Lexus Song Quest Winner Tops the Charts – as Quest Begins Search for 2014 Winner
Young opera star Amitai Pati has gone from winning the prestigious 2012 Lexus Song Quest, to hitting the Number 1 spot with New Zealand’s
best-selling album of 2013, O Sol3 Mio as part of operatic trio Sol3 Mio, which features his brother Pene Pati and fellow 2012 Lexus Song Quest semi-finalist Moses Mackay.
The album, also named O Sol3 Mio, has made the headlines for beating international pop sensation Lorde’s album, Pure Heroine, to become the best-selling album in New Zealand this year.
2014 Lexus Song Quest Preliminary Judge Rodney Macann said: “It’s terrific to see Amitai achieve so much since winning
the Lexus Song Quest. As the judges identified in 2012, Amitai has quite amazing potential, and we are all delighted to
see the success of Sol3 Mio. It’s a quality album and it is great to see opera topping the charts, proving how accessible and enjoyable this music
can be to a broad audience.”
The biennial Lexus Song Quest is New Zealand’s most prestigious competition for young singers. The next Quest will take
place in July 2014, and online entries are now open at www.songquest.co.nz. Applications for the 2014 Lexus Song Quest close on 14 March 2014.
Winning the 2012 Lexus Song Quest propelled Amitai into the spotlight. For the South Aucklander, winning the 2012
competition had a big impact: “It’s unbelievable. I know a few of the guys that have won the competition and to join
them is an absolute honour. Coming from such humble beginnings to this makes me incredibly happy.”
Amitai Pati is not the first Lexus Song Quest winner to go on to achieve commercial and international success. Previous
winners of the competition include opera stars Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Dame Malvina Major, whose Foundations in turn now
support the 2014 Lexus Song Quest.
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