Perfect Duet Pene And Amina's True Love ​​​​​​​

As the tenor and soprano prepare to grace nz opera’s stage for the first time, they reveal the story behind their fairytale romance.

- Donna Fleming

Their opera careers are taking off and they’re booked to sing with companies all over the world. But for Pene Pati and his wife Amina Edris, one of the highlights of this year will be performing an opera together in New Zealand and playing each other’s love interest. 

“This is a first for us where we’re both playing main characters who fall for each other and it’s going to be interesting,” laughs Pene, who is one-third of popular opera trio Sol3 Mio.

He’s starring as lovestruck Nemorino in New Zealand Opera’s production of The Elixir of Love, while Amina, his wife of two years, plays Adina, the object of his affections.

“It’s really funny and there’s a lot of banter,” says Pene. “A bit like us in real life.” 

The good-natured chatter that has contributed to the success Pene and the rest of Sol3 Mio – his brother Amitai Pati and cousin Moses MacKay – have had over the last seven years is also evident between the husband and wife. “It will be nice to use our natural chemistry,” says Amina (28). “We do banter a lot, that’s what we are like, although the characters are quite different to us in real life. Adina is meaner than I am.”

“Oh, is she?” chips in Pene (30).

“Yes, she is,” says Amina, giving her cheeky husband that wifely, “behave yourself” look. “They like to push each other’s buttons, which will be a fun thing to do on stage.”

“It will,” agrees Pene. “Of course, we do do that in real life. Actually, it’s usually me who starts it. I push buttons and she pushes back. I’m just naturally annoying.”