Welcome to the New Zealand Opera School

The stated OBJECTIVE, written in 1993 by the Founder, Donald Trott, remains the same today, namely:

“To provide a period of intensive vocal, language, movement and acting training with tutors of international reputation in order to give our emerging opera singers the very best tuition possible and to provide a taste of the disciplines required to succeed in the fast-growing, competitive and demanding world of opera performance”  

Hosted in the Wanganui Collegiate School, the New Zealand Opera School runs from 3rd to 15th January each year and includes several public performances which culminate in a gala evening in the Royal Wanganui Opera House.

Our students particularly value the quality of national and international tuition provided and the daily schedule of lessons including vocal tuition, stagecraft, vocal coaching, operatic language coaching and Masterclasses.

The Opera School logo: ‘the motto in Latin is ‘Nihil tumultus tantum opera’ which translated is ‘Minimum fuss, maximum work’ and the New Zealand Kokako is chosen because ‘it has beautiful, clear, organ-like song. It can carry over great distances (just like the natural well-trained human voice). Every Kokako population has its own distinctive song (just like every singer) a phenomenon which many consider analogous to human dialects’.

We are extremely proud of the achievements of the School, do have a look around...