The New Zealand Aria has been held annually in Rotorua for the past 69 years and has helped launch the careers of some of New Zealand’s finest young opera singers, including James Ioelu, Wade Kernot, Amelia Berry, Pene Pati and Isabella Moore.

10 finalists were selected to compete in the final, accompanied by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

The adjudicators for 2015 are husband and wife team Barry Ryan OAM and Anke Hoeppner-Ryan, distinguished singers from Australia.