International Soprano Mary Plazas Arrives in Whanganui for NZ Opera School 2026

Whanganui is set to welcome acclaimed soprano and vocal professor Mary Plazas when she arrives on 4 January to join the teaching faculty of the New Zealand Opera School and take part in Whanganui Opera Week 2026.

A distinguished former company principal at English National Opera, Mary has performed on many of the world’s great stages, including The Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne, Bayerische Staatsoper, Bregenz Festspiele and Semperoper Dresden. Her career highlights range from Cio-Cio San in Anthony Minghella’s celebrated Madama Butterfly to creating roles for leading contemporary composers such as Jonathan Dove and Peter Eötvös. She has recorded for Opera Rara, Deutsche Grammophon and Chandos, and appeared in recital at Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw and other major international venues.

Now a Professor of Singing at the Royal Northern College of Music, Mary is passionate about nurturing emerging artists. She has taught and adjudicated widely in the UK, Europe and Australia, and looks forward to bringing this generous expertise to Aotearoa’s next generation of singers, many of whom she has taught on their arrival at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England.

Mary shares her excitement about joining the School and visiting New Zealand for the first time:
“I’m delighted to have been invited to teach at the New Zealand Opera School in January 2026. It is my great pleasure to join esteemed colleagues and to work with such talented young New Zealand singers, on this important and special course. It will also be my first time visiting this beautiful country and I’m very much looking forward to it!”

Local audiences will have a rare chance to see Mary in action during a public Masterclass on Monday 12 January at 7.30pm at the Prince Edward Auditorium, Whanganui Collegiate School. Tickets are available now and are an excellent opportunity for our community to experience the insight and artistry of one of the opera world’s most respected performers and teachers.

Whanganui is proud to host such an exceptional international artist – another highlight in what promises to be an inspiring Whanganui Opera Week for our city.