Signature Choir Joins Melbourne Symphony Orchestra For MANA MOANA At The Sidney Myer Music Bowl
The acclaimed New Zealand ensemble will perform alongside the MSO for a powerful celebration of Pacific music and culture on January 31, 2026.
By: A.A. Cristi Oct. 13, 2025
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will collaborate with New Zealand’s Signature Choir for Mana Moana, a landmark celebration of Pacific music and culture, on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
Conducted by Carlo Antonioli and hosted by actor and comedian Tofiga Fepulea‘i, the concert brings together orchestral excellence and the powerful harmonies of one of New Zealand’s most celebrated vocal ensembles.
Featuring more than 90 singers, the Signature Choir performs a dynamic repertoire spanning gospel, classical, and traditional Pasifika music. At the heart of their journey is Mana Moana, an orchestral-choral production exploring the ocean as a symbol of connection, heritage, and strength. Since its debut with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in 2022, the work has sold out major venues across Oceania and earned acclaim for its emotional power and cultural resonance.
“Mana Moana showcases the richness of Pasifika music,” said Fepulea‘i Helen Tupai, composer, conductor, and one of the creative forces behind the project. “The meeting of Pasifika voices and orchestral excellence opens the door to something truly magical—an experience that moves the heart and uplifts the soul.”
Audiences can expect a vibrant program of traditional and contemporary works, from the Samoan classic Manu o le Vaveao to Nepituno, composed by Queen Salote Tupou III to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 Royal Tour of Tonga. The program also includes music from the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and Tonga, culminating in an energetic medley of beloved Fijian songs.
Signature Choir began as a space for Pasifika voices to find freedom and belonging through song and has since become an award-winning ensemble that has moved audiences across Oceania and beyond. In 2024, the group received the Best Gospel Artist honor at the Pacific Music Awards.
The Mana Moana 2025 tour included sold-out performances at Auckland’s Spark Arena and a historic engagement at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Two additional performances in Wellington brought the tour to a triumphant close, reaffirming Mana Moana as a landmark moment for Pacific music and a celebration of cultural pride on the world stage.
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