For Song's Sake

Join Motueka born soprano Carleen Ebbs with pianist Gabriela Glapska at the beautiful Chanel Arts Centre for an intimate and unforgettable evening of classical art song. For Song's Sake is a pure celebration of popular songs spanning over 250 years, which still hold relevance and touch us today. Works by international contemporaries Richard Strauss, Debussy and Puccini are central to this programme which salutes the importance of human expression.

Made possible with support from Creative NZ Creative Communities Funding.

Programme includes: Purcell If Music Be The Food of Love; Handel With Darkness Deep; Strauss Ich trage meine minne, Zeuignung, Morgen; Debussy selections from Ariettes oubliees; Puccini Storiella d'amore, Sole e amore; Bachelet Chere nuit; Tosti Non t'amo piu and more...

Soprano Carleen Ebbs was London based for 15 years where she trained and had an active professional operatic career before returning to Wellington in 2021. Carleen has worked with many international opera companies including Welsh National Opera, English National Opera, The Royal Opera, The National Theatre (London), Longborough Festival Opera, The London Handel Festival, Opera de Bauge (France), Birmingham Opera, Celebrate Voice Salisbury, Festival Opera NZ, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, and The Tudor Consort among others. Carleen has a great enthusiasm for Baroque and early classical repertoire and was a London Handel Singing Competition Finalist and Britten Pears Young Artist. She gained an MMus with Distinction from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama London and also trained at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice working with Dennis O’Neill, Dame Josephine Barstowe, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Richard Bonynge and Phillip Thomas among other coaches from international opera houses.

Polish-born pianist Gabriela Glapska, based in Wellington, New Zealand, holds a Master’s Degree with Distinction from Poland and a 2020 PhD in music from Victoria University of Wellington. During her studies, she won numerous awards and scholarships, including the 2018 Wellington International Student Excellence Award in the creativity category and Victoria Doctoral Scholarship. A sought after chamber musician and accompanist, Gabriela champions contemporary music, collaborating with award-winning composers as well as Wellington-based contemporary ensemble STROMA and the SMP Ensemble. In August 2022, she performed solo and chamber recitals at the ISCM World New Music Days Festival in Auckland. Co-founding the Ghost Trio, she will be touring with Chamber Music New Zealand in Partnership Series in July-August 2025. Gabriela will be a répétiteur for the NZ Opera programme “Opera in Schools”, touring New Zealand with Donizetti’s“The Elixir of Love” in early 2025. Gabriela is an Artist Teacher - Collaborative Pianist at the New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī in Wellington and she also collaborates with sopranos Barbara Paterson and Carleen Ebbs, TrioNique, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and Wellington Opera.