Opera Australia
Australia’s National Opera Company
Australia’s national opera company was born when a band of idealists — butchers, pharmacists, newsagents — gave up their day jobs to celebrate the 1956 Mozart bicentenary with a season of four operas. Today, Opera Australia (OA) is Australia’s largest performing arts company, which each year presents an extensive season showcasing the world’s great opera and music theatre repertoire under the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House and at Arts Centre Melbourne, together with a regional touring program and performance broadcasts in cinemas and on national television and radio. In the 21st century, OA has won the hearts of ever larger and more diverse audiences, giving more than 700 performances to more than half a million people every year.
The Wall Street JournalThe Sydney Opera House should be heard and not just seen.
Opera Australia
Fly on the wings of madness, melancholy, and music in 2023. Opera is never tame. From your seat, you can feel the passion of first love, blossoming in tender duet. Watch devotion descend into desperation with a soprano in full flight. Delight in drama worlds away.
Opera Australia
We’re excited to bring you a thrilling summer of opera experiences, curated by one of Australia’s great opera and festival directors: Lindy Hume. This season has a big focus on Australian voices and creative talent. We’ve found them so you can hear them, see them and celebrate them. Whether they’re dazzling divas, masterful maestros or amazing acrobats, we want you to see the best.
Guest Creative Director Lindy Hume
Lindy Hume is one of Australia's leading directors and artistic directors, acknowledged internationally for a wide variety of repertoire and for progressive artistic leadership of a number of Australian arts organisations.
Artistic Director Jo Davies
Jo Davies will commence as Opera Australia's Artistic Director in November 2023
An acclaimed director with 20 years experience across a range of arts who has created award-winning opera and theatre productions throughout the UK and internationally. Trained at The Royal National Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company and now with a visionary reputation for directing epic opera and large-scale musical theatre productions, Jo has worked in London's West End and on Broadway.
Jo has directed for a number of International Opera companies, among them Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, San Francisco Opera, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Netherlands Opera, Angers and Nantes Opera and Opera North.
She recently directed Yeoman of The Guard for ENO. She also collaborated at ENO with acclaimed fashion designer Zandra Rhodes on a production of Aida. Her production of Kiss Me Kate for Opera North won 'best musical' in City Life awards. Her production of Silly Kings for National Theatre Wales won the theatre critics of Wales award for 'best production for children and young people' and her Marriage of Figaro for Opera North was nominated for outstanding achievement in British Opera.
Jo regularly directs and teaches at The Royal Academy of Music, The Royal College of Music, Royal Northern College of Music, Arts Educational School, The National Youth Music Theatre, Central School of Speech and Drama, on the Royal Opera House’s Jette Parker Young Artist Program and for The National Opera Studio.
