One of Australasia’s most prestigious singing competitions, the New Zealand Aria, has just become even more prestigious with the Dame Malvina Major Foundation increasing the first prize to $20,000, and all other prize packages increasing.

The event has been held annually in Rotorua for the past 69 years and has helped launch the careers of some of New Zealand’s finest young opera singers, including Pene Pati, Amelia Berry, James Ioelu and Isabella Moore. The Dame Malvina Major Foundation has been sponsoring the first prize in the competition since 2008.

Dame Malvina Major said sponsoring the first prize in the New Zealand Aria was just one of the ways the Foundation worked to help young New Zealanders in the performing arts achieve their potential.

“It is a privilege to be associated with such a well-respected competition and to be able to invest in these talented young opera singers as they embark on their professional careers.

“The experience young aspiring singers gain from a competition of this calibre is invaluable.”

New Zealand Aria Chair Jo-Anne La Grouw said the increased prize money on offer – a total of $42,360  – only served to make the much sought-after top prizes even more attractive.

“We are thrilled not only at the additional opportunities this money will afford our winners, but for the competition to be recognised by the Dame Malvina Major Foundation in this way.”

Entries for the New Zealand Aria 2015 are now open through www.nzaria.co.nz, with the competition starting in Rotorua on Thursday 29 October 2015 and concluding on “Finals Night” on Sunday 1 November. The adjudicators this year are husband and wife team Barry Ryan OAM and Anke Hoeppner, distinguished singers from Australia.

Winners of the three regional Dame Malvina Major Foundation Aria Competitions in Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin get automatic entry into the New Zealand Aria Competition.

New Zealand Aria Prizes 2015
1st Prize The Dame Malvina Major Foundation Prize $20,000
2nd Prize Geyser Community Foundation La Grouw Prize $10,000
3rd Prize Waiariki Institute of Technology Prize $5,000