9 May 2023

Opera trailblazer Sid Chand

From Three to Seven, 4:00 pm on 9 May 2023
Tenor Shiddharth Chand

Shiddharth Chand Photo: Supplied

Shiddharth (Sid) Chand is New Zealand’s latest opera trailblazer.

He's the first person of Fijian-Indian ancestry to win a spot with New Zealand Opera as a Studio Artist in their Artist Development Programme.

Later this year, the 23-year-old tenor will leave Aotearoa to further his career in San Francisco.

Sid talked with Bryan Crump about how he got into singing, his role with NZ Opera, and his podcast Sidscussions - 'a space where young artists in Aotearoa can have in-depth conversations about their motivations, inspirations, and other aspects of their life that influence the art that they create'.

Music:
Lalo, Édouard: Vainement, ma bien-aimée, from Le Roy d'Ys, excerpt - Sid Chand (tenor), Terence Dennis (piano) (recorded at the 2022 Lexus Song Quest semi-finals, St Peter's Church, Wellington, by RNZ)