Victorian Opera: 5 Fridays in November

Friday 15 November: She, Who Should Have Been A Queen

Who is speaking up for the heroines of the great operatic canon? Antoinette Halloran (soprano) is reimagining these iconic characters with a contemporary feminist perspective, often with humorous or profoundly moving results.

Antoinette will explore their journeys through a series of poems she penned during the pandemic lockdowns. The poems are set to the contemporary compositions of Linda Kouvaras. Buy now

Friday 22 November: Fellow Travelers

This performance will showcase selected scenes from Gregory Spear’s opera Fellow Travelers, based on the 2007 novel by Thomas Mallon (and adapted into a mini series in 2023).

Fellow Travelers delves into a secret, gay love affair between Hawkins Fuller and Tim Laughlin in Washington DC during the Lavender Scare in 1950s. Then, Senator Joseph McCarthy’s relentless pursuit of suspected communists and gays within the US Government led to mass dismissals, horrendous persecution and tragedy.

This concert will showcase duet scenes between the two lovers, accompanied by Coady Green and Kevin Tamanini on the piano. It stars Boyd Owen (tenor) as Tim Laughlin and Adrian Tamburini (bass-baritone) as Hawkins Fuller. Buy now

Friday 29 November: The Diary of One Who Disappeared

Leoš Janáček’s quasi-operatic song-cycle takes place from midnight to midnight. It tells the captivating story of a village boy smitten with a girl. A glorious and grotesque, dream-like melodrama, this rarely-performed work for two soloists, piano and small chorus is a must see.

Victorian Opera’s performance stars Katherine McIndoe (soprano), Brenton Spiteri (tenor) and Alex Raineri (piano), with the Victorian Opera Youth Chorus Ensemble (VOYCE). Buy now