How a "Hot Chick" Got Tenor Geoffrey Knight Into Opera

The tenor with the object of his affection.
(Photo: Patrick Hamilton)

"Nelson aria competition winner Geoffrey Knight has gone full circle after being inspired to get into opera singing by Dame Malvina Major. The Sydney-based tenor took top prize with his delivery of 'E Lucevan le stelle' from Puccini's Tosca and 'Ah la paterna mano' from Verdi's Macbeth at the Nelson School of Music on Saturday night. Eleven vocalists performed during two vocal recitals on Friday at Warwick House. Eight of those were asked to compete in Saturday's aria competition. The vocalists were competing for a prize pool of $11,000, which includes the top prize of $5000 from the Dame Malvina Major Foundation. Mr Knight said being presented with his award by Dame Malvina on Saturday night was significant, as she was the one who inspired him to get into opera. He approached an opera company in 2001 and said: 'Everyone reckons I should be an opera singer so I thought I better check it out.' He was an actor in Christchurch, based at the Court Theatre, and used to sing while making coffees at a cafe nearby. The first opera he saw was Tosca, with Dame Malvina. 'I wasn't really into opera, but there was this really hot chick on the poster so I thought I would go and check it out. I said to her on Saturday night: `Your production of Tosca was the first opera I had ever seen and I absolutely loved it'. That was pretty special.'" [Source]