Pat Scally Richardson, 18 September 2026
Toby Coatham Sings at Opera Otago’s 70th Anniversary Celebration
On Saturday, September 12, Opera Otago celebrated its 70th anniversary with a dinner at the Edgar Centre’s Naylor Love Lounge.
Opera Otago, formerly the Dunedin Opera Company, is the longest-running opera company in New Zealand, enriching the cultural life of Otago since 1956 and launching hundreds of singers into the world of opera.
Throughout the dinner, scenes from popular operas such as Carmen were performed by a small, invited chorus of secondary school singers, along with solo graduates of the University of Otago’s Voice Department. These included Scott Bezett, a former Head Boy of OBHS and now a talented opera singer who started his Voice journey with us.
As a current Voice student at OBHS, and known for his commitment, Toby was offered a place in the hand-picked chorus, which supported the soloists and showcased some of the talented young singers from Dunedin secondary schools.
We are so proud of Toby for having the courage and commitment to step up at this high level of performance. There were hours and hours of rehearsals on weekends and in the evenings, and he fitted it all in with his busy life, including being a valued guide at the OBHS Open Night!
Congratulations, Toby! All the OBHS values were right up there in your rehearsals, performance and commitment to this historic local event. We are proud of you.