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The New Zealander tenor, Daniel (Geoffrey Mercer) O'Connor, has been singing since the age of 17 only became serious about age 20, when he began lessons with Margaret Medlyn and Bruce Greenfield. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance in 2007 from Victoria University of Wellington, where he studied under Emily Mair. He was a 2008-2009 PWC Dame Malvina Emerging Artist, and understudied the role of Taddeo in L’Italiana in Algeri, Elviro in Xerxes and the title roles in both W.A. Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro and Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin (went on) for New Zealand Opera. In 2010, he won The Otago Daily Times Aria competition. He completed his Master of Music degree in Opera at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow in 2013.
Operatic engagements include the title role in an English version of the Marriage of Figaro (Opera Days Bay), Badger/Parson in Janaček’s Cunning Little Vixen (NIMBY Opera), Nardo in W.A. Mozart's La Finta Giardiniera (Opera Unlimited), Imperial Commissioner/Official in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra), Tony in Menotti’s science-fiction children’s opera Help! Help! The Globolinks (Opera Factory) and Mr Ducat in John Gaye’s Polly (Opera Victoria). In Scotland he performed the roles of Junius in Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia (2012), Mercurio in Incoronazione di Poppea (2012), Demetrius in B. Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream (2013), Dr Caius in Nicolai's Lustigen Weiber von Windsor (2013). His opera repertoire also includes: Moralès/Le Dancaïre (understudy) in Georges Bizet's Carmen, Captain and Onegin inTchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin.
Sacred and oratorio engagements include J.S. Bach's B Minor Mass (BWV 232), St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) (Orpheus Choir), St John Passion (BWV 245) (Orpheus Choir and Bach Musica) and Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) (Bach Musica), George Frideric Handel's Messiah (South Auckland Choral Society), Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah (Ars Nova) and W.A. Mozart's Requiem (Ars Nova). He returned from the UK in 2018 and is currently based in Wellington, New Zealand. |
