Marie Te Hapuku - New Zealand Maori Soprano

Biography

"A striking voice - unified in its pleasing color, capable of tremendous range, strong enough to easily soar over the combined sonic mass of the orchestra and chorus, and used with acute intelligence. Her blend with the other soloists was admirable, and her sense of the dramatic in her solos was unerring." VERDI REQUIEM with Syracuse Symphony (The Post-Standard)

New Zealand Maori soprano Marie Te Hapuku was hailed by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune as "the perfect Verdi heroine, richly musical and emotionally touching". A recent addition to the Metropolitan Opera artist roster, Ms. Te Hapuku is completely at ease with the vocal demands of Verdi. Her roles include Aida, Lina (STIFFELIO), Leonora (IL TROVATORE), and Amelia (UN BALLO IN MASCHERA), as well as Tosca, Fiordiligi (COSÌ FAN TUTTE), Donna Anna and Donna Elvira (DON GIOVANNI). Loved by audiences and the press alike, the Salt Lake Deseret News wrote that she "excels, not only with her strong, beautiful voice, but also with her ability to capture the conflict" and that "her clear, strong, rich voice is - by itself - worth the price of the ticket". Australia's Opera~Opera Magazine declared that she is "well in command of the technical challenges, possessed of a rich voice with just a hint of steel behind it, and blessed by a personality that communicates effortlessly across the footlights".

Recognized as "the sort of voice that the orchestra loves, fitting into its texture with an easy warmth" by Opera News, Ms. Te Hapuku regularly appears on the symphony stage. Recent concert performances include Verdi's REQUIEM with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony, New Hampshire Music Festival, and American West Symphony, Beethoven's NINTH SYMPHONY with the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra and the San Jose Symphony, Fiordiligi in COSÌ FAN TUTTE with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and her European debut with Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona in a program featuring the works of Victorien Sardou. She especially enjoys sharing her Polynesian background in special concerts featuring the rich music of her Maori heritage.

Born in Gisborne, Marie Te Hapuku is a direct descendent of paramount Maori chief, Te Hapuku Ngai Te Whatuiapiti (who signed the 1835 Declaration of Independence and the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi. His dignity and deep knowledge of tribal tradition was legendary.) She holds dual citizenship in New Zealand and the United States, and resides in New York City.

"Her clear, strong, rich voice is - by itself - worth the price of the ticket."
Deseret News

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new zealand maori soprano polynesian opera singer