What You Need To Know About Nigerian Opera Singer Joseph Oparamanuike
Joseph Oparamanuike Music Life.
Joseph Oparamanuike is popularly known as “Mr. Tenor” is an outstanding Nigerian classical musician and Opera singer. Joseph was born into the family of Mr. Oparamanuike in the small town of Ulakwo in Owerri North, Imo State, Nigeria. Both of his parents were also music lovers. Like few others, Joseph Oparamanuike was born into a family that loves music and gives him all the needed support. His mother was a casual alto singer while his father is also a casual Spinto Tenor.
To the surprise of many people, Joseph actually abandoned his engineering journey for music and singing in particular. He was so dedicated to the course that he later became the epitome of opera singing and classical music in Nigeria. Undoubtedly, Joseph Oparamanuike is well known for his brilliance in Opera singing and performance. He has practically performed at almost every notable classical event in Nigeria and some prominent opera events around the world.
Joseph Oparamanuike Journey Into Music
Joseph Oparamanuike was actually groomed by the music-loving parents. However, his true journey into music started at the St. Peter Claver Seminary School, Okpala, Imo State, Nigeria where he has his secondary education. Joseph was a member of the choir throughout his years at the school. He sang majorly in the school as alto and occasionally as a treble.
Later in 1995, after his education at Seminary School, he joined the church youth choir at St. Joseph Catholic Ulakwo in Imo State. He started singing tenor in the youth choir and later became the choirmaster of the choir that same year.
Thereafter, he was invited and joined the parish choir of the same St. Joseph Catholic Ulakwo parish in 1996. In the course of time and less than a year, he was made the choirmaster of the parish choir.
Joseph Oparamanuike musicianship at the university
Furthermore, he joined the St. Thomas Aquinas Chaplaincy Choir (now Golden Voices) of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria during his second semester as a student. Consequently, Joseph Oparamanuike was given the privilege to lead the tenor part of the choir.
However, during the school holiday periods, Joseph used to change back and forth between the chaplaincy choir and his parish choir. The vibrant tenor singer always works on his voice along the side of his engineering study. Eventually, he became the assistant choirmaster of the chaplaincy choir and subsequently the choirmaster.
Indeed, Joseph Oparamanuike has a finger in substantial events and concerts with the chaplaincy choir and also played key roles until he graduated from the school. In fact, he held the first-ever concert at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO). Besides, he joined the Cororosa Choral as a member and also one of the conductors in the course of his final year.
Education And Training
Absolutely, Joseph Oparamanuike’s education is a very interesting one because he traversed from a degree in engineering to a higher degree in music. The vocal house attended St. Peter Claver Seminary School, Okpala, Imo State, Nigeria after his primary school education.
He finished his secondary school education in 1995 and in 1997 he was admitted to the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria (FUTO). Joseph Oparamanuike studied Chemical Engineering at the FUTO and graduated with 2nd class honours in the year 2001.
Graded music exams
Of course, he passed the exam with Distinction as a Chemical Engineering graduate. Joseph did not stop there; he continues to seek more knowledge in music. And in 2007, he gave up his engineering training to fully study music.
Again in 2008, he sat for The Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) Grade 8 examination. Also, He passed his ABRSM in Music Performance (Singing) Examination with Distinction. In fact, Joseph Oparamanuike had the best result in the 2008 examination across West Africa.
ALSO READ: What You Need To Know About The Music And Life of Tunde Jegede
Moreover, Joseph Oparamanuike further his music education and development. In 2009, he wrote the ABRSM Music Performance Diploma in the singing examination.
As expected, Joseph made the best result across West Africa in the examination. Later in 2010, he sat for Licentiate Diploma of the Royal Schools of Music London (LRSM) in Singing Music Performance.
Also, he sat for a Diploma in Vocal Teaching from ABRSM London. In fact, Joseph was the only successful candidate across West Africa for the 2010 ABRSM Diploma examinations.
Scholarship with The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Joseph Oparamanuike kept moving forward in his career and ended up with a scholarship from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) Trust Fund in Scotland. He won the scholarship on merit after his audition (with video) to study Master in Music Performance.
In 2011, he started his study in Scotland with Post Graduate Diploma (PGDip) Performance in Singing with Scott Johnson at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
And with his remarkable academic and singing performances at the time of his PGDip studies, he was granted an audition for Master of Music. The success at the audition in 2012 won him another scholarship to study Master of Music Opera (MMus Opera).
Joseph also studied under the tutelage of Scott Johnson for his Master’s degree in music and graduated in 2014. He ended up with a Master of Music Opera (MMus Opera) from the Alexander Gibson Opera School, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. All Joseph Oparamanuike music education in Scotland was fully sponsored by RCS Trust Fund Scholarship.
Joseph Oparamanuike In Music And Career
The voice maestro who is popularly known as Mr. Tenor in the classical music circle has built a notable career in music and opera singing in particular. He has appeared and performed brilliantly in several opera productions, concerts, and events home and abroad.
From February 2007 to September 2011 he was a voice teacher at Musical Society of Nigeria before he left for his studies in Scotland. Also in 2012, he was the Coordinator for a year at African Music Academy, Scotland where he oversees other tutors and also a vocal coach. Joseph Oparamanuike was the first tenor at Schleswig-Holstein Musik.
In 2015, Joseph Oparamanuike was on tour with Internazionale Chorakademie Lübeck to Asia and North America for music performance. In addition, he has conducted major work performances by several choirs and groups like Lagos Archdiocesan Choir and MUSON Opera productions.
Also, Owerri Archdiocesan Choir, St. Agnes Choir, Maryland, Lagos, and CoroRosa Choral to mention a few. Mr. Tenor is a Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) artiste and a core member of the MUSON Choir. Joseph Oparamanuike fully joined the Music Society of Nigeria School of Music in 2018 and he is currently the Opera Director at the institution.
The founding of opera company
In the quest for the development of classical and opera music in Nigeria, he founded a small opera company called Comic Opera House (COH) in 2015. The Comic Opera House is the first Nigeria Opera company and was launched in Lagos on Saturday 3rd of September 2016.
There was another edition of the launch at Abuja, Nigeria in December of 2016 as well. Interestingly, Joseph Oparamanuike actually put in work to further develop young opera singers in Nigeria since then. In fact, he has used his stance to create significant opera awareness in Nigeria with his Comic Opera House.
ALSO READ: The Life And Music Of CARisMA Guitar Duo In Brief
Furthermore, Joseph Oparamanuike and the Comic Opera House have been actively engaging in opera performance since its establishment. Joseph pleasantly directed and conducted ‘Patience’ by Arthur Sullivan for the 2016 graduation ceremony of the MUSON Diploma School.
Similarly, he had a very wonderful production of L’Elisir D’Amore for MUSON. In fact, the Comic Opera House is the first in West Africa to perform L’elisir d’Amore and Patience. In 2016, Joseph with The Comic Opera House presented and directed an African Setting of Don Pasquale, a comic opera by G. Donizetti. Also, this makes his opera company the first to perform Don Pasquale in West Africa.
He was the main man behind the Opera production of electrifying Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) performed at Agip Hall, MUSON Centre in 2019. Joseph took the role of Almaviva in the production.
Serving in the position of music leadership
Besides, Joseph Oparamanuike has served in a position of leadership at different churches as a music director. Specifically, Joseph is the Musical Director of St. Agnes Catholic Choir, Maryland, Lagos. In addition, he was formerly the Musical Director of St. Agnes Catholic Choir, Maryland, Lagos as well.
Also, he was once the Music Director of the Lagos Catholic Archdiocesan Choir. Joseph Oparamanuike is the music director of The Echoes and the leader of The Klasique Tenor. Besides, he is also a musical director of Emmanuel Chorale, a choral group established with a view to promote and sustain world-class choral performance.
Performances By Joseph Oparamanuike
Joseph Oparamanuike made his first public appearance as a Tenor soloist on a big stage in the year 1997. And ever since then he has been appearing on different stages around the world.
The brilliant tenor has sung in several opera productions, concerts and has been part of different performance tours. In particular, He was the major artiste of the memorial Concert of Luciano Pavarotti hosted by the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria in 2008.
Thereafter, he has performed for different embassies in Nigeria alongside some international artists. Also, he has appeared at several federal and national events.
The voice maestro featured in several tours with the International Choir of Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (SHMF) from Germany, France, and Italy to China. With the International Choir of Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, he performed Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, alongside Puccini’s Turandot.
He also performed Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, and some other works. As a result of his good performances and comportment, Joseph was invited several times again to sing with the choir at various events.
Again, Joseph Oparamanuike has performed at three events of the 2014 Commonwealth Week as part of the 2014 Commonwealth Game. The performance was in the presence of her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. He was later invited to sing again at the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association Conference of 2014.
ALSO READ: The Musical Life And Journey Of Mari Silje Samuelsen
In 2015, he made two performance tours to Asia and North America with Chorakademie Lubeck. Again in January 2018, Joseph Oparamanuike made another tour with Chorakademie Lubeck and Bamberg Choir to Hong Kong. The tour was actually for the production of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Company.
Joseph Oparamanuike has sung many opera scenes at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In July 2012 he sang as Monostatos in Mozart’s Die Zauberfloter for Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) Production.
Also, in November 2013, he sang the role of Iro in Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria for RCS Production. And again in January 2014 for Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Production, he took and sang the role of Tito in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito.
As a student in February 2014 and with the Scottish Opera Orchestra, Joseph Oparamanuike sang the concert version of Edgardo in Donizetti’s Lucia Di Lammermoor. Also in May of 2014, he took the role of Prunier in Puccini’s La Rondine for Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Production.
Furthermore, Joseph Oparamanuike performed the role of Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore (2 scenes) for MUSON in April 2016. Also, he took the role of Ernesto in Donizetti’s ‘DON PASQUALE’ with Comic Opera House in September 2016.
This was at the MUSON Centre Lagos during the launching of his Comic Opera House. Also, he took on the role of ‘Tamino’ in Mozart’s Die Zauberfloter at Opera Abuja when he launched his Opera House in Abuja in December 2016.
ALSO READ: Omo Bello Musical Journey And Life In Brief
Other roles that he has played across Europe and Africa include Don Ramiro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola. He has also played the role of Tonio in Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment for MUSON. Besides, Joseph Oparamanuike has played the role of Hoffman in Offenbach’s Les Contes D’Hoffmann, Alfred in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, and Pong in Puccini’s Turandot.
He also sang as Monk in Prokofiev’s Betrothal in a Monastery in the RCS and National Scottish Opera company production. He sang the Evangelist of Charles Wood’s St Mark’s Passion in a historic church in Cheshire, England, other oratorios which he sang both in the United Kingdom and Nigeria are Mozart’s Mass in C, Mozart’s Requiem Mass, Bach’s Mass in B minor, Beethoven’s Choral 9th Symphony, and Handel’s Messiah.
Moreover, He also performed brilliantly at the 2nd Edition of the Steinway Piano Concert Series that took place on Saturday, 20th of May 2017. And in 2019, he featured in Celebrating The World Opera Day with Opera Scenes held at Agip Recital Hall in MUSON center Lagos.
Specifically, the concert was staged by MUSON Opera headed by Joseph and Danjuma Opera. The Opera scene features works from Cosi Fan Tutte by W.A. Mozart, La Traviata by G. Verdi, La Serva Padrona by G.B Pergolesi and IL Barbiere di Siviglia by G Rossini was performed.
Also, Joseph rendered an energetic performance at Comic Opera House concert tagged an Evening of French Music with Jo Oparamanuike. The concert features other artists and was held at Steinway Hall at Victoria Island Lagos in March 2019.
ALSO READ: The Brief About Sunday Anuoluwapo Ajayi Musical Life
Joseph Oparamanuike performed at The Ibadan Philharmonic Society’s Giuseppe Verdi Messa Da Requiem concert held at Wole Soyinka Theater, University of Ibadan. Also, he was one of the musicians that performed at the 2019 Rebeca Omordia and MUSON artists concert held at MUSON’s Agip Recital hall in Lagos.
Besides, he was the grand soloist at his concert tagged “Joseph In Recital” held at Steinway Piano Hall in Victoria Island Lagos in February 2020.
Joseph performed La Danza by G. Rossini, Bella Nice, Che d’Amore by V. Bellini, Vanne O Rosa Fortunata by V. Bellini, Si Ritrovarla from La Cenerentola by G. Rossini. In addition, he sang Ideale by F. P. Tosti, and Non T’Amo Piu by F. P. Tosti to mention a few.
In November 2020, Joseph was one of the Nigerian artists that performed in an online concert of the Musical Society of Nigeria tagged excerpts from Famous Operas. In the same month, he performed at the official launch and grand concert of the African Choral and Gospel Championship held at Accra International Conference Center, Ghana.
Awards And Honours Received By Joseph Oparamanuike
Joseph Oparamanuike has won several competitions, awards and has many media publications back in his home country, Nigeria. In 2003, alongside his engineering career, he won the MUSON Talent Hunt Competition. This earned him both MUSON membership and artiste.
In 2015, Joseph Oparamanuike was nominated for Paris Opera Awards, an international contest for opera singers held in Paris, France. Also, in December 2016, the Abuja Metropolitan Music Society (AMEMUSO) presented him with a Merit Award for promoting Opera music in Nigeria.
He dedicated the award to his lovely wife for her support and encouragement. Again in 2019, he won the LAMCOM Music Awards for the Outstanding Choirmaster of Lagos Archdiocesan Choir.
He was one of the International Judges at the First Viola Choral Competitions. The choral competitions were the first international choral music competition platform in Nigeria.
At Phamox Music, we go all out for exactness and honesty. For this purpose, if by any means you found any possible glitch, be it factual, editorial or something that we need to update, kindly contact us.
