Despite living for many years in Auckland and Wellington, Donald knew that Whanganui would be the perfect home for the New Zealand Opera School. Having researched the Wexford Opera Festival that had started in Ireland in 1951, Donald saw similarities with Whanganui where the festival helped transform a ‘compromised community with a beautiful Opera House and a run-down river port’ into a vibrant community.
The dream was to create a place where international tutors and students could benefit from partnerships with the historic Royal Whanganui Opera House, the Whananui River (awa), local iwi and the majestic Whanganui Collegiate School.
The New Zealand Opera School has a long affiliation with Whanganui Collegiate School and being based at the school campus with its central location and outstanding facilities has ensured the New Zealand Opera School can provide a world-class teaching and learning experience for its students. For more information about Whanganui Collegiate School, see their website or watch a virtual tour of the grounds in the video below.
In 2021, Whanganui was announced as New Zealand’s only UNESCO City of Design, one of 49 such cities worldwide, in recognition of the exceptional creativity, innovative spirit, cultural integrity and strength of artistic tradition.
Whanganui’s City of Design status is not only a recognition of the city’s creative heritage, it also reflects the unique significance of our indigenous cultural identity and the direction the city is taking. Whanganui is certainly the perfect home for the New Zealand Opera School.
