Filipe Manu’s Meteoric Rise in the World of Opera
Gracing the wall in Dilworth’s school hall is a banner featuring opera singer Filipe Manu, Dilworth Old Boy, Class of 2010.
Recently, we were incredibly fortunate to meet with ‘the man himself’, who took the time to return to his old school to share his remarkable story. He was back home in NZ to work with the NZ Symphony Orchestra. He dropped into Dilworth after dashing between an interview with TVNZ and a workshop with NZ Opera.
Filipe is one of the rising stars on the global operatic stage, gifted with an incredible voice, he lives a life filled with international contracts, huge performances and challenging roles. He was set to leave New Zealand later that evening, heading back to London before travelling to Barcelona, then Monte Carlo, and Vienna.
It all sounds so glamorous, but Filipe says the reality is you also have to sign up for a pretty intense nomadic lifestyle.
“I recently gave up my West London apartment. I am a typical freelance opera singer in that my apartment in West London became a glorified storage unit because I just wasn’t there, and I was paying West London rent!
His career, spanning three years as a full-time freelancer, has been built on a foundation laid in New Zealand. He began singing at Dilworth and then went on to study music at the University of Waikato, where he was also awarded a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship. He was then accepted into the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London for his Master's degree. Says Filipe, “It was an enormous jump from small Waikato, going on a plane to a city where you are coming up against people from places all over the world, Brazil, Europe, America”.
This demanding, highly competitive environment was new to Filipe, who describes himself as a “Tongan-Kiwi boy” at heart. He credits his relaxed Kiwi temperament with helping him endure the intense pressure, but laughingly says it has also got him into trouble!
“I take things very seriously, but I don’t let things get me rattled. It got to the point where they (the directors at Guildhall) thought that myself and the other Kiwi singers weren’t taking it seriously enough, and they tried to instil the fear of failure into us. In a way, it has helped my career as it can be very stressful dealing with all the moving parts of a rehearsal room”.
After Guildhall, accomplishing another incredible feat, he secured a coveted two-year spot on the Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden — making history as the first person of Tongan heritage ever to do so. Stepping onto that historic stage for his audition, where he was judged by the likes of the legendary conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, was a profound moment, commented Filipe. However, his level-headedness got him through the pressure.
“For my interview, there’s the panel, and on it is Sir Antonio Pappano, one of the best conductors in the world, and the head of casting and amazing panellists. But the issue is they aren’t sitting in a row, they are sitting all over the theatre, so there was no ‘safe’ place to look”. So Filipe said, “I thought I’ll just look up at the Gods!” (the cheapest area of seating, situated at the back of the theatre, up high).
It worked, he secured a place, and he recalls the aria that he sang as “The first aria I ever sang with my then vocal coach, Rosemary Barnes, so it was a special moment”.
Filipe says he finds security in doing exhaustive preparation—learning languages is part of it: “I think, well, I have done the work, I am prepared, I’ve learned Italian, French whatever language is needed, learned the musical style worked with coaches across every aspect of the performance and when you work in that much depth, you are eager you can’t wait to sing”.
His journey continued to Bern, Switzerland, where he became the principal tenor for the city's opera house. This demanding role led to a crash course in German, which helped him secure prestigious freelance contracts at venues such as Hamburg and Paris. These days, he is highly sought after, landing debut roles at major houses typically reserved for singers with much greater experience. However, despite his incredible success, it is clear that Filipe remains the down-to-earth Kiwi that he describes himself to be.
He attributes the development of his love of singing to his time at Dilworth, where he says he found ‘his voice’ in Year 10.
“No one in my family sang, not even in church”.
He mentioned that it was also a time when Dilworth began to establish the choir and sing under the then Music Manager, Claire Caldwell. In another amusing story, Filipe recalls how it truly wasn’t seen as cool to sing, especially to sing high like a tenor. But the culture shifted and singing became popular: “Then the 1st XV boys joined the choir, and there were more boys in the choir stalls than the congregation.”
Filipe said, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't go to Dilworth. It (Dilworth) gave me the opportunities I needed for my love of singing to develop, and it taught me the importance of working hard."
When asked what advice he would give to students interested in following his footsteps, he emphasises the importance of building mental resilience. He recalls when Old Boys returned to Dilworth during his time there and told us to “Make the most of our opportunities.” He mentions that we often let it wash over us, half asleep, but something stuck.
He explains that taking opportunities and building mental fortitude are key for him. He has now come to understand what both truly mean. “After finishing at Guildhall, I had just begun my time as a Young Artist at the Royal Opera House when the pandemic hit. The night we went into lockdown, I was in my dressing room preparing for a show that was cancelled indefinitely. But what holds me in good stead now is that same fortitude and resilience — I know I won’t fail, I know times will get better, and I keep working hard.”
Filipe says it is the same for any elite performer; it is the mental side of things”.
His next stops include a workshop with the New Zealand Opera before flying to Barcelona for his house debut at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, performing Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love).
While he has reached incredible heights in his career and is undeniably cool himself, he says he is driven by a deep sense of gratitude and a desire to use his own success to create opportunities for others.
“I never sing on a stage like Covent Garden and take it for granted. The place seats well over 2,000 people and the greats like Luciano Pavarotti and Kiri Te Kanawa have sung there”.
Asked where home is these days. In his typical down-to-earth way, he ends our interview by saying:
“Home is where the fridge is, Mum’s fridge is always stocked with the good stuff when I come back, and at home I can be at ease”.
Thank you for such a wonderful interview, Filipe. Your story will inspire the many talented singers at Dilworth – you’ve made it possible, and you are one of a few incredible Dilworth Old Boys leading the way on the global music scene.