WAIATA MĀORI: Becoming an Indigenous voice on the classical stage

The Waiata Project is a heartfelt offering from soprano, teacher, and researcher Zara Ballara, blending classical artistry with cultural reclamation. Audiences are invited into an intimate sound world where traditional waiata Māori are reimagined for voice and piano by local Ōtautahi composers. Each waiata retains its original te reo Māori text and melody, supported by newly composed accompaniments that draw out the poetry, emotion, and wairua (spirit) of the songs.

This recital is the culmination of Zara’s Doctor of Musical Arts research at the University of Canterbury, exploring identity, indigeneity, and the role of music in cultural reconnection. With a performance career spanning Europe and Aotearoa, Zara now turns inward—using song as a vessel for healing and reclaiming her place in Te Ao Māori.

Audiences can expect a powerful and moving experience where art song becomes heart song. Through story, sound, and reflection, The Waiata Project creates a space for whanaungatanga, where classical form meets ancestral voice. It is both a personal journey and a shared invitation: to listen deeply, to feel collectively, and to honour the breath of the tūpuna that lives on through music.

Born in Ōtautahi, Zara Ballara returned to Aotearoa in 2012 after 16 years performing and teaching in London. A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, she performed widely across the UK and Europe, including recitals at Wigmore Hall and the Royal Opera House, and masterclasses with Roger Vignoles, Graham Johnson, and Brigitte Fassbaender. Zara was awarded the prestigious Maggie Teyte Prize in 2000. Since returning home, she has led the Classical Voice Programme at the University of Canterbury and is completing her Doctor of Musical Arts. Her research explores identity, indigeneity, and reconnection through song. Recent highlights include performing Matariki by Ariana Tikao with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and premiering Te Reo ki Ōtākaro by Reuben de Lautour and Mahina Ina Kingi-Kaui. Zara is deeply grateful for the whānau, mentors, and collaborators who have supported her journey to becoming an Indigenous voice on the classical stage.