Naija Classical Musician of The Day: JOSEPH OPARAMANUIKE (Mr Tenor)

  

Joseph Oparamanuike is an outstanding Nigerian classical musician who is based outside the country he is an extensively brilliant musician and is Naija classic's musician of the day. Below is a brief profile of Joseph Oparamanuike as given by his website.

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Jo Oparamanuike, a Nigerian Chemical Engineer turned Opera Singer, studies Master of Music Opera (MMus Opera) at the Alexander Gibson Opera School (AGOS), Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), under the tutelage of Scott Johnson. He has previously completed a Post Graduate Diploma (PGDip) in Singing with the help of RCS Trust Fund Scholarship. Having had impressive academic and singing performances during his PGDip studies he was allowed to audition for the MMus Opera course and was awarded another scholarship for MMus Opera. He holds Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) in Singing and Diploma of Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music (DipABRSM) in Vocal Teaching. He also holds Bachelors Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria.

 Joseph performed at three events of the 2014 Commonwealth Week as part of the 2014 Commonwealth Game in the presence of Her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. He will be making his debut at 2014 Wexford Opera Festival and 2015 Bayreuth Festival. He is currently working on the role of Prunier in Puccini’s La Rondine for RCS Production in May, 2014. He sang the concert version of Edgardo in Donizetti’s Lucia Di Lammermoor with the Scottish Opera Company Orchestra in February, 2014. He sang the following roles; Tito in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito (RCS Production, January 2014), Iro in Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria (RCS Production, November 2013) and Monostatos in Mozart’s Die Zauberfloter (RCS Production,July 2012). He has sung many opera scenes at RCS, which are Tonio in Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment, Don Ramiro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore (2 scenes), Alfred in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Hoffman in Offenbach’s Les Contes D’Hoffmann, Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale and Pong in Puccini’s Turandot. He also sang as Monk in Prokofiev’s Betrothal in a Monastery in the RCS and National Scottish Opera company production.

 He sang the Evangelist of Charles Wood’s St Mark’s Passion in a historic church in Cheshire, England, other oratorios which he sang both in United Kingdon and Nigeria are Mozart’s Mass in C, Mozart’s Requiem Mass, Bach’s Mass in B minor, Beethoven’s Choral 9th Symphony, and Handel’s Messiah.

 

Since March 2012 he has featured in several tours with the International Choir of Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (SHMF) from Germany, France, Italy to China where he performed Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, Puccini’s Turandot, Brahms’ Ein Duetsches Requiem, Orlf’s Carmina Burana, Rosinni’s Stabat Mater and some other works. From his good performances and comportment he was invited again and again to sing with the choir in all her events.

 Jo has won several competitions, awards and has many media publications back in his home country, Nigeria. In addition to his Teaching Job at MUSON School of Music in Nigeria, he was the Musical Director of St. Agnes Catholic Choir, Maryland and once the Music Director of the Lagos Catholic Archdiocesan Choir, The Music Director of The Echoes and the leader of The Klasique Tenor. He is a MUSON Artiste and a core member of the MUSON Choir.