(Photo credit: Keith Saunders) While Tchaikovsky may be one of the most popular composers of the symphonic repertoire and certainly one of the great ballet composers, his operas have, arguably, not reached similar stature or popularity in the West. Commentator David Garrett canvasses some of the difficulties of conveying Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” to non-Russian audiences in an essay on his {…}
Amy Lane has been appointed Director of Opera at Opera Australia. She will begin her tenure in September. Lane was chosen following a rigorous national and international search and comes from the Copenhagen Opera Festival where she was Artistic Director. She was also worked as Head Staff Director at The Royal Ballet and Opera, Covent Garden. As a director Lane {…}
Opera Australia is set to present Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” opening at the Sydney Opera House on March 17, 2026. The opera will be presented in a production by Kasper Holten and will be revived by rising star director Heather Fairbairn. Australian soprano Lauren Fagan will sing the role of Tatyana alongside Ukrainian baritone Andrei Bondarenko in the title role. They {…}
(© Carlita Sari) Elijah Moshinsky’s production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s (not to be mixed up with the British pop star!) “Hänsel & Gretel” premiered at the Sydney Opera House in 1992 to great acclaim and its first revival took place a few days ago. Considering that this delightful work features as No. 9 on Bachtrack’s worldwide review of most performed operas {…}
Opera Australia has announced the cast for its 70th Anniversary Gala on May 17. The evening, which will take place t the Regent Theatre, will celebrate its extraordinary contribution to Australia’s cultural landscape over the past seven decades. The evening will include Emma Matthews, Stacey Alleaume, Olivia Cranwell, Jane Ede, Sian Sharp, Diego Torre, Filipe Manu, Iain Henderson, Andrii Kymach, Luke {…}
(Photo credit: Keith Saunders) Puccini famously left the score of “Turandot” incomplete at his death in 1924, and its last minutes have been completed by other composers such as Franco Alfano (1926) and most recently Luciano Berio (2002). Arturo Toscanini conducting the premiere a century ago simply put down his baton at the point where Puccini had stopped composing and {…}
(Photo credit: Keith Saunders) “Harrowing” might be the best word for this powerful production of “Madama Butterfly,” the first opera in Opera Australia’s (OA) 2026 Sydney summer season and, in fact, the first opera in Opera Australia’s 70th anniversary season. Admittedly, Puccini’s subject matter is disturbing, albeit clothed in seductively gorgeous music. Finally realizing that the fable-like love she ‘shared’ {…}
Opera Australia is set to present Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel.” The opera, which opens on Jan. 27 and runs through Feb. 28, 2026, will be performed for the first time in two decades. Elijah Moshinsky’s legendary production will be revived by Claudia Osborne, who will direct. Meanwhile, Tahu Matheson will conduct. The cast will include mezzo-soprano Margaret Plummer as Hansel, {…}
Gluck’s “Orpheus & Eurydice” is set to be presented in Melbourne from Dec. 2-5, 2025 at the Regent Theatre. The production by Yaron Lifschitz will be presented in collaboration with Opera Australia and Edinburgh International Festival and will star Australian soprano Samantha Clarke, who performs both Amore and Eurydice and British countertenor Iestyn Davies as Orfeo. They will perform alongside {…}
Opera Australia is set to present Bizet’s “Carmen” with Danielle de Niese in the title role. The soprano will make a return to her home city in a new production of “Carmen” from Nov. 15 to 25 at the Regent Theatre. De Niese will star in Anne-Louise Sarks’ new production, which will feature collaborations with Tony Award-winning Marg Horwell, who {…}
Opera Australia has announced that its upcoming Melbourne opera season will be held at the Regent Theatre. The company said that the operas will run in “stagione” for this season, meaning the same production will be performed for multiple consecutive performance dates before the next production begins. This approach will be different from how it usually presents operas in “repertory’ programming,” {…}
