Full throttle, on and off stage

Verdi’s Macbeth, Grange Festival. Photo: Bodnar Photography

One of Dunedin’s favourite sons is returning to the city, making the most of being able to share his talents with his family and home town. Rebecca Fox talks to Jonathan Lemalu about life after Covid-19.

With a career going from zero to full throttle, opera singer Jonathan Lemalu has learned to be adaptable.

Covid-19 shut down the world’s theatres and halls, effectively cutting off Lemalu and others’ livelihoods, but as restrictions have lifted the opera world has restarted and he is now juggling performances around the world along with teaching — he is professor of voice at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

"It’s certainly up and running again, but the backlog of work which was lost will take time to recover, and for many, those opportunities may not return."

Lemalu came back to Dunedin last May, where he performed his first major concert in six months because of Covid restrictions.

Returning to London, Lemalu and his family, wife Sandra Martinovic and children Arabella and Joshua, got straight back into life.

"Both Arabella and Joshua started new schools, Sandra completed her BSc Hons in humanistic counselling and I went back to singing and teaching at the London conservatoires."

It was the start of what has been a full-on year for the London-based bass-baritone, and has included returning to English opera house Glyndebourne, the Grange Festival and Royal Albert Hall and debuts with the Philadelphia and Scottish operas performing repertoire including Beethoven, Stravinsky, Britten and Verdi.

"Lots of gratitude, perspective and appreciation to be healthy and to be able to work. As performers in live theatre it can have a huge effect on us, our health, mental wellbeing and livelihood."

He admits that in his first concert back on the big stages — a performance at Glyndebourne — he was not in the ideal frame of mind as he battled a "genuine fear" that he "literally could not afford to get sick".

"It was a strange mix between something I’ve done professionally for 20 years and something completely new. Mask protocols, social distancing, commuting to Glyndebourne, twice-weekly Covid tests, cancelled rehearsals due to Covid, backstage and communal areas socially distanced, no opening night party. Looking out into a theatre full of surgical masks looking back.

"Very grateful that as a cast and company we were hugely supportive and understanding of the new norm."

He has found the Covid break to have had an interesting effect personally.

"The voice is in really good form recently with fantastic reviews here in London. Perhaps the summer break, perhaps the teaching and coaching which allows me to practise what I preach."

Lemalu’s recent productions in the UK include Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Scottish Opera. Photo: Supplied

Having the time to reflect and reboot has been positive for him.

"It can still feel like a mouse wheel of a business, but there is more joy and appreciation of the big and little things. Having a healthy diary of work is no longer something that can be taken for granted. Definite appreciation."

The family also managed to escape to the Croatian seaside for four weeks during summer.

"After a busy year of deadlines, study and travel it was much needed and we were so lucky with the weather, family and nature — swimming every day, fresh food, fresh sea air, searing heat. Coming back to London was not easy post-holiday."

It has also been a year where his contribution to opera and music has been recognised with an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Music (RCM) and the New Zealand Order of Merit, things he believes are recognition of all the work and support from his family, teachers, coaches and agents over the years and puts a positive light on the industry.

"I’ve been able to celebrate my family and communities here in the UK, New Zealand and Croatia for their continued support, but am still waiting for our UK investiture of the ONZM — have met King Charles III many times through RCM, so would be fun to go to his house for once."

In the meantime, Lemalu is in Australia for performances of Verdi’s Requiem with Melbourne Symphony at Hamer Hall and in Sydney for Fidelio with the Sydney Opera.

"They are two of my favourite pieces and one of my favourite opera roles, Rocco in Fidelio. The season is an incredibly busy one, which I’m very thankful for — high-quality work in great theatres and halls with challenging repertoire, new roles and old friends."

The two-month Australian stint has given him the chance to come back to New Zealand in the two-week break between performances, although it meant giving up a trip home to London to see family.

"We decided I would pop over to see Mum and Dad. Sometimes the business can work for you and this opportunity to be so close to home with time was too good a chance.

"It does mean five weeks away from home and family, which sucks. Occupational hazard."

As well as seeing his parents, in Dunedin he will perform Schubert’s Schwanengesang with pianist Terence Dennis, a piece that has not been performed in Dunedin recently.

"It’s a vivid collection of 14 songs, ending with what is said to be the last Schubert wrote before his death. The writing is sublime for both voice and piano, and a chance for real drama, theatre, chamber music and story telling ... one of my favourite pieces in the German song repertoire, a piece I have sung worldwide many times."

Performing in Dunedin is always special for Lemalu, as it is where he grew up and learnt much of his trade.

Lemalu’s recent productions in the UK include Haydn’s Seasons with the Academy of Ancient Music, at London’s Barbican. Photo: Mark Allan

"Singing songs of life, love, adolescence, adulthood — my first examples of these were here in Dunedin. And it becomes more and more special as my parents still live here, my family has visited often, including for six months last year, and with travel being less common in recent times, getting home seems like more of an achievement than it used to.

"My parents are not getting younger and opportunities to see me on and/or off-stage are scarce, so the appreciation to perform for my family and community is immense."

He is also performing in Christchurch and Wellington and will attend a function in Auckland as a newly announced patron of New Zealand Opera.

"As a patron I’m looking to support New Zealand Opera with my knowledge, experience and contacts in the arts from both on- and off-stage as well as from the point of an educator working at a high level at some of the top conservatoires in the UK.

"It is an evolving position with a five-year term, so [I’m] hoping I can contribute to the growth and evolution of our national company in any way I can. I’m excited to help out."

While he is looking forward to being home — not just to see family and perform but also to enjoy the coffee and being by the sea — he admits there are challenges to having a career where travel is essential in a post-Brexit, post-Covid world.

"Travel has become more arduous, time-consuming and expensive — visas where once there was none — though restrictions in some countries are relaxing. If anything, living in the UK, having left the EU, is a major problem for the arts industry. So many more forms."

Then like elsewhere in the world, the United Kingdom is dealing with the impacts of increasing costs of living.

"It’s brutal. Heating, electricity, petrol, property prices are all affected. It’s a global problem."

But daily life continues. Lemalu and his family have just finished renovations on their family home.

"It was stressful. The kids are flourishing in their schools, creatively and musically. Sandra is studying for her master’s. For me when I’m not abroad, I teach at Guildhall, Royal College and most recently at the National Opera Studio.

"Never a dull moment."