances in Handel's Messiah, Haydns Creation, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Durante’s Magnificat and Verdi’s Requiem.
Taylor intends to audition for ‘The Curtis Institute’ in Philadelphia, USA to study with internationally renowned vocal coach and pedagogue Jack Livigni from 2024 onwards.