Nineteen-year-old Tongan singer Samuel Mataele has made history after winning the prestigious Kiri Te Kanawa Song Quest in Aotearoa New Zealand, becoming one of the youngest winners in the competition’s 70-year history.
The countertenor claimed the top prize at the grand final held at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington last Saturday, earning a $50,000 award after competing against five other finalists.
Kiri Te Kanawa Song Quest 2026 Grand Final Gala, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday 11 July 2026. Image: Hagen Hopkins
The young singer competed performed with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in front of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and international head judge Frederica von Stade, a renowned American opera performer.
Mataele, a former student of Sacred Heart College and current University of Auckland Bachelor of Music student, said the competition offered more than financial support, providing valuable exposure and opportunities to grow as an artist.
“There is a prestige that comes with being part of the competition that I think expands our careers,” Mataele told PMN Tonga. He said the recognition could help open pathways beyond Aotearoa and into international opera.
The young singer’s achievement adds to a growing record of Pacific artists making their mark in classical music. Previous Song Quest winners include Tongan singers Filipe Manu, who won in 2022, and internationally recognised Pacific performers such as Jonathan Lemalu and Amitai Pati.
University of Auckland voice lecturer Dr Morag Atchison praised Mataele’s musical ability, describing him as a young singer with exceptional technique and the potential to become a world-class performer.
Kiri Te Kanawa Song Quest Finalists 2026 (L-R) Cecily Shaw, Samuel Downs, Samuel Mataele, Sarah Mileham, Jordan Fonoti-Fuimaono, Faamanu Fonoti-Fuimaono. Image: Hagen Hopkins
Mataele has already performed with groups including the Manukau and Auckland Symphony Orchestras, the Auckland Boys Choir and the Auckland Handel Consort. He is now planning to continue developing his opera career, including opportunities to perform and study overseas.
The competition’s namesake, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, congratulated Mataele and praised the standard of this year’s finalists, describing Song Quest as a platform where future stars can emerge.
Mataele’s win has been welcomed as another proud moment for Tonga and the wider Pacific arts community.
