Song Quest winner Samuel Mataele on why opera matters

Monday, 20 July 2026

Samuel Mataele, centre, with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, left, and head judge Frederica von Stade.

Nineteen‑year‑old countertenor Samuel Mataele became the new champion of the Kiri Te Kanawa Song Quest on July 11, winning the $50,000 first prize at a gala concert in Wellington. The six finalists performed with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at the Michael Fowler Centre, in front of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and international head judge Frederica von Stade.

Widely regarded as one of Aotearoa’s most promising young singers, Mataele has already earned multiple competition honours and performed major Handel and Bach roles with leading ensembles, all while studying music and psychology at the University of Auckland.

Raised in Auckland’s Mount Wellington and educated at Mount Carmel Primary School and Sacred Heart College, he credits his close‑knit family - who have endured years of constant singing around the house - for their unwavering support. Now, fresh from his breakthrough win, he spoke with The Post…

Hey Samuel! Congratulations on winning the Song Quest. Has it sunk in yet, and how are you feeling right now?

I’m feeling incredibly elated still and am very humbled to think that I was chosen as the winner of this very prestigious national competition.

Can you paint the picture for our readers of your early artistic life?

I started my journey at church, in choirs and listening to my sister singing classical pieces. Opera was introduced to me in my first year at college in year 7. I was singing the well-known famous high part of the Queen of the Night aria as a little boy soprano and was picked up by my singing teacher Fiona Ferens. I’ve never looked back.

Who have been the biggest influences on your musical journey so far?

My family, my flute teacher Lorna Wright, my singing teacher Fiona Ferens, pianists Rosie Barnes and Kay Shacklock and my two close friends Zen Ng and Ali Ono, who with me on flute form a trio. I look to singers such as sopranos Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Dame Malvina Major and Montseratt Caballe for their artistry, sheer beauty and quality of tone and interpretation.

Also countertenors such as Franco Fagiolli, Philippe Jaroussky, Christopher Lowry and NZ countertenor Stephen Diaz (Coco). Franco Faggioli for his passion, beautiful rich voice quality, vocal agility and having a similar range to me and

Jaroussky for his sheer elegance of line and ornamentation, Lowry for his passion and overall expertise and Stephen for his soul-filled authentic performances.

I also really love internationally famous Polish countertenor Jakub Jozef Orlinski, now 35, who has been singing professionally since the age of 24. He brings a young, fresh vibrancy to Baroque music, including sometimes displaying his break dancing and gymnastic skills during instrumental parts of his concert arias and operatic roles.

I do listen and follow an awful number of other singers for many different reasons, for example baritone Bryn Terfel for his amazing diction.

What are your plans, now that you’ve won the $50,000 prize?

I plan to complete my Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts in psychology at the University of Auckland and go forward with my singing under the guidance and direction of the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation.

Why do you think opera matters today, in 2026? Or what does it mean to you personally?

Operas depict and display the deep emotions of life, love, betrayal, beauty, human need, politics, religion and tragedy. Operas can be extremely funny as well! These emotions are still relevant and experienced by us today. For me, personally, opera is a wonderfully expressive, musical way to communicate the stories of life.