MadisonNonoa

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  • Soprano

About Madison

New Zealand soprano Madison Nonoa is a recent graduate of the prestigious opera course at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Madison has made her debut at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera as First Siren (Rinaldo) and was selected as a 2020/2021 Jerwood Young Artist for the Festival. She was named a Samling Artist in 2020 and is a current Britten-Pears Young Artist, as well as a former Dame Malvina Major Emerging Young Artist with New Zealand Opera, where she made her debut as Papagena (Die Zauberflöte). In 2024, she took part in the Aix-en-Provence Festival's Voice Residency.

Madison has performed nationally and internationally with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and with the London Philharmonia at the Royal Festival Hall. Competition highlights include being the first prize winner of the Dame Malvina Major Arias in Christchurch and Wellington, as well as being awarded the first prize in the Napier Aria, Tauranga competitions and receiving 2nd prize in the New Zealand Aria Competition. She was a semi-finalist in the London Bach Singing competition and the International Handel Singing Competition and a finalist in the 2016 Lexus Song Quest, where she was selected as the Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation “Most Promising Singer”.

Recent highlights for Madison have seen her make several debuts, including festival debuts at the Salzburg and Whitsun Festivals as Amore (Orfeo ed Euridice), Amour (Orphée et Eurydice) with Raphaël Pichon and Ensemble Pygmalion at the Pulsations Festival in Bordeaux, as well as a house and role debut as the title role in Dido and Aeneas for the Ustinov Studio at the Theatre Royal Bath. In addition, she recently returned to New Zealand Opera in the role of Amor in their production of (m)Orpheus.

The 24/25 season sees Madison make her debut with Oxford Philharmonic, featuring as soprano soloist in Bach's Mass in B Minor. She also returns to New Zealand Symphony Orchestra as soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah. Later in the season, she will make her exciting role debut as Zerlina in Don Giovanni at Aix-en-Provence Festival, under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle.

She acknowledges the ongoing support of the Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Dame Malvina Major Foundations.

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Contact

Kate Robson

Kate Robson

Assistant Artist Manager

Representation

Worldwide general management with Askonas Holt

Follow Madison

Season Highlights

Nov 2024 - Nov 2024
Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford
Soprano Soloist in Bach's Mass in B Minor Marios Papadopoulos (Conductor) Oxford Philharmonic Orchesta
Dec 2024 - Dec 2024
Wellington, New Zealand
Soprano Soloist in Handel's Messiah Thomas Blunt (Conductor) New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Jul 2025
Aix-en-Provence Festival
Don Giovanni (Mozart) Role: Zerlina Conductor: Simon Rattle Director: Robert Icke

Video

Audio

  • Madison Nonoa sings Debussy 'C'est l'extase langoureuse'
  • Madison Nonoa sings Britten's 'The Last Rose of Summer' with Malcolm Martineau
    Credit: BBC Radio 3
  • Madison Nonoa sings Schubert's 'Im Fruhling'

Photos

Download high resolution images

Selected Repertoire

Bellini

I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Giulietta)

Britten

A Midsummer Nights Dream (Tytania)

Cavalli

La Calisto (Nymph)

Donizetti

La Fille du Régiment (Marie)

Handel

Acis & Galatea (Galatea)   •   Oreste (Ifigenia)   •   Rinaldo (Almirena)   •   Giulio Cesare (Cleopatra, arias only)   •   Alcina (Morgana, arias only)   •   Semele (Title role, arias only)

Monteverdi

Lamento della Ninfa (Soprano)   •   Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda (Narrator, Clorinda)

Mozart

Le Nozze di Figaro (Susanna)   •   The Magic Flute (Papagena)   •   Cosi fan tutte (Despina)   •   Don Giovanni (Zerlina)

Purcell

The Fairy Queen (Woman 1)

Strauss

Der Rosenkavalier (Sophie)

News

Press

  • Aix-en-Provence 2024 Voice Residency

    Aix-en-Provence
    Jun 2024 - Jul 2024

    • La soprano Madison Nonoa lance sa voix comme un appel aux forces cosmiques de la nuit, la met en vibration, l’étire, la lisse et l’aiguise, telle une épée magique. Elle fait de ses aigus filés non une manière de chanter mais une manière de composer de la musique. [translated] Soprano Madison Nonoa launches her voice like a call to the cosmic forces of the night, sets it vibrating, stretches it, smooths it and sharpens it, like a magic sword. She makes her high notes not a way of singing but a way of composing music.

    • Madison Nonoa tire son épingle du jeu, par la délicatesse épidermique de son interprétation. La voix coule, s’écoule, se lève avec le soleil matinal de pianissimi filés, après avoir gravi avec une grâce de dentellière de grands intervalles expressifs. Son duo pastoral avec Jonghyun Park lui permet d’ajouter de la décoration à l’émotion, de roucouler et jongler avec sa voix, avec un bonheur d’enfant. [translated] Madison Nonoa stands out from the crowd, with the epidermal delicacy of her interpretation. The voice flows, flows, rises with the morning sun of spun pianissimi , after having climbed with a lacemaker's grace of great expressive intervals. Her pastoral duet with Jonghyun Park allows her to add decoration to the emotion, to coo and juggle with her voice, with a child's happiness.

  • Polifemo (Porpora)

    Opera du Rhin
    Feb 2024

    • Madison Nonoa séduit en Galatée toute de charme et de féminité. [translated] Madison Nonoa seduces as Galatea, full of charm and femininity.

    • La soprano néo-zélandaise Madison Nonoa prête son timbre charnu et agile à Galatea. [translated] New Zealand soprano Madison Nonoa lends her fleshy and agile tone to Galatea.

    • [...] la Galatea fruitée et frémissante de sensibilité dessinée par Madison Nonoa [translated] the fruity Galatea quivering with sensitivity designed by Madison Nonoa

    • Révélation récente dans son pays d’origine, fortement soutenue par Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, la Néo-zélandaise Madison Nonoa dispose de belles aptitudes à la vocalise, d'un aigu lumineux et d’un sens du legato qui font de l’air de Galatea « Smanie d’affanno » un des grands moments de la soirée. [translated] A recent revelation in her country of origin, strongly supported by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa , the New Zealander Madison Nonoa has great vocal skills, a luminous high note and a sense of legato which make the air of Galatea “ Smania d’affanno ” one of the great moments of the evening.

    • Elle possède un beau timbre et fait preuve d’une grande sensibilité en incarnant ici une Galatée particulièrement charmante" [translated] She has a beautiful timbre and shows great sensitivity in playing a particularly charming Galatea.

    • La jeune soprano néo-zélandaise Madison Nonoa est une révélation en Galatée, et son air de déploration “Smanie d’affanno” étreint les gorges tout autant que le fameux “Alto Giove”, avec sa voix toute de fraîcheur et d’agilité. [translated] The young New Zealand soprano Madison Nonoa is a revelation as Galatea, and her lamenting aria, "Smanie d'affanno", is as breathtaking as the famous "Alto Giove", with her fresh, agile voice.

    • La soprano néozélandaise Madison Nonoa crève l’écran ou la scène, si l’on veut. Beauté du timbre, facilité dans les aigus et les ornementations, tempérament de feu et sens du jeu, la jeune femme a tout pour elle. [translated] New Zealand soprano Madison Nonoa is a screen and stage smasher. With her beautiful timbre, easy high notes and ornamentation, fiery temperament and flair for acting, this young woman has it all.

    • La projection et la précision des vocalises (Smanie d'affanno) nourrissent une ligne vocale parfaitement maîtrisée d'un bout à l'autre. [translated] The projection and precision of [Madison Nonoa's] vocalisations (Smanie d'affanno) nourish a vocal line that is perfectly controlled from start to finish.

  • Don Carlo (Verdi)

    Monte-Carlo Opera
    Nov 2023

    • tandis que la Voix céleste de Madison Nonoa, toute de blanc vêtue, assure un intermède spirituel et evanescent [translated] meanwhile the ‘Voce dal Cielo’ of Madison Nonoa, all dressed in white, provides a spiritual and evanescent interlude.

    • La voix céleste d’ordinaire tombe des cintres, ici Madison Nonoa surgit de la coulisse et délivre le message avec le cristal espéré [translated] ‘The Voce dal Cielo usually falls from the hangers, here Madison Nonoa emerges from the wings and delivers the message with the hoped-for crystal.

  • (m)Orpheus (Gluck)

    New Zealand Opera
    Sep 2023

    • Fresh from her success in the same role in Salzburg, Madison Nonoa made a perky Amor.

    • Nonoa provides a delightful dash of both costumed and vocal pink

    • Madison Nonoa as Amor totally relished her role and played it to the max, hilarious and poignant by turns.

    • The singing, too, is consistently good. Wai Kapohe and Nonoa both have clear, fluid voices, with a delicacy appropriate to Gluck’s relatively pared-back style.

  • Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck)

    Salzburg Festival
    Aug 2023

    • In addition to Bartoli, they had a consistently strong cast with Melissa Petit as the sensitive Euridice and Madison Nonoa as Cupid. [translated] Die waren neben Bartoli mit Melissa Petit als feinfühlige Euridice und Madison Nonoa als Amor durchwegs stark besetzt.

    • The performance of Amore has little stage time, but Madison Nonoa probably gave the evening the most beautiful lyrical moments. [translated] Und wenig Bühnensubstanz erringt auch der Auftritt von Amore, wobei Madison Nonoa dem Abend wohl die schönsten lyrischen Momente schenkt.

    • Her first act aria was efficient and served a dramatical purpose and I look forward to listening Nonoa in the future.

    • New Zealander Madison Nonoa sang the role of Amore with beautiful lyricism and sparkling high notes. A short performance that leaves you wanting more. [translated] La neozelandesa Madison Nonoa cantó el papel de Amore con un bello lirismo y brillantes notas agudas. Una breve actuación que deja con ganas de más.

    • Madison Nonoa's Amore is jovial, hovering above the stakes of human suffering, as it should be. [translated] Jolie Madison Nonoa, Amore jovial et planant au-dessus des enjeux de souffrance humaine, comme il se doit.

    • The short appearance of Madison Nonoa in the role of Amore was impeccable. [translated] La courte intervention de Madison Nonoa dans le rôle d’Amore est impeccable.

    • Madison Nonoa's appearance as Amore is brief. Her soprano shines with a fresh profile, well intoned and softly bedded. [translated] Madison Nonoa's Auftritt als Amore ist kurz. Ihr Sopran strahlt frisch mit Profil, gut intoniert und weich gebettet.

  • Orphée et Eurydice (Gluck)

    Pulsations Festival
    Jun 2023

    • In the furtive role of Love, messenger of the gods, sent to Orpheus to give him the rules for a possible return of Eurydice to the world of the living, Madison Nonoa offers a ray of light, at the heart of the drama. Her air ('Si les douce accords de ta lyre'), with a vocality and game all in subtle ruptures, is light and fun [translated] Dans le rôle furtif d’Amour, messager des dieux, envoyé auprès d’Orphée pour lui donner les règles d’un possible retour d’Eurydice dans le monde des vivants, Madison Nonoa offre un rayon de lumière, au cœur du drame. Son air (Si les doux accords de ta lyre), dans une vocalité et un jeu tout en subtiles ruptures, est une respiration légère et amusante.

    • The latter is the plaything of cruel gods, in particular Love (New Zealander Madison Nonoa, a fruity soprano), portrayed as an evil elf who manipulates Orpheus as well as Eurydice, and whose grimaces suggest the absence of happy end. [translated] Ce dernier est le jouet de dieux cruels, notamment d’Amour (la Néo-Zélandaise Madison Nonoa, au soprano fruité), campé en lutin maléfique qui manipule Orphée aussi bien qu’Eurydice, et dont les grimaces laissent entrevoir l’absence de happy end.

  • Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck)

    Salzburg Whitsun Festival
    May 2023

    • Madison Nonoa gives voice and body to Amore, also here far from Arcadian languor but rather particularly imposing, all with beautiful timbre and impeccable intonation. [translated] Madison Nonoa dà voce e corpo ad Amore, anch’egli qui lontano da languori arcadici ma anzi particolarmente impositivo, il tutto con bel timbro e intonazione impeccabile.

    • Amore was Madison Nonoa, whose soprano was more golden, but still very bright on the high notes. Both added considerably to the success of the evening.

    • As Euridice and Amore, Mélissa Petit and Madison Nonoa were two charming sidekicks in the one-woman show. [translated] Als Euridice und Amore waren Mélissa Petit und Madison Nonoa zwei charmante Sidekicks in der One-Woman-Show.

    • Madison Nonoa completes the top-notch vocal trio with her (anticipated) cameo as Amore. [translated] Madison Nonoa macht das höchstklassige Vokaltrio komplett mit ihrem (vorgezogenen) Kurzauftritt als Amore.

    • Madison Nonoa also lends warm-hearted tones to Amore, love personified." [translated] "Madison Nonoa verleiht daneben Amore, der personifizierten Liebe, warmherzige Töne.

    • ...Madison Nonoa made an excellent impression as the mischievous Cupid who raised Orfeo's hopes of a reunion with Euridice. Her radiant voice and playing were so alluring that it seemed Amore Orfeos wanted love. [translated] ...Madison Nonoa als neckische Amore, die Orfeos Hoffnung auf ein Wiedersehen mit Euridice weckte, einen hervorragenden Eindruck hinterlassen. Ihre strahlende Stimme und ihr Spiel waren so verlockend, dass es schien, als wollte Amore Orfeos Liebe.

Discography