Pauline ‘Ofa Tamale, mezzo-soprano is a native Pacific Islander from the Kingdom of Tonga in the heart of the South Pacific. She was praised by the Schmopera for “singing stirringly” in her first opera and Florida debut in the role of Mrs. Patrick De Rocher in the opera Dead Man Walking by Jake Heggie. She is currently pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance studies at the University of Nevada Las Vegas under the direction of Dr. Alfonse Anderson. Before moving to Southern Nevada she completed her Masters of Music in Vocal Performance at California State University Northridge and Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at California State University Long Beach from the voice studio of Shigemi Matsumoto. She has won several competitions including NATS Las Vegas Chapter 2021 among many in the South Bay area in Los Angeles. She makes her debut in the Nevada premiere of the Letters to Lily by Emily Clemens with the Opera Las Vegas. She has performed the role of Zita from Gianni Schicchi, and La Zia Principessa from Suor Angelica by Giacomo Puccini, as well as L’Opinion Publique from Jacques Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers with the California State University Northridge Opera Program.

She has performed and won the title “Choir of the World” competition with the Bob Cole Chamber Choir at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales, and has performed at the St. Paul Cathedral in London, St. Mary the Virgin Church at the Oxford University in England. Her training also led her to perform Faure’s Requiem with the El Camino Chorale in Carnegie Hall in 2013. She also performed as an alto soloist for Messiah in the Los Angeles area. During her 2019 summer program in Graz, Austria she was hired as the alto soloist to perform Missa Purification by Fux at the Münzgrabenkirche in Austria and performed with the orchestra at the Schloßbergbühne Kasematten, Austria. She also worked and sang for the LA Opera with Placido Domingo in their 2020-21 season opera.

Pauline is passionate about teaching! She teaches voice at UNLV for non-music majors as part of her Graduate Assistant, and is well-versed in working with students of all ages. She has had piano training for more than five years, and has taught piano for several years. She has experience teaching all styles of music ranging from pop, rock, jazz, classical and evrything inbetween. She is excited to take on students of all ages and abilities and help them flourish!