Kate Spence

Rotorua born Kate Spence was educated at Auckland University and the Queensland Conservatorium, Australia. She graduated with a Master of Music (Dist.) and Post Graduate Diplomas in Opera and Vocal Studies. She also holds an FTCL in Voice from the Trinity College of Music, London. More recently, Kate has undergone private study in the United Kingdom under the direction of Enid Hartle.

In 2000 and 2002 Kate was a prizewinner in the Mobil Song Quest gaining third and second place respectively. In Australia, she has been a semi-finalist in the Australian Singing Competition, regional vocal finalist in the ABC Young Musicians Competition and a finalist in the McDonald’s Aria in Sydney.

Kate made her professional operatic debut as Narciso (Agrippina, Handel) for the Brisbane Festival and has since sung with Opera Queensland, OzOpera, English National Opera and NBR New Zealand Opera. Further roles have included Third Lady in Magic Flute, Maddalena, Countess Ceprano and Giovanna in Rigoletto, Madelon in Andrea Chenier, Celia in Iolanthe, Public Opinion in Orpheus in the Underworld, Mother and Squirrel in L’enfant et les sortileges and 2nd Gossip in Angelique.

Kate performs regularly in recital and on the concert platform. Concert repertoire includes Bach’s Magnificat, St John Passion, Christmas Oratorio, B Minor Mass and solo cantata BMV 170 “Vergnügte Ruh”, Elgar’s Sea Pictures, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Mass in the time of War, Harmonie Mass & Nelson Mass, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, the Mozart Requiem, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Vivaldi’s Gloria.

Engagements for 2008 include Bach’s St Matthew Passion, two performances of Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and David Hamilton’s Te Deum.