Latest news with #KiriTeKanawaFoundation
Scoop
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Samuel Downes Wins Prestigious Opera Award, With His 'Big, Beautiful Voice'
Press Release – Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation New Zealand Heldentenor *, Samuel Downes has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Victoria League Scholarship for Singing funded by the Victoria League Trust (NZ), in association with the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation. The scholarship is awarded annually to a New Zealand classical singer with outstanding potential and includes 12 months accommodation at the Victoria League's house in London (valued at $22,000). Samuel Downes, 28, (from Auckland) is a recent graduate of the prestigious San Francisco Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Cesar Ulloa, where he gained his master's degree. The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation has supported Samuel for several years, and Dame Kiri is confident he has a very bright future – 'Sam has a big, beautiful voice, and I can't wait to see his career truly take off. My foundation is committed to working with him as he enters this new phase in his career. His San Francesco studies have prepared him well for entering the young artist programme in London to further enhance his technical ability and stage craft', Dame Kiri said today. Samuel expressed his appreciation of the award – 'I'm so thrilled and excited to be the recipient of this important award. Moving to London to progress my career would not be possible without the tremendous support this Scholarship provides, and I can't thank The Victoria League Trust and the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation enough for making this possible. As my time in the USA comes to an end, this is the perfect opportunity for me to transition from studying to the professional world of classical singing. I'm proud to follow in the footsteps of some very special New Zealand singers' Samuel Downes said. Congratulating Samuel on receiving the award, David van Schaardenburg (Chair of the Victoria League Trust) said 'We're pleased to be able to support the development of New Zealand talent on the international stage'. Previous winners of the award include James Ioelu, Kieran Rayner, Katherine McIndoe, Harry Grigg and Filipe Manu. *a heldentenor is a tenor voice with a powerful and dramatic quality, suited for heroic opera roles, including those by Richard Wagner.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Samuel Downes Wins Prestigious Opera Award, With His 'Big, Beautiful Voice'
New Zealand Heldentenor *, Samuel Downes has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Victoria League Scholarship for Singing funded by the Victoria League Trust (NZ), in association with the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation. The scholarship is awarded annually to a New Zealand classical singer with outstanding potential and includes 12 months accommodation at the Victoria League's house in London (valued at $22,000). Samuel Downes, 28, (from Auckland) is a recent graduate of the prestigious San Francisco Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Cesar Ulloa, where he gained his master's degree. The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation has supported Samuel for several years, and Dame Kiri is confident he has a very bright future – 'Sam has a big, beautiful voice, and I can't wait to see his career truly take off. My foundation is committed to working with him as he enters this new phase in his career. His San Francesco studies have prepared him well for entering the young artist programme in London to further enhance his technical ability and stage craft', Dame Kiri said today. Samuel expressed his appreciation of the award - 'I'm so thrilled and excited to be the recipient of this important award. Moving to London to progress my career would not be possible without the tremendous support this Scholarship provides, and I can't thank The Victoria League Trust and the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation enough for making this possible. As my time in the USA comes to an end, this is the perfect opportunity for me to transition from studying to the professional world of classical singing. I'm proud to follow in the footsteps of some very special New Zealand singers' Samuel Downes said. Congratulating Samuel on receiving the award, David van Schaardenburg (Chair of the Victoria League Trust) said 'We're pleased to be able to support the development of New Zealand talent on the international stage'. Previous winners of the award include James Ioelu, Kieran Rayner, Katherine McIndoe, Harry Grigg and Filipe Manu. *a heldentenor is a tenor voice with a powerful and dramatic quality, suited for heroic opera roles, including those by Richard Wagner.
