by Pete Petterson (
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I'm a writer blogger who has been resident in the Hutt Valley since the late 1960's. I'm a father, grandfather and great-grandfather. I have seen many people come and go over the years, seen many things good and bad. Time to remember whanau
From a real modest start to their careers back in the mid-1990s to a platinum record status and a real international touring act of today. The Ten Tenors have been anything but a standard act during the last couple of decades.
They were formed by a group of college friends who were initially constrained by the seriousness of their rather elite music school training background but soon found greater pleasure and satisfaction in the entertainment, art and world of opera. They honed their skills in tours of the vast Australian outback,and the myriad of small towns whose audiences were tough as old boots, but were quite capable and knowledgeable to appreciate quality music when it was in front of them.
The Ten Tenors received their big break in 200, when receiving an invitation to perform on a German television event connected to the Eurovision Song Contest. Within a matter of hours, their tour was sold out and they were on track to becoming one of the most successful touring acts in Germany. Further European and Asian countries soon followed, and in 2003 they made their debut in the US.
These days The Ten Tenors circle the globe touring ten months a year performing around 250 shows annually in five continents around the world.
In 2006, The Ten Tenors embarked on their most ambitious album project to date,"Here's to Heroes", recorded in Australia, the US and even in London's Abbey Road studios - the album is now available in 27 countries worldwide.
This was followed up in 2008 with "Nostalgico" an album of requests from their many fans and released to commemorate their first ten years as what was described as a professional ensemble.
As is often said, they were well on their way to success. They have taken their passion for high-quality music at London's Royal Albert Hall, Sydney's appropriately named Opera House and Los Angeles The Shrine Auditorium. The Ten Tenors are, indeed, aree a real classy act.
