Adjudicator

Patrick Power ONZM

Patrick grew up on a farm in Dannevirke, in a family that had already three generations of professional singers. [His grandmother was taught by Sister Mary Leo’s teacher, Sister Mary Agnes] 

He was educated at Ruahine Primary, St. Patrick’s, Silverstream, the Universities of Otago, Auckland, Perugia, Waikato and the Epsom Teachers’ College. Choirs were a very major influence in his education.

He has had a distinguished international career, singing some 60 principal tenor roles in nine different languages for the leading opera houses and festivals in 17 different countries. He also sang a great number of oratorio and symphonic works with a bevy of great conductors, from Abbado to Zagrosek. He has recorded for Decca, Phillips and CBS Masterworks. He was appointed Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2003 for his services to opera both in New Zealand and internationally. Returning to NZ in 2000 he has been Senior Lecturer in Vocal Studies at EIT, Visiting Artist Tutor at Victoria University, Senior Lecturer Voice at Vision College in Contemporary Voice, and from 2009 to 2016 was Full time Vocal Studies Lecturer and Head of Vocal Pedagogy at the Elder Conservatory, University of Adelaide.

Some of his earliest professional work was appearing several times as a soloist with the Royal Christchurch Musical Society under the baton of Sir Robert Field Dobson. His last appearance in Christchurch was as a soloist with the Christchurch Liedertafel.

He is the enthusiastic Patron of Toi Toi Opera Company.