Singers from around New Zealand will vie for the country's oldest singing competition, the Otago Daily Times Aria, this weekend.
Dunedin baritone Julien Van Mellaerts is a warm favourite, after his second placing last year.
The 2010 Dunedin Performing Arts Senior Vocal Festival started in Burns Hall on Thursday, with the ODT Aria final to be held in the Glenroy Auditorium tomorrow night.
"We've got singers from around the country here and it will be a really good competition, as the standard is very high," convener Susanne Chambers said yesterday.
The judge is Sydney singing teacher Adele Johnston.
First prize in the competition is the Celebration of the Century Cup and $5000, second prize is the Dame Malvina Major Foundation Award $3000 and the Chambers Family Trophy, and third prize is the Honor McKellar Award and $1000.
The ODT Aria competition heats start at 7.30pm in Burns Hall today, from which six singers will be selected for tomorrow's final.
The contestants are baritone Julien Van Mellaerts, of Dunedin (singing Visio Fugitive by Massenet and Largo al factotum by Rossini), mezzo-soprano Christie Cook, of Dunedin (Chacun a son gout by Strauss and Seqquidila by Bizet), soprano Helen Acheson, of Dunedin (Vado, ma dove? by Mozart and The Black Swan by Menotti), tenor Michael Gray, of Dunedin (Dein ist mein ganzes Herz by Lehar and En fermant les yeux by Massenet), tenor Darren Pene Pati, of Auckland (Salut demur by Gounod and Macduff's Aria by Verdibass), baritone Tavis Gravatt, of Auckland (Vous qui faites l'endormie by Gounod and Donne mei, la fate a tanti by Mozart), tenor William McElwee, of Wellington (Una furtiva Lagrima by Donizetti and Che gelida manina by Puccini) and baritone Daniel O'Connor, of Wellington (Vedro Mentr'io Sospiro by Mozart and Look! Through the port comes the moonshine by Britten).
The ODT Aria final is at 7.30pm tomorrow in the Glenroy Auditorium.
