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The competition heats up as six of the best young New Zealand singers move a step closer to being crowned winner of the 2014 Lexus Song Quest.

The competition heats up as six of the best young New Zealand singers move a step closer to being crowned winner of the 2014 Lexus Song Quest.

The six finalists for the 2014 Lexus Song Quest have been named. They are Bianca Andrew (mezzo soprano – 24), Edward Laurenson (baritone – 25), Isabella Moore (soprano – 23), Oliver Sewell (tenor – 24), Christian Thurston (baritone – 22) and Benson Wilson (baritone – 23).

A winner will be chosen, live, at the Lexus Song Quest Grand Final on Saturday 26 July at Auckland Town Hall. Tickets are on sale from Monday 16 June.

Preliminary judges Rodney Macann and Roxane Hislop selected the six finalists after first narrowing down the entries to 12 semi-finalists. Mr Macann said that selecting the 12 semi-finalists was a difficult job and that the Grand Final selection was even tougher.

“Because the second stage involves listening to recordings we had ample opportunity to assess who should go through. It was still hard because we had to make choices which meant very promising singers would miss out.”

Mr Macann said that in the end the two judges were clear about the final group and voice potential was a big factor. “We have six very strong finalists, any of whom could take away major prizes. It will be a wonderful Grand Final with a mix of great voices and high performing charisma.”

The Lexus Song Quest 2014 is shaping up to be a battle of two cities with Aucklanders Benson, Edward, Isabella up against Bianca, Oliver and Christian, who are currently living in Wellington. Oliver is originally from Christchurch while Christian’s hometown is Rotorua.

The Lexus Song Quest has launched the careers of some of New Zealand’s most celebrated opera stars including Dames Kiri Te Kanawa and Malvina Major, Jonathan Lemalu, Madeleine Pierard and Phillip Rhodes. Now studying in a prestigious UK opera school, 2012 winner Amitai Pati is one third of the hugely successful trio Sol3 Mio, whose debut record went platinum and bested Lorde by becoming New Zealand’s biggest selling album of 2013.

All semi-finalists recorded a programme of four arias or songs which have aired on Radio New Zealand Concert. Listeners can vote for their favourite for the Radio New Zealand Concert Lexus Song Quest Listeners’ Choice Award – an award which was won by 2014 finalist Isabella Moore in 2012.

The winner of the Lexus Song Quest 2014 will be decided at the Grand Final – considered one of the most exciting nights in the classical music calendar. The singers perform alongside the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Emmanuel Joel Hornak, and pianist Terence Dennis.

Acclaimed British soprano, voice teacher and coach Kathryn Harries will judge the final concert.

All finalists will receive coveted prizes. The Grand Final winner receives a career-defining Study Scholarship of $15,000, cash prize of $10,000, plus a return economy international airfare.

Following the Grand Final, the winner and the second and third placegetters will perform a recital concert, accompanied by Terence Dennis, in Wellington on Tuesday 29 July. Tickets go on sale on Monday 16 June.

The Lexus Song Quest programme also includes a Masterclass Series that is free to the public. The masterclasses will be held in Auckland on Monday 28 July, Wellington on Wednesday 30 July, in Dunedin on Thursday 31 July 2014) and in Christchurch on Friday 1 August.

The Lexus Song Quest is managed and presented by the New Zealand Festival with significant support from the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation for the presentation of the masterclasses and The Dame Malvina Major Foundation who support the second prize of the competition.

Bianca Andrew

• Age: 24
• Voice: Mezzo soprano
• Resident: Wellington
• Hometown: Wellington

Bianca Andrew will soon be studying towards a Master of Music (Voice) at London’s prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Yvonne Kenny. She was a Freemasons Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artist in 2013, holds a Bachelor of Music (2010) and Post-Graduate Diploma of Music (2011) from the New Zealand School of Music where she studied with Margaret Medlyn. In 2013 she sang the role of Kate Pinkerton in the New Zealand Opera’s season of Madame Butterfly. Bianca discovered opera by accident when, aged 16, she heard the love duet from Madame Butterfly. “All I could do was cry, it was so beautiful. From that day I knew classical music had to be my world.” Bianca was a semi-finalist in the 2012 Lexus Song Quest.
 
Edward Laurenson

• Age: 25
• Voice: Baritone
• Resident: Auckland
• Hometown: Auckland

Edward Laurenson was a 2012-13 Freemasons Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artist. He made his operatic debut in the Chapman Tripp Opera Chorus for New Zealand Opera’s Eugene Onegin in 2009 and has since performed in the company’s seasons of Rigoletto, The Bartered Bride, Madame Butterfly and Don Giovanni. In 2012 he was awarded Vocal National Young Performer of the Year by the Performing Arts Competitions Association of New Zealand (PACANZ), and the Lieder prize at the New Zealand Aria competition.  Edward was successful last year in the IFAC Australian Singing Competition, where he won a scholarship to study for a Masters in Music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London later this year. More recently, Edward was this year's winner of the Becroft Grand Aria at the North Shore Performing Arts Competitions. Edward comes to opera through musical theatre and has performed lead roles in The Sound of Music, West Side Story and Grease.
 
Isabella Moore

• Age: 23
• Voice: Soprano
• Resident: Cardiff
• Hometown: Auckland

Isabella Moore is a New Zealand-born Samoan soprano, who discovered her love of singing at an early age. She holds a Bachelor of Music and Postgraduate Diploma in Voice Performance from the New Zealand School of Music and has recently completed a Masters in Advanced Vocal Performance at the Wales International Academy of Voice under the tutelage of Dennis O’Neill and Nuccia Focile. Isabella was a finalist in the Royal Over-Seas League Vocal competition this year in London and received an international competitors award. In 2013, she won numerous regional singing competitions and received the Dame Malvina Major Wellington Regional Arts Excellence Award. Isabella was a semi-finalist in the 2012 Lexus Song Quest and won the Radio New Zealand Lexus Song Quest Listeners' Choice Award.
 
Oliver Sewell

• Age: 24
• Voice: Tenor
• Resident: Wellington
• Hometown: Christchurch

Oliver Sewell holds a Bachelor of Music (Voice Performance) from the University of Canterbury and a Postgraduate Diploma of Music (Voice Performance) from the New Zealand School of Music. He has sung with a range of choirs in New Zealand and is a recipient of the Rotary Club of Wellington Postgraduate Award for 2013, an NZSM postgraduate study scholarship and an ABRSM Exhibition Award. Oliver is currently a 2013/14 Freemasons Dame Malvina Major Foundation Emerging Artist and will commence his studies towards a Masters degree at the Manhattan School of Music in October.
 
Christian Thurston

• Age: 23
• Voice: Baritone
• Resident: Wellington
• Hometown: Rotorua

Since completing his Bachelor of Music (Classical Performance – Voice) Christian Thurston has been undertaking a Postgraduate Diploma (Classical Performance – Voice) at the New Zealand School of Music studying with Richard Greager and Margaret Medlyn. Christian holds an ATCL Performing with Distinction and Certificate of Special Merit from Trinity College Guildhall London. He was the 2009 National Young Performer of the Year for Acting. He has performed solo roles in a number of operas, musical theatre, concerts, oratorios and recitals. In his spare time he is an avid rugby player and cricketer.
 
Benson Wilson

• Age: 23
• Voice: Baritone
• Resident: Auckland
• Hometown: South Auckland/Havelock North

Benson Wilson is a proud New Zealand- born Samoan who is proud to represent his culture and family. Benson is in his final year studying for a Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance) at the University of Auckland. Last year he was awarded the University of Auckland’s Vice-Chancellor’s Cultural Grant. After graduating he plans to continue his study in Europe. Benson has been a member of the New Zealand Youth Choir and last year toured with the choir to Canada and the United States. He is a member of New Zealand Opera’s Chapman Tripp Opera Chorus for 2014. Benson’s ultimate dream is to open a music academy in south Auckland to nurture musical talent in secondary school students.

Media Release: Lexus Song Quest