Breaks In Career

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31596, 6 February 1968, Page 2

Breaks In Career

Gerda Pons’s career as concert soprano has survived major interruptions—including a world war, two marriages, five children and migration from Holland to New Zealand.

Miss Pons, who now lives in Hastings, is the soprano soloist with the N.Z.B.C. Symphony Orchestra for the 1968 proms season. She will sing in Christchurch this evening.

Miss Pons was born in Amsterdam, where she began her musical studies at the Con-

servatorium when she was 17. When she was 22 she joined the Netherlands State Opera and she became leading soprano for two years. Then came the war and a temporary halt to her musical activities. During the war,’ she sang at concerts in

houses for about 25 to 30 people. The windows were darkened and closed to keep these concerts secret

“I could only sing Heder, not opera, but it was one way of keeping up my study,” she said.

After the war, she met and married her first husband, a politician, and she lived with him in the south of Holland. During the first 10 years of her marriage, she did not undertake any professional but she did constant practice. When the eldest of her five children was 10, she returned to her serious study of singing and for the next eight years she toured Europe as a concert soprano. She also had extensive broadcasting experience and success as a singing teacher. Then her husband died in a car accident in Rotterdam. About a year later her former fiance, who had emigrated to New Zealand 16 years before, returned to Holland for a visit and asked her to marry him. She accepted his proposal and travelled to Hastings with her five children two years ago. She has three girls and two boys and their ages range from 13 to 19. “It was not my intention to keep up my singing in New Zealand. I agreed to sing for the radio station In Napier, and afterwards I was asked to travel on a recital tour with the Chamber Music Federation.” Miss Pons now lives in a beautiful house with an acre and three-quarters of garden, which is tended by two gardeners. She also has household help so she manages to keep up her practice. Practise for her present season was very difficult because all her children were at home for the holidays. “I did what I could but It was not enough for my own feeling,” she said. Her three daughters had

nice voices, but they were not sufficiently Interested in singing to make it their career. “There is so much else they can do in New Zealand,” she said. Miss Pons said New Zealand wae certainly not as musically minded as Europe as far as opportunities were concerned.

“But I am very satisfied with music in this country. New Zealanders make an effort to have good music. Many famous artists come here and I know that must be expensive." Now that she has settled in Hastings, Miss Pons has not given any thought to retiring. Until there is another major interruption in her life she will sing when she is asked to do so.