Upcoming Performances
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Opera Otago and Dunedin Fringe Present: Arias at Dusk
March 17th & 19th at 8pm
March 22nd at 2pm
Hanover Hall
Ōtepoti Dunedin, New Zealand
As the sun slips below the horizon, singers appear unexpectedly, surrounding the audience with fragments of opera and whispered song. In Arias at Dusk, singers and shadows weave music as day gives way to night. The boundary between audience and performer dissolves as music moves through the dusk, and you slip into the world of the night itself.
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The Octagon Ensemble Presents: Sacred Masterworks for Easter
March 29th, 2026
2:00PM
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Ōtepoti Dunedin, New Zealand
Featuring singers from the Octagon Ensemble with Baroque orchestra, this concert will include Bach’s Cantata for Easter Sunday, Handel’s Cantata “Poiché giuraro amore”, and more.
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What the Spirits Show
April 10th, 2026
7:00PM
Te Korokoro o Te Tūī Main Studio
Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka / University of Otago
Ōtepoti Dunedin, New Zealand
An evening of music and poetry exploring the impacts of transphobia and the queer joy, beauty and spirituality in its midst, with performers: Tessa Romano, mezzosoprano, Silen Wellington, spoken word, and Terence Dennis, piano. Featuring a world premiere of new songs by Silen Wellington.
This concert is made possible with support from Te Kāhui Tau / the School of Performing Arts at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka / the University of Otago.
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The International Center for American Music and the Lyceum Club Florence Present: American Songs of Contemplation and the Natural World
April 16th, 2026
6:00PM
Lyceum Firenze
Florence, Italy
A song program of great American composers from centre stage to the margins, including works by Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, Ricky Ian Gordon, Betty Jackson King, Florence Price, Damien Sneed, and William Grant Still.
Admission FREE with reservation: sezionemusicalyceum@gmail.com.
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Cherubini Conservatorio di Musica Firenze Erasmus Concert
April 30th, 2026
Time TBD
Cherubini Conservatorio di Musica
Florence, Italy
A concert featuring highlights of the Bel canto operatic period.
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Chez Nous Productions Presents: Aotearoa in Paris
May 17th, 2026
5:00PM
Location TBD
Celebrating the contemporary classical works of composers of Aotearoa New Zealand origin abroad, this program will feature works by Ross Carey, Nigel Keay, and Gillian Whitehead.
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Reaching for Belonging
May 26th, 2026
Steinway Gallery
Oslo, Norway
This concert features works of Norway and its diaspora, including a world premiere by Norwegian American composer Silen Wellington. Performers include: Tessa Romano, mezzosoprano, Silen Wellington, spoken word, César Cañon, piano.
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From the Fiordlands to the Fjords
May 30, time TBD
Steinway Gallery
Oslo, Norway
From the Fiordlands to the Fjords celebrates the environmental and musical connections between New Zealand and Norway, including works by Edvard Grieg, Anthony Ritchie, Geirr Tveitt, and Gillian Whitehead. Featuring performers: Tessa Romano, mezzosoprano, and César Cañon, piano.
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Dewandaru Dreaming: A Journey in Song from the Silk Road to the South Seas
August 12th, 2026
1:00PM
Marama Hall,
Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka
Ōtepoti, NZ
This concert will exclusively feature works by Aotearoa NZ composer Ross Carey, including several world premieres.
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Get Me Off This F***ing Planet
TBD
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
The world premiere of this interdisciplinary performance art piece by Maddy Parkins-Craig, Sofia Kalogeropoulou, and Tessa Romano will take place in Dunedin Fringe 2025. This work aims to explore our shared humanity within the context of the disturbing emerging trends in the current socio-political landscape both in Aotearoa and the wider world, and the looming tipping point in the fight against climate change. The work cycles through the states of anger, grief, and joy to confront, commiserate and celebrate with its audience in asking: how do we cope with contemporary living in the midst of climate catastrophe and political upheaval?
Previous Performances
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Wānaka Concert Society: Leith Ensemble in Concert
Saturday, November 22nd, 2025, 7:30PM
Lake Wānaka Centre, 89 Ardmore St, Wānaka, NZ
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World Premiere Performance of the Leith Ensemble
Monday, November 17th, 2025, 6pm
Olveston House, Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
Leith Ensemble presents a luminous, lyrical journey from fin-de-siècle France to modern Aotearoa, featuring music by Anthony Ritchie, Lili Boulanger, Fauré, Ravel, and Arensky.
Performers of the Leith Ensemble include: Heleen du Plessis (cello), Tessa Romano (voice), Tessa Petersen (violin), and Sanaz Rezai (piano).
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Songs and Brass with St. Kilda Brass
September 7th, 2025
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
A concert of operatic hits and jazz standards.
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Out of the Margins and into the Light
August 27th, 2025
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
A programme of songs by composers of the gender diverse community, and newly unearthed works by Paul Schramm with Tessa Romano, mezzo-soprano, Terence Dennis, piano, and Tom McGrath, piano.
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Brahms & Mataatua: A Journey in Music
June 28, 2025
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
Brahms’s monumental Piano Concerto No. 2 was composed when his writing was at its peak. From a deceptively benign opening with a lone horn melody, the movements are by turns gracious and turbulent, leading to an exhilarating ending. Acclaimed Wellington pianist Jian Liu returns to provide the dazzling technique and musical depth that the work calls for.
We celebrate Matariki with The Journey of Mataatua Whare, a work which in turn celebrates 100 years since the Mataatua Wharenui returned to NZ. The work tells of the Wharenui’s story: from the carved meeting house’s creation in Whakatāne, the loss of Ngāti Awa control over it, its travels and mistreatment, its return to NZ for Dunedin/Ōtepoti’s 1925 Great Exhibition and then Tūhura Otago Museum, and its final return to Ngāti Awa in Whakatāne. Joining DSO’s Principal Guest Conductor James Judd on stage for this special event will be three distinguished NZ vocal soloists.
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New Zealand Music Month Concert
May 7, 2025
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
The world premiere of Anthony Ritchie’s monodrama “You! Who?” for mezzo and piano with pianist Terence Dennis. Additional works will include songs to text by Katherine Mansfield from Anthony Ritchie and Ross Carey.
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Dunedin RSA Choir ANZAC Review
April 25, 2025
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
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Echoes from Ngā Hau e Whā: The Four Winds
March 15, 2025
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
A vocal octet showcases works from around the world that speak to the beauty of our environment and its degradation at our human hands.
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A Premiere of Brigid Bisley's "In Return"
March 2, 2025
Whanganui, NZ
The world premiere of works by composer Brigid Bisley
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Joyeux Noël
December 6, 2024
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
Soloist with City Choir Dunedin alongside Robert Tucker, Cathy Sim, Claire Barton & Alexander McAdams
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Colleague Collaboration on Folk
September 25, 2024
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
A University of Otago Lunchtime Concert featuring Performance Staff performing in Western folk styles
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A Celebration of Composer John Drummond
September 15, 2024
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
A premiere of John Drummond's cycle "Women's Lives" and "The Mezzo Song" with Terence Dennis, piano
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New Zealand Music Month: A Premiere of David Hamilton's "Canticle 6"
May 22, 2024
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
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New Zealand Music Month: A Premiere of Andrew Perkin's "The Mute Swan"
May 15, 2024
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
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Edvard Grieg on Piano & Voice
April 24, 2024
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
Grieg’s Haugtussa and other selections with pianist Terence Dennis
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The Trapeze Artist by Anthony Ritchie
March 17-19, 2024
Hanover Hall, Dunedin, NZ
Performed with Opera Otago in the 2024 Dunedin Fringe Festival, Tessa Romano as the lead role “Circus Woman”
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Celebrate Baroque with the Octagon Ensemble
October 22, 2023
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
An Octagon Ensemble performance with violinist Vesa Matti-Leppänen, vioinist Yuka Iguchi, pianist Kemp English, mezzo-soprano Tessa Romano, and pianist Sanaz Rezai
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Child of the Sun: A Programme of Premieres for Katherine Mansfield
September 17, 2023
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
19 new songs by 12 New Zealand composers on the text of Katherine Mansfield with pianist Sherry Grant.
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Touches of Sweet Harmony with the Octagon Ensemble
October 8, 2022
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
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Songs of the Rainbow: Music and Trans* Identity
September 21, 2022
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
A recital of songs by trans* gender composers and poets with mezzo-soprano Tessa Romano and pianist Terence Dennis.
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Une flûte invisible: Music for flute, voice and piano
September 7, 2022
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
with mezzo-soprano Tessa Romano, flutist Luca Manghi, and pianist Tom McGrath
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Place Them on the Altar: A Premiere
June 12 & 13, 2022
Fort Collins & Boulder, Colorado, USA
A premiere of the first non-binary cabaret song cycle Place Them on the Altar with music by Siren Wellington and text by Tessa Romano, sung by Tessa Romano with pianist Barbie Noyes
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Silence Is: An Operatic Preview
November 6, 2021
Pōneke Wellington, NZ
Preview of a new opera by Rosa Elliott, Leon Reynolds, Te Oti Rakena, Tessa Romano & Ruby Solly for Verb Wellington
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Presenting the Mozart Fellow
September 22, 2021
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
A premiere of a song cycle in progress with music by Kenneth Young and poetry by Rushi Vyas for mezzo-soprano Tessa Romano
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From Bach to Broadway
August 11, 2021
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
with Tessa Romano,Deborah Wai Kapohe, Arlie McCormick Hannah Thompson-Holloway, Rushi Vyas, Helen du Plessis, Terence Dennis & Tom McGrath
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Spain In View
July 28, 2021
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
Song in Spanish and Sephardic Hebrew from Spain and Latin America, with Tessa Romano and Terence Dennis
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Songs and Serenades
July 3 & 4, 2021
Ōtepoti Dunedin, NZ
The Dunedin Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vincent Hardaker with soloist Tessa Romano