New Zealand Opera to Bring Te Reo Māori Fusion Performance Toiere to Kerikeri

Contemporary operatic excellence and te ao Māori are set to converge in Northland next month as New Zealand Opera brings the production Toiere to the Toiwaka Turner Centre in Kerikeri. Scheduled for an August season, the performance reimagines classical operatic arias through a unique blend of original languages and te reo Māori, marking a significant cultural fusion in the Aotearoa arts scene. The production follows its successful debut at the Auckland Arts Festival in 2025. It features a distinguished cast including soprano Katherine Winitana (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāariki Kaiputahi), tenor Ipu Laga’aia, mezzo-soprano Michaela Cadwgan, and baritones Joel Amosa and Kawiti Waetford. Waetford, who identifies with Ngāti Hine, Ngātiwai, Te Rarawa, and Ngāpuhi, also serves as the host for the evening. Composer and arranger Robert Wiremu (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) has worked alongside a prestigious team of mātanga reo (language experts) and translators to adapt the repertoire. This team includes Sir Tīmoti Kāretu, Pānia Papa, Leon Blake, and Ruth Smith. The project aims to transform familiar classical works into a new experience that reflects the unique identity of Aotearoa. For host Kawiti Waetford, the Kerikeri performance represents a homecoming. Raised between Matapōuri and Whangārei, Waetford’s musical journey began through marae, kura, and kapa haka before he pursued classical training under Joan Kennaway and eventually postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom. Now serving as the Strategic Māori Lead at NZ Opera, Waetford told the Northern Advocate that his work focuses on bringing te reo Māori and storytelling together in meaningful ways. He noted that performing in Te Tai Tokerau is significant to him as he continues to balance international work with a home base in the north.