Pene Pati earns high praise as he is regarded as a "young Pavarotti"

One of the world's leading opera teachers has lauded a member of the hit Kiwi trio Sole Mio as "a young Pavarotti". Acclaimed voice tutor Cesar Ulloa is the Chair of the San Francisco Opera Center Merola and Adler programmes for young artists. Two of the young artists in his programme are the Samoan Pati brothers Pene and Amitai who perform with cousin Moses Mackay as Sole Mio.

Talking this week after the opening of the New Zealand Opera School at Collegiate School in Whanganui, Ulloa singled Pene Pati, 28, out for special praise. "He is about to sing his first major role of the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto for the San Francisco Opera Company" and he believes that he is a young Pavarotti. Italian-born Luciano Pavarotti was the best-selling classical singer known for his performances with the Three Tenors and Pavarotti & Friends.