Former Featherston Resident Star of New Zealand School of Music Fundraising Concert.

“[I’m]looking forward to the concert – always nice to be singing on home turf” said Georgia Jamieson Emms who is the “Star” alluded to in the title of this article. It is an accolade bestowed on her by the Head of Classical Voice, Margaret Medlyn. A success story, Georgia graduated from the School with a Bachelor of Music with a First Class honours. This year she is studying for a Masters of Music.

In the interim, Georgia, a lyric soprano, made her Professional debut as Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte with Opera Otago in 2008. She has also performed in opera, musical theatre and operetta productions around New Zealand and was a permanent contract singer with independent opera company, Opernloft in Hamburg Germany.

On her return from Germany she set up her own company, Wanderlust Opera which takes accessible opera on tour to build new audiences. Georgia’s latest production, Cosi Fan Tutte, in which she again sang the role of Fiordiligi delighted audiences in New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Lower Hutt, Kapiti and Carterton. The fundraising concert is to support the New Zealand School of Music 2017 opera production.

Mounting an opera is an expensive business even at this level so it only happens every two years. They are a crucial element in the education of the student of classical voice. As Musical Director, Kenneth Young, said”…these operas [give] students the opportunity to hone the musical and expressive nature of their performances beyond what they can gain from their day-to-day study”.

The New Zealand School of Music Orchestra and, students interested in Direction and Production also benefit. The concert also gives the students another platform to perform for an audience.
Georgia Jamieson Emms will be performing at The Cabbage Tree Vineyard with fellow third and fourth year students on Sunday 15 May at 2:30pm accompanied by Mark Dorrell. Their repertoire will include Mozart ensembles and arias. Teaching staff, Margaret Medlyn, Jenny Wollerman and Richard Greager will also perform.
For further information contact Winifred Bull on 06) 306 8178