Opera Australia is set to present a concert at the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House on August 2, 2026, marking the graduation of its inaugural Young Artist Program cohort and the introduction of its incoming class.

The outgoing class, which includes soprano Chelsea Burns, mezzo-soprano Shikara Ringdahl, tenor Elias Wilson, bass Leon Vitogiannis, répétiteur Jem Herbert, and director Claudia Osborne, concludes 18 months of intensive training with the performance. Burns, Herbert, and Osborne will subsequently relocate to Milan, London, and Berlin respectively for further professional engagements.

The incoming cohort of seven artists, drawn from Darwin, Melbourne, Gladstone, and Tamworth, includes director Edwina Strobl, répétiteur Isobel Archer, soprano Lana Kains, mezzo-soprano Sidra Nissen, tenor Christopher Whalley, bass-baritone Daniel Karmer, and baritone Jake Lyle. Both cohorts will perform together in a program spanning Monteverdi to Menotti, accompanied at the piano by Herbert and Archer.

“This is a special occasion and a real passing-of-the-torch moment, with our current Young Artists performing alongside the incoming cohort as they are welcomed into the program. It’s a chance to celebrate the artists who are about to embark on the next stage of their careers, while introducing audiences to a new generation of operatic talent beginning their journey with Opera Australia,” said Francis Greep, Head of Opera Australia’s Young Artist Program, per an official press release.

Opera Australia’s Young Artist Program is supported by Principal Patron Maureen Wheeler AO.