TALENT
Teddy Tahu Rhodes – giving his time while treasuring his talent
A serendipitous opening at the Sydney Opera House created a ‘Cinderella’ moment for Old Boy Teddy Tahu Rhodes. Now, it is time for another act in the singers noteworthy career, guiding the next generation to discover their voice. As his beautiful baritone has evolved, so has the operatic star. Returning to College to share his skills with the next generation of College performers, Teddy now explores the nuances of others’ performances as he strives to inspire as a mentor. In 2024, he has been appointed to the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music to play a leading role in its Classical Voice department as a teacher and mentor. “In the formative years of my own study I had amazing mentors and tutors, people I still remember vividly because of their influence on the career path I eventually took,” he says. “I feel privileged to now be in the position to support other students and feel a great
sense of responsibility to inspire and mentor a new generation of young singers.” While visiting College to nurture young performers, Teddy also reminds the boys to consider and value their many school options and opportunities. “It was not until I left College that I realised, as much as I got out of it, I probably could have got even more because there was so much on offer,” he points out. “That’s the weird thing – you walk into your old school and it doesn’t seem that long ago. You can remember everything. It’s the cliché you get from an Old Boy. When you are at school, you have no idea how fast time goes. I always have a sense of nostalgia when I pass the College gates or see a young College boy in a striped blazer. “It’s an incredibly important part of your formative years, your younger life. Your teenage years are spent developing friendships. My best friends are still from College days. If you even bump
into boys who were in your year, or were around you, you still have immediate connections. College undoubtedly set me up well. However, I could have taken more advantage of the opportunities during my time at school. It is very easy to take it for granted while you are here.” While his professional career was launched in 1998 with a role in Opera Australia’s La Cenerentola (Cinderella) by Rossini, Teddy was a late starter in the College choir. “When I came to College in 1980, I wasn’t immediately in the choir,” Teddy recalls. “The Music Master, Bob Field-Dodgson, asked if I would join after he heard me singing. And thank goodness he asked. From there, I got into the New Zealand Youth Choir in my last year at College. Singing became part of my life and I loved it. “On the last day of my schooling, Bob was standing on the grass and he said to my Mum ‘I reckon one day Teddy could make a career out of singing’.”
COLLEGE 2024
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