Opera lovebirds Isabella Moore and Amitai Pati are used to singing each other’s praises, but going against each other in the 2012 Lexus Song Quest could soon see them singing the blues. The young couple are used to competing – just not against each other. This month, Isabella and Amitai will find out if they’ve been chosen as one of the six finalists in the prestigious New Zealand competition.
The finalists perform in August, after which a winner will be announced. Isabella, who lives in Wellington, and Auckland-based Amitai have been together for four years, and say if their romance can survive the distance, then it can stand a bit of rivalry.
“I think it’s good, healthy competition,” says Amitai, who won’t resort to any underhand tactics to stop his girlfriend from doing well. Isabella says she’ll be just as happy if Amitai is placed ahead of her. “We are competitive, but I’m happy for him if he beats me.”
The pair met in 2006 when Isabella (21) joined a choir group that Amitai (22) was in. They became friends and started dating two years later. One of the advantages to both being singers is that Amitai, a tenor, and Isabella, a soprano, will always have a partner for a duet.
Their favourite duet is from the opera La bohème and they’ve also learned All I Ask of You from The Phantom of the Opera. “It’s good to have someone to sing with because most operas have a duet,” Amitai says. They can also give each other tips on their performance. “I like to ask Amitai for warm-up tips because we have different teachers, so we can share secrets,” says Isabella.
Making their long-distance relationship work has been surprisingly easy thanks to cheap airfares and Skype. While they will continue to make beautiful music together after the Lexus Song Quest, their relationship will face another challenge when Amitai moves to Wales to study at the Wales International Academy for Voice in October.
“We’re going to miss each other,” says Isabella. “But we hope we can make it work.”
