Opera Australia Melbourne 2018

Opera Australia has announced its 2018 Melbourne Season.

Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini says he’s looking forward to an exciting program with some extraordinary artists and fabulous productions for Melbourne in 2018.

“We have some of the finest conductors, singers and directors, it will be an outstanding season, especially our Australian premiere of Kasper Holten’s staging of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

“Melburnians have shown they have a passion for the big, iconic German operas in the past so we’re sure they will embrace this one; it’s Wagner at his biggest and best,” says Terracini.

Stefan Vinke, hailed as the world’s greatest Siegfried, returns after his Ring Cycle triumph in 2016 to perform Walther in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg along with other Ring Cycle alumni James Johnson and Pietari Inkinen.

In addition local talent from The Ring will be back to exercise their Wagner vocals including Warwick Fyfe, Dominica Matthews, Daniel Sumegi, Graeme Macfarlane and Luke Gabbedy.

OA will also be hosting arguably the world’s finest bass, Ferruccio Furlanetto, who brings his cinterpretation of Don Quichotte to Melbourne for the first time, while American soprano Corinne Winters is making her Australian debut.

“I’m also particularly excited about the powerhouse performers in Tosca, Latonia Moore, Diego Torre and Marco Vratogna, they are going to bring the house down,” said Terracini.

Plus there are OA’s resident super-stars in the making, who are stepping up and spreading their vocal wings into more challenging leading roles such as Natalie Aroyan, Sian Pendry and Michael Honeyman who enthralled audiences with their performances in 2017.

AUTUMN 2018

Verdi: La Traviata | Conductor Carlo Montanaro | Director Elijah Moshinsky

La Traviata returns to Melbourne, this time with the Australian debut of American star soprano Corinne Winters playing the role of Violetta that she recently debuted at The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, and has played to great acclaim around the world.

Yosep Kang and Ho-Yoon Chung who will share the role of Alfredo.

Arts Centre Melbourne April 17 – May 11

Puccini: Tosca | Conductor Andrea Battistoni | Director John Bell

This production of John Bell’s 20th century retelling of Puccini’s Tosca calls for three exceptionally strong principal singers to take on the challenging roles of Tosca, Cavaradossi and Scarpia. Fresh from his performance in Otello at The Royal Opera House Covent Garden with Jonas Kaufmann, Marco Vratogna will play Scarpia, the most famous villain in opera. His femme fatale is American powerhouse soprano Latonia Moore with Diego Torre rounding out the trifecta as Cavaradossi. Young conductor Andrea Battistoni will be at the helm.

Arts Centre Melbourne April 24 – May 10

Massenet: Don Quichotte | Conductor Guillaume Tourniaire | Revival Director Hugh Halliday

Following on from the critical acclaim OA’s concert performance of Thaïs attracted in Sydney this year, comes this full staging of Massenet’s Don Quichotte. Never having staged this opera before, OA has assembled a cast from around the world including, arguably the world’s finest bass Ferruccio Furlanetto whose turn in the title role has become his signature piece. He’ll be joined by a cast of Australian performers including mezzo- soprano Sian Pendry, soprano Jane Ede, baritone Warwick Fyfe and tenors Graeme Macfarlane and John Longmuir. Brilliant French Maestro Guillaume Tourniaire, who conducted Thaïs in Sydney, will return for this much loved work.

Arts Centre Melbourne May 3-12

SPRING 2018

Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg | Conductor Pietari Inkinen | Director Kasper Holten

For the Australian premiere of this Royal Opera House Covent Garden co-production, OA brings together some of the finest singers of this repertoire in the world, many returning to Melbourne for the first time since their success in The Ring. Baritone James Johnson leads this huge and incredibly talented cast including Stefan Vinke, David Portillo, Warwick Fyfe, Dominica Matthews, Natalie Aroyan, Michael Honeyman, Daniel Sumegi, Graeme Macfarlane, Luke Gabbedy and so many, many more. Arts Centre Melbourne November 13-22

Puccini: La Bohème | Conductor Pietro Rizzo | Director Gale Edwards

This much loved production of La Bohème by Gale Edwards will star Latvian soprano Maija Kovalevska, who returns to the Melbourne stage in her beloved role of Mimi, the role she debuted at The Met to great acclaim and has played many return seasons. Popular Korean tenor Yosep Kang will reprise his role as Rodolfo and both will be joined by am Australian cast including Jane Ede, Christopher Tonkin, Shane Lowrencev and many more. Arts Centre Melbourne November 7-24

Howard: Metamorphosis | Conductor Paul Fitzsimon | Director Tama Matheson

Based on one of Franz Kafka’s best-known novels, and with music by Australian composer Brian Howard Metamorphosis is being revived by director Tama Matheson as the first in a series of performances OA plans to stage at the Coopers Malthouse.

Coopers Malthouse, Merlyn Theatre, Southbank October 25-27

Regional Tour

OA will take John Bell’s production of Madame Butterfly on its regional tour across VIC, NSW, ACT and TAS from July to September in 2018. 

Image: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Photo courtesy Opera Australia, Royal Opera House and Clive Barda; Don Quichotte - Photo courtesy Opera Australia, San Diego Opera and Ken Howard.