An intimate night with opera star
Pene Pati was due to make his debut star performance at the Berlin state opera house when Covit-19 crushed his curtain call.
The Sol3 Mio member, and international opera performer, had been rehearsing for months in late 2020 for a leading role in Mozart’s
‘‘Three days out of opening night, the general director walked into the room and said ‘guys, we are going to have to call it off’.
‘‘To have it stripped away was heartbreaking, not only for myself but for everyone involved.’’
Pati’s next thought was: ‘how the hell do I get back home?’.
He made the quick decision to book the next flight he could get, but was temporarily locked out of the country for two weeks due to the new managed isolation voucher system.
‘‘[Arriving in New Zealand] felt so good. I thought, I don’t care how long I’m in isolation for, at least I’m on home soil.’’
The unexpected return has an upside for Pati’s Waikato fans, as he will be starring in a concert at Gallagher Academy on Thursday, January 28, at 7pm. The show, called will star Pati with his wife Amina Edris singing a number of favourites.
Both Pati and Edris are graduates of the opera school in Whanganui. Dame Malvina Major had asked the pair to consider performing in Waikato.
Pianist David Kelly will accompany the singers, which will also feature Waikato University students studying opera.
‘‘That way we can keep getting these kids into the arts. Because right now for them, they are heartbroken and thinking, ‘why should I even be singing?’’’
Pati said trying to be an opera singer in a global pandemic was tough.
‘‘It’s kind of sad, it’s difficult. Because in the hierarchy of importance, I feel the arts is not really up there at all.’’
Pati said the effect of the pandemic on artists and theatres is often forgotten when businesses like cafes, and restaurants, are suffering.
‘‘But the irony is, the arts are saving us through this madness, yet it’s not given any precedence.’’
Pati said opera singer friends in Europe and America were struggling to keep spirits up as the pandemic continues to rage, and restrictions don’t show signs of easing.
He had participated in a range of Zoom concerts, an interesting challenge for performers.
One of the good things were the concerts and master classes where people could learn about and enjoy opera from their living rooms, he said.
But nothing beats live performance, Pati said.
‘‘At a live show you can see the emotion singers have at any second.’’
New Zealanders were lucky they could currently enjoy live music, and the upcoming Hamilton show was designed to celebrate that.
‘‘People have been saying why don’t you perform at bigger venues, but for me, I really want it to be intimate, I want people to sit right in front of me and hear it.’’
He was looking forward to singing favourite arias, as well as other numbers like
and
Pati and Edris were both singing in Paris opera in 2020 when everything shut down.
‘‘We sang in Paris opera together, we sang in New Zealand opera together and in Romeo and Juliet, in San Francisco together.’’
The upcoming Hamilton concert was for anyone who liked live music, not just hard core opera fans, he said.
‘‘I think you can expect some great singing and some great stories about what we are going through right now, how the arts are holding up.’’
Pati and Edris will be performing in New Plymouth on February 12 and at the Auckland Town Hall on February 7.