Lexus Song Quest: celebrating young singers
Bass-baritone Joel Amosa won the last Lexus Song Quest in 2018
Photo credit: Norrie Montgomery
Soprano Madeleine Pierard describes winning the Lexus Song Quest in 2005 as her "most significant achievement" before leaving New Zealand. More important than the financial assistance that took her to studies in London was “the affirmation and confidence that allowed me to believe in myself. It's the reason I've been able to make singing my career."
After years of operatic success in London, Pierard has recently returned to live in New Zealand as the inaugural Dame Malvina Major Chair in Opera at the University of Waikato, nurturing young singers while continuing her own international singing career.
Baritone Jonathan Lemalu, another New Zealand singer making a big impact internationally, won the Quest on a second attempt in 1998. “I first entered in 1996, aged 20, too naive to understand the gravity and prestige of the competition,” he says. “Winning didn't cross my mind. It just felt like a celebration of us all as young singers.”
Dame Malvina Major
…won the Song Quest in 1963
The biennial Lexus Song Quest is New Zealand’s most prestigious competition for young musicians. Begun in 1956 as a nation-wide contest to discover radio talent, called the Mobil Song Quest, judges then listened through studio speakers without seeing contestants. Dame Malvina won in 1963, with a young soprano called Kiri Te Kanawa runner-up. Dame Kiri won the Quest two years later. Both legendary singers now support the competition through their Foundations.
Dame Kiri te Kanawa
Song Quest winner in 1965
In 2005 Lexus took over sponsorship of the Song Quest, by then a major competition with a big international reputation. Winning “the Lexus” means a share of generous prize monies, totalling $95,000 this year, but also significant cachet on a singer’s biography. “The international judges are always blown away by the standard,” says Marnie Karmelita, Creative Director of Tāwhiri, which manages the Quest.
2022 Lexus Head Judge Teddy Tahu Rhodes
….”passionate about giving back”.
Photo credit: Jane Dempster
This year’s Head Judge is bass-baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes, himself a Song Quest winner in 1991. Now starring on international operatic stages, he is, says Karmelita, “passionate about giving back to the singing community here.” This month he will mentor ten semi-finalists in a week-long “coaching academy”, name five finalists and, at a glittering Grand Final Gala with the NZSO, choose an overall winner and other prize winners. Radio still takes the popular event nationwide with semi-final and final concerts live on RNZ Concert.
2022 Lexus Song Quest Semi-final concerts July 16 and 17, broadcast live by RNZ Concert
2022 Lexus Song Quest Grand Final Gala with NZSO, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington July 23 and broadcast live by RNZ Concert. More information.
This Lexus Song Quest preview article first appeared in NZ Listener issue July 9, 2022