Founded in 1996 by a group of passionate opera lovers keen to support young New Zealand opera talent, Circle100 has awarded annual scholarships to over thirty scholars, along with travel grants and career support awards totalling over $750,000. Our inaugural scholar, internationally-acclaimed tenor Simon O’Neill is now our Patron. 

 

Each year a small number of singers who are at an advanced stage of their opera studies in New Zealand are invited to audition for the Scholarship and awards.  Scholarships are typically awarded when singers have been accepted into an international opera programme or school.  Travel grants enable young singers to visit the international schools and meet with teachers before deciding on where they will attend the following year; and the recent career support awards have assisted previous scholars in their mid-career development, particularly in the recent COVID 19 environment.

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In 2019 Circle100 invited Sophie Joyce, Director of the Metropolitan Opera’s young artist programme (the Lindemann Young Artist Program) along with Simon O’Neill and Iain Paterson to run a day of masterclasses for 12 New Zealand singers and provide audition and career guidance.  As a consequence, two young singers were invited to audition and then joined the programme through the assistance of Circle100 funding.

 

Circle100 members come together at concert events organised during the year which include an event to announce the year’s Scholar and award recipients, masterclasses (as in 2019 featuring Sophie Joyce) and an end of year celebration.   Simon and many of our scholars warmly take the opportunity to perform for Circle100 events by way of thanks and to ensure the group's continued funding of future scholars. 

 

Initially known as the Opera Guild, Circle100 has been an artistic partner of New Zealand Opera.  

 

More recently, Circle100 has focussed its support on opera groups which nurture and promote young New Zealand opera singers, including the preeminent New Zealand Opera School.