It's not always easy maintaining the joy of making music when it is your livelihood, a candid Jonathan Lemalu tells Bruce Munro before a gala performance in the Dunedin Town Hall.
It is half an hour after midnight on the Tuesday after Easter.
The email is in response to questions sent by the Otago Daily Times almost a week earlier.
But that email had arrived during another full week of recording and performing, this time in Poland and Germany, before taking the Eurostar home to his wife and son in the United Kingdom on Easter Sunday.
And the coming days would be busy, too; sitting on a scholarship audition panel for Help Musicians UK, rehearsing for Brahms' lieder recital in Germany with Graham Johnson and Belshazzar's Feast in Hong Kong and then flying to New Zealand, where he performed in Dunedin on Saturday.
So, this had been the moment to turn his attention to the newspaper's questions.
Finishing up, he types a quick foreword.
"Hi ... I have just blitzed through them with whatever comes to mind first. So, they are sincere, spontaneous and hopefully what you need.''
He hits "send'' and the email vanishes into the ether.
Q In what ways is being a professional opera singer different from what you thought it would be like?
A The reality is that it is a balance between my love for music, story-telling and a creative outlet for self-expression and [at the same time] it being my job, my business, my livelihood.
It is not an easy life, and not everyone has the talent, drive and luck, of which you need all three in equal measure.
A Factually, I am Jonathan Lemalu, I do travel the world extensively as part of my job, and I am simply a bass.
I don't take myself too seriously, which is something many of my 40-plus operatic roles have in common.
I enjoy the variety of work.
This week, I recorded and performed Sir John Falstaff, in Warsaw, and Jesus Christ, in Strasbourg.
But I always look forward to getting home to family and familiarity, be it in London, Croatia or New Zealand.
Q You did a law degree. How does that side of you get expression in your life, if at all?
A The law degree gets dusted off only in conversation.
It is an achievement I am immensely proud of because it wasn't easy and didn't come naturally, unlike performing.
I believe the degree prepared me to be analytical in my preparation of my work musically, vocally, historically, stylistically and linguistically, and [to be aware] that life is not always fair.
The characters I portray as an operatic bass tend to be the least law-abiding and ethical of people anyway.
Q What advice would you give to your younger self?
A I would advise myself to always maintain the pure joy of making music despite the rehearsal and performance schedules, the technical discipline and preparation required, the travel, hotels and time away from family.
I would also tell my younger self to get a good accountant straight away.
And to study languages at high school.
Technical drawing has not been helpful in my music career, thus far.
Q What events or realisations during the past five years have been important? What's changed as a result of them?
A The biggest turning point for me in recent years would probably be my singing teacher, Gary Coward.
I took some time out in early 2014 during the transition from bass-baritone to bass and began working with him intensively.
He is a great fundamental technician.
The voice is richer, cleaner and more sonorous, a sign the voice is healthy and being used in the right way.
In my 40th year, I am really enjoying my singing more than ever, and with that my inspiration to push my own boundaries as an artist.
My wife and I have loved the way our son Joshua, now 8, has grown into a young man.
He keeps us young and we are immensely proud of him.
We are able to balance family life and our careers (Sandra is an opera director and singing teacher) and allow each other to be creative, which is a vital outlet for our shared love of the arts.
Always being thankful for what I have.
Q What are you currently focused on developing or perfecting?
A I'm always prepping for the next contract. Learning new roles, revising old ones,memorising libretto, taking singing lessons, doing private prep, coaching for language and style ...
Q Where and when are you at your most happy and your most content?
A In life, it is with my family. In work, it is on stage.
Q What's on the horizon?
A More of the same.
Jonathan Lemalu
A brief history and a couple of facts
• 1976: Born in Dunedin.
• 1997: Awarded the Dame Sister Mary Leo Scholarship.
• 1999: Completes studies in law and music at the University of Otago, graduating with a bachelor of laws degree.
• 1999 to 2002: Postgraduate vocal studies at London's Royal College of Music.
• 2000: Came to international prominence as inaugural winner of the Llangollen International Singer of the Year Award.
• 2002: Won Royal College of Music's gold medal award.
• 2004: Won the Royal Philharmonic Society's award for Young Artist of the Year.
• 2010: Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for his part in the London Symphony Orchestra's production of Billy Budd.
• 2016: April, Dunedin, New Zealand and Hong Kong, China; May, Essen, Germany; June, Salisbury, United Kingdom ...
• Lives in: London with his wife, Croatian opera director Sandra Martinovic and their son Joshua.
