Patricia Hurley, the former manager of Wellington City Opera, has written a book. Viva Opera! A Journey Though Italy takes readers and travellers on a journey, enhancing their experience and understanding of opera, Italy and the Italians. It draws on Patricia's love of the art form and her rich experience sharing its many treasures with her guests during Patricia's Opera Tours.
Photo: Supplied
As a child, Patricia loved singing and playing the piano, but opportunities to see opera were few and far between. After school she took a gap year in Scotland where her opera-mad cousins whisked her off to Scottish Opera and then to the opera in Rome to see Verdi's 'Aida', complete with elephants. Patricia was "smitten" by the spectacle of it all and returned to New Zealand to begin a double major in French and Italian language and literature at Victoria University.
Patricia chats to RNZ Concert host David Morriss about her career managing Wellington City Opera, the joys of her opera tours for tourists and singers alike and what she chose to include in her book. She also shares a favourite aria, Vissi d'arte from Puccini's 'Tosca' sung by Dame Malvina Major whose appearances at Wellington City Opera always drew big crowds.
Patricia Hurley with RNZ Concert host David Morriss Photo: Clarissa Dunn
