June 13, 2024
Te reo opens door to opera world
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A budding opera star says kapa haka and te reo Māori gave him a sound foundation for an international music career.
Bass Morgan Andrew King is studying at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadephia, but he’s using his summer break to prepare to compete in New Zealand’s Lexus Song Quest next month.
He says good pronunciation and being able to sing in a variety of styles is important in opera.
“In Maoridom we value our language so I take the same respect and practise I do for te reo Maori as I do singing in something like German or Italian or French or even Russian,” he says.
Morgan Andrew King hopes to join the list of New Zealand Song Competition winners that includes Dame Malvina Major, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Phillip Rhodes, Jonathan Lemalu and Sol3 Mio’s Amitai Pati