Simon O'Neill: he'll be one of the judges. Photo: Albert Comper Photography
It takes a while for a talented operatic voice to mature.
Take kiwi singer Simon O'Neill. He started off singing bass in the choir - now he's one of the world's leading heldentenors.
It's also taken a while for a trust set up following the death of long-time arts supporter and opera fan, Jim Stevenson, to get going.
But now, with help from his brother Warwick and widow Jenny Stevenson, the Jim Stevenson Tenor Scholarship will be running its first competition in the Concert Chamber of Auckland Town Hall later this month.
Up for grabs, $10,000 to help singers who've already begun their careers in New Zealand to make the next step, either establishing themselves or furthering their study overseas - or maybe both.
And it's only fitting that one of the judges will be Simon O'Neill himself.
Photo: Supplied
Jim Stevenson trained as a lawyer, but he also found time to throw himself into artistic pursuits.
Stevenson developed a close friendship with poet Alan Brunton and co-edited with him the first issue of the literary magazine Freed. He played a significant support role for the avant-garde theatre company Red Mole, founded by Alan Brunton and Sally Rodwell in 1971. In the 1970s, he supported his wife Jenny Stevenson in the establishment of the Dance Centre in Wellington and in 1987 became the co-founder with Jenny of the Wellington Performing Arts Centre, offering tertiary level and community classes in dance, singing and acting.
Stevenson died in 2018, but he continues to support the arts through the trust set up in his name, run by Jenny and his brother Warwick Stevenson.
Jim Stevenson - loved the tenor sound. Photo: Supplied
And above all else, Jim Stevenson loved the sound of the tenor voice.
Speaking to RNZ Concert ahead of the scholarship competition, Jim Stevenson's brother Warwick says it's taken a while for the trust to set itself up so it can support a proper formal scholarship.
There are four finalists: Elias Nguyen, Ipu Laga'aia, Ridge Ponini and yet another member of the talented Fonoti-Fuimaono family of Flaxmere in Hawkes Bay, Jordon.
Head along to the Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday 29 of October, and you might one day be able to claim you heard the next big Kiwi tenor star before they headed overseas.
