Ihitai ‘Avei’a – Star Navigator

Te Rauparaha Arena, today, 8pm, Sunday at 2pm, 90mins; tickets from $25 to $55.

New Zealand Opera and Orchestra Wellington present Ihitai ‘Avei’a – Star Navigator. Aboard a cramped British scientific vessel in the vastness of the Pacific, two navigators find themselves locked on a collision course. One is a Tahitian priest, guided by his ancient knowledge of star pathways; the other a naval officer desperate to prove both himself and his faith in science. Composed by Tim Finn with Célestine Hitiura Vaite and Tom McLeod, Ihitai ‘Avei’a – Star Navigator tells the story of Tupaia, the Tahitian star navigator who sailed with

James Cook on the maiden voyage of the Endeavour in 1769.

The opera explores the relationship between two master mariners, each from vastly different worlds, both far from home and unable to find their way into each other’s world.

Tickets: nzopera.com/ihitaiaveia-star-navigator-2022/