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Emma Jones
Voice Type
Soprano
Home Town
Invercargill
How did you become interested in opera singing?
I have being singing since I was about five years old, and over time became more involved in music through competitions, exams, performances, singing in the national choirs, and also learning music theory and piano. I was always naturally drawn to Classical music, and seeing my first opera in high school was very inspiring. I found that the more repertoire I explored, the more my passion grew for opera singing, and it quickly became what I wanted to pursue.
Performance highlights so far?
Some highlights include being selected as a finalist in the 2025 Coombes Johnston BMW New Zealand Aria, attending the 2025 and 2026 New Zealand Opera School where I was awarded the 2025 Merle Higgie Opera Prize of Potential, and winning the 2025 DMMF Waikato University Aria Competition. I also perform regular around Waikato and Auckland including as a soloist in the Opera in the Strand concert and singing solo’s in Oratorio’s including with Bach Musica NZ in the Auckland Town Hall.
Photo © Richard Wood
What are you looking forward to about being part of TANZOS?
I am looking forward to being immersed in such an intensive and focused environment. The opportunity to work closely with experienced international tutors is incredibly exciting, and I am especially keen to refine my technique, develop my artistry, and challenge myself at a higher level. I am also excited to start preparing roles and building my repertoire, and to gain the skills and experience that will help bridge the gap into the professional industry.
What are your career hopes following TANZOS?
Following TANZOS, I hope to take the next step towards building a professional career in opera, ideally through further training or young artist programmes in Europe. Through the opportunities that TANZOS presents, I am hoping to make connections and receive guidance on the best next step to pursing my longterm goal of being a professional opera singer.
Supported by the Dame Malvina Major Foundation
Biography
Emma Jones is a 23-year-old soprano from Invercargill. Emma was selected as a 2026/27 Artist with Te Pae Kōkako – The Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio (TANZOS), under the tutelage of Nikki-Li Hartliep, where she is supported by the Dame Malvina Major Foundation Opera Grant. In 2025, she completed her Master of Music with First Class Honours at the University of Waikato under the tutelage of Ks Emma Pearson.
Emma attended the 2025 and 2026 New Zealand Opera School, where she was awarded the Merle Higgie Opera Prize of Potential (2025). She has been successful in competitions throughout New Zealand, including winning the 2025 Dame Malvina Major Foundation Waikato University Aria Competition, receiving the Most Promising Award at the 2025 Nicholas Tarling Aria Competition, and has been a two-time nominee for the PACANZ National Young Performer of the Year Award. In 2025 Emma was also selected as a finalist in the Coombes Johnston BMW New Zealand Aria Competition.
A regular performer across Waikato and Auckland, Emma has appeared as a soprano soloist in the Opera in the Strand concert; Handel’s Jephtha (Iphis); Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 (Lobgesang) with Bach Musica NZ in the Auckland Town Hall; Rutter’s Mass of the Children; and Fauré’s Requiem. In the 2025 University of Waikato Opera Scenes Showcase she performed as Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen (Act III).
Emma has received University of Waikato Music Blues Awards for five consecutive years and was named Creative and Performing Arts Person of the Year in 2024 and 2025. She also received a Sir Edmund Hillary Medal in 2025 for excellence in the Creative field. Alongside her studies, Emma plays the Piano and was a member of the 2023-25 New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC) which won a Grand Prix of Nations and the title of Choir of the World in 2025.