Programme 1996 – Two Tenors at Twilight II

Established 1896

Te MATA
ESTATE

The First New Zealand Winery to Make a Century

TWO TENORS AT TWILIGHT II

at Te Mata Estate Winery
Te Mata Road Havelock North
at 6 pm
Performance starts at 6.30 pm
Saturday, 2nd March, 1996

Parking directions will be given at the winery gate

Entrance is via the bridge

Bring cushion or squab seating (no deckchairs or stools please – but low, compact seating that does not block another’s view is fine)

Free finger food will be provided

Wine will be on sale at $2 or $3 per glass – $10 or $15 per bottle.

The evening will conclude no later than 8 pm.

ALL PROFIT FROM THE RECITAL GOES TO FUND THE PERFORMERS’ OVERSEAS STUDIES.

GREG NEIL

Greg is originally from Hastings, and attended Havelock North High School before moving to Wellington in 1989 to begin a Bachelor of Music, majoring in performance piano. In 1992 Greg completed an Honours degree, and has since taught music fulltime, and worked as a freelance musician. This August he moves to Boston, Massachusetts, to begin a Masters degree, majoring in Collaborative Piano.

As well as working extensively with Simon and Ben, he has also worked with Dame Malvina Major, and performed at the 1995 Waitangi Day celebration in Waitangi, in the presence of the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, and her Excellency The Governor General, and has performed several times at Government House in Wellington, in the presence of Her Excellency, the Governor General.

SIMON O’NEILL

Originally from Ashburton, Simon now lives in Auckland. He is the inaugural “Artist in Residence” of the Opera of New Zealand. Since graduating from the University of Otago, and Victoria University of Wellington, with a Bachelor of Music with Honours in 1995, he has begun a career as an operatic tenor.

Simon made his debut as Turiddu in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, for Opera Wanganui last year. This year he has been engaged to sing Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Alfredo in La Traviata, Tamino in Die Zauberflote, Prunier in LaRondine, and will be understudying Patrick Power as Caveradossi [Cavaradossi] in Tosca for Opera New Zealand in Auckland.

Simon recently completed a national tour with Dame Malvina Major, and recently appeared as tenor soloist with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in front of 350,000 people at Auckland’s “Opera in the Park”.

Simon studies singing with Emily Mair and has been awarded a U.S. Government “Fulbright Scholarship” to further his vocal studies in the United States.

BEN MAKISI

Ben is of Samoan and Tongan descent. He completed a B. Mus in 1992, majoring in singing. In 1992 he was part of Dame Malvina Major’s National tour.

In 1994 he won the Auckland Herald Aria Competition, which gave him automatic entry into the Sydney Sun Aria Competition, and a place on the stage at last year’s Opera in the Park in Auckland.

In 1994 he performed the role of Don Basilio in “Le Nozze di Figaro”, with Hawke’s Bay Opera and Don Curzio in the same opera with Wellington City Opera. Ben performed with Greg at the 1995 Waitangi Day celebrations, at the joint request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Maori Affairs.

Ben is at present considering overseas study options in Europe and the United States.

The TWO TENORS AT TWILIGHT

BEN MAKISI – TENOR
SIMON O’NEILL – TENOR
GREG NEIL – PIANO

PROGRAMME
1)   Musica Prohibita
Gastaldon
2)   Quanto bella from L’elisir d’amore
Donizetti (1797 -1848)
3)   Reconditi [Recondita] armonia from Tosca
Puccini
4)   Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön
from Die Sauberflote [Zauberflöte]
Mozart
5)   Tiritomba
Trad.
6)   Gendarmes Duet

INTERVAL

7)   Je Crois entendre encore from The Pearl Fishers
Bizet
8)   Che gelida manina from La Boheme
Puccini
9)   Maccheroni
Trad.
10)   Be my Love
from the film The Great Caruso
11)   La Torna e Sorriento [Surriento]
De Curtis
12)   Maria from West Side Story
Bernstein
13)   Tonight from West Side Story
Bernstein