Sarah Mileham is stepping into the spotlight as one of New Zealand’s fast-emerging opera singers.

She recently achieved a string of competition wins, taking first place at the 2025 Coombes Johnston BMW New Zealand Aria, Ōtautahi Aria, Wellington Aria and Southland Aria.

She also won the Merle Higgie Opera Prize for Potential in 2024 and the Dame Sister Mary Leo Foundation Award this year.

Mileham, originally from Tauranga, said her love of music started young. She performed in school choirs and concert bands whenever she could.

She discovered opera at university after attending a performance of The Marriage of Figaro in her first year.

“I was like, oh my gosh, this combines everything that I love to do individually into one, and I was sold.”

She said it was the combination of storytelling and singing over a full orchestra, without amplification, that drew her in.

Sarah Mileham has won multiple national vocal competitions as she continues to build her opera career

Mileham went on to complete a Bachelor of Music in Classical Performance at the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University in 2023.

In 2024, she made her debut with New Zealand Opera as Maria Bertram in Mansfield Park, stepping into the role at short notice after another singer became unwell.

She learned the part in a week and performed across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

“It was terrifying, but also really fun. It proved to me I could do it if I needed to.”

Mileham said she approached each role by building a detailed inner life for the character.

“Who are they, why are they here, what was their childhood like? You start to flesh out the person until they become a whole character.”

She said Musetta in La Bohème was particularly challenging because the character is so different from her.

She described Musetta as a “firecracker” and said the role pushed her technically and personally.

“Even when it’s uncomfortable, and you’re like, ‘Oh, can I do this?’ if you get through to the other end, you’re just like great, another tool in my toolbox.”

Mileham said she performs best with a balance of nerves and excitement.

“The only time I’ve had a really bad performance was when I wasn’t nervous at all.”

She is currently based in Waikato while continuing her training, and plans to build her career overseas, with Europe as her main goal.

She plans to pursue her opera career overseas, with Europe as her goal.

Jenny Wollerman, who taught Mileham at Victoria University, said she stood out from the start of her studies.

“She had this real clear sense of her own vocal quality and what she wants to sound like.”

Wollerman described her as “a dream student”, who only needed guidance rather than instruction from scratch.

She said Mileham’s calmness, self-assurance and ability to emotionally connect with audiences would serve her well internationally.

“Her way of communicating the emotions of a piece directly to the audience is really stunning.”

Zoe Blake is a multimedia journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post.