Tongan Opera Singer - You Raise Me Up - Ben Makisi -

Ben singing at the ANZAC Military Tattoo in Australia 2006, a tribute to the soldiers.

BENJAMIN MAKISI SHORT BIOGRAPHY:

Lyric Tenor Benjamin Makisi was born in Wellington New Zealand. His magnificent voice has won him standing ovations around the worlHis early career was encouraged by his parents, as he sang in his local church choir. Early on he was able to win many scholarships including the The Lions Rotary Music Scholarship and the NZ Herald Aria Competition.

He went on to win many prestigious awards including the Lockwood Aria Competition in Rotorua and he is a proud recipient of the Willi Fels Memorial Award, which he has won five times. This bolstered his performance confidence enabling him to further his studies.

On an international level, he won The McDonald Aria Competition held in the Sydney Opera House in 2002 and was a Semi-Finalist at the Francesco Viñas Concourso Internationale in Barcelona, Spain in 2004. He completed his Masters Degree in Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2004 following a Bachelor of Music in Performance at Victoria University of Wellington, NZ in 1992 His most privileged performance was in Auckland for HRH Prince Charles the Prince of Wales.

His Opera Repertoire includes roles in Cosi Fan Tutte, Norma, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Rigoletto, Madama Butterfly and Tales of Hoffman. His career moves him to many parts of the world including Italy, Spain, London, New York, San Diego, Washington DC, Hawaii, Berlin, Tonga, Samoa and Australia. Recent sell out concerts have taken him to Brisbane and Norfolk Island.


Repertoire
Opera
Ferrando: Così fan tutte
Count Almaviva: The Barber of Seville (NBRNZO)
Pollione: Norma (Gisborne Choral Society)
Pinkerton: Madama Butterfly
Duke of Mantua: Rigoletto (Opus Minor, Sydney)
Don Basilio: The Marriage of Figaro (Hawke's Bay Opera)
Don Curzio: The Marriage of Figaro (Wellington City Opera)
Rinuccio: Gianni Schicchi (WanganuiOpera)
Nathanaël/Frantz: The Tales of Hoffmann (Wellington Pocket Opera)

Musical Theatre
Prisoner/Muleteer/Turkish Moor: Man of La Mancha (Australian Tour)
Policeman: Jack the Ripper (Sydney)
Joseph: Starchild (Wellington)

Concert engagements
Berlioz Requiem - Grande Messe des morts (Sydney)
Haydn Die Schöpfung (Tongan United Wesley Choir)
Mendelssohn Elijah (Ars Nova, New Plymouth; Conservatorium of Music, Sydney)
Handel Messiah (Auckland Choral Society)
Mozart Mass in C (Wairarapa Festival)

Category:

Music

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[JosephHuntington]

Thank God 7 out of 8,510 like this piece. There is hope for humanity still.

[monicarufina]

wow.. that man really sing with heart.. grande performance..

[tonganshyt]

Dat nigga suck..just stick to da hamburgers lol

[tonganfoilole69]

Wow; awesome , amazing...definitly awesome...so proud of u bro, yr giving Tonga a good name...God bless u...

[stopfieilo]

good job!!!!tongans always has the lungs and a great voice to sing!!!!!!

[OfaLicious2010]

@creolina1 thats okay!=)

[creolina1]

@OfaLicious2010 yes i live in a white town on the other side of the globe and english is not my language. i dont think its wrong to ask something if you dont understand. i really like his voice but didnt know what togan meant. thank you

[OfaLicious2010]

@creolina1 its his background(nationality) !

wow so you must be living in a white town.hahahah!

[creolina1]

im sorry for the question but whats togan?

[HolevFifita]

@namu52 no...100% tongan