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Tomairangi Henare

Voice Type

Baritone

Home Town

Hawke's Bay

Iwi

Ngāti Kahungunu

How did you become interested in opera singing?

I became interested through Project Prima Volta, a youth opera initiative in Hawkes’ Bay. I joined the programme in 2016 and fell in love with opera when singing in the chorus of Festival Opera’s 2017 season  of Bizet’s Carmen.

Performance highlights so far?

  • “Tōiri” - A concert of popular opera arias translated into Te Reo Māori as part of Te Pou Theatre’s 2024 ‘Kōanga’ Festival.

  • Massenet’s Cendrillon - Taking part in the New Zealand School of Music’s 2023 opera in the role of ‘Pandolfe’

  • Beethoven’s 9th Symphony - Singing my first Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Orpheus Choir and Kāpiti Orchestra. Sep 2024.

  • La Traviata - Festival Opera’s 2019 performance of Verdi’s La Traviata where I sang my first solo role, Marchesi.

  • 'Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!' - NZ Opera and Opus Orchestra’s 2024 concert showcasing the titular character Figaro through arias from Paisiello’s Barber of Seville and Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro in concert form (semi staged).

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What are you looking forward to about being part of TANZOS?

I am most looking forward to intensely immersing myself in my singing journey more than I ever have before. The consistency and frequency of lessons, coachings, and lectures will allow me to focus on using my voice in a healthy and refined way moving further into my career as a young artist. I feel privileged to be able to work with some fantastic tutors and teachers throughout 2025.

What are your career hopes following TANZOS?

Following TANZOS I hope to have gained enoughn experience to audition for young artist programmes in Europe. By the end of my TANZOS journey, I hope to hold a much clearer perspective on the career path that would benefit me as a performer. My ultimate goal as a singer is to represent Māori culture on an international stage and to give back to my community as a humble representative in the opera industry.

Tomairangi is supported by a Te Pae Kōkako Scholarship

Biography

Biography

Baritone Tomairangi Henare hails from Nuhaka and found his love for performing through kapa haka and choir throughout his childhood. His journey through opera began during high school when he joined the programme Project Prima Volta: a youth initiative in Hawke's Bay

that encourages teenagers to use their voice through opera. With this new passion, Tomairangi went on to study Classical Performance and Composition at Te Kōki, New Zealand School of Music where he was awarded the 2019 Deane Endowment Trust Scholarship. In 2023 he graduated with his Bachelor of Music with Honours. 


At the age of 23, Tomairangi has performed across New Zealand on various stages including roles such as; Marchesi in Verdi's La Traviata (Festival Opera 2019), Jon Styx in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld (NZSM 2021) and Pandolfe in Massenet's Cendrillon (NZSM 2023). He has also performed in Opera Choruses for Festival Opera, Wellington Opera and New Zealand Opera. 


Throughout his career, Tomairangi has also been a touring artist for Chamber Music New Zealand 2022 with the quartet 'Tokowhā' and a soloist for Kāpiti Orchestra, Napier Civic Choir and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He was also honoured to be a student at

the New Zealand Opera Schoo in 2024. In 2025, Tomairangi will be performing in NZ Opera's 'Opera in Schools' Tour in The Elixir of Love.

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