Wagner brings opera home to the Palais Theatre, St Kilda; brilliant Australian soprano Jessica Pratt returns for Bellini while Teddy Tahu Rhodes appears in a Sondheim classic. The Anzac Centenary and Earth Hour inspire new works, while others include cabaret artist Meow Meow in Seven Deadly Sins – based on our capital cities!
Classic Melbourne looks forward to Victorian Opera’s 2015 season as it celebrates its 10th anniversary, as announced at its recent launch.
“2015 is a landmark year, and with this in mind the season embodies our unique spirit as a company, while extending the boundaries of the art form,” said Richard Mills, Victorian Opera’s Artistic Director. “As is tradition, we’ll be showcasing young talent, including the Masters students who will have more responsibilities than ever before. However, the year also demonstrates rapid growth, with our biggest artistic undertaking and extensive touring program.”
Some of the greatest singers in the world join the company in the milestone 2015 season, which includes:
• Opera’s return to St Kilda’s Palais with The Flying Dutchman, presented in partnership with the Australian Youth Orchestra, directed by Roger Hodgman and featuring renowned Wagner singers Vitalij Kowaljow and Petra Lang. Deakin Motion.Lab also join the team to provide state-of-the-art 3D digital scenery.
• The final instalment of Victorian Opera’s Sondheim trilogy Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – A Musical Thriller, starring Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Sweeney Todd and Victorian Opera favourite Antoinette Halloran as Mrs Lovett. Conducted by Victorian Opera’s Head of Music Phoebe Briggs and directed by Stuart Maunder.
• An examination of Australia’s capital cities as Seven Deadly Sins, headlined by cabaret legend Meow Meow, featuring new commissions from Symphony Australia’s Composer Development Program run with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Accompanied by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s operetta Die sieben Todsünden, exploring American cities as sins.
• Victorian Opera’s new work Remembrance, commemorating the ANZAC Centenary and featuring songs and poetry from 1914-1918 arranged by Richard Mills and Rodney Hall. Drawn together by a narrative detailing the Australian experience of World War I, the work features archival material from Museum Victoria, the National Library and National War Memorial, with a special focus on Victorians at War.
• A Bellini extravaganza in the gala concert I Puritani, heralding the return of Australian soprano Jessica Pratt following her triumph in 2014’s La traviata, and showcasing the remarkable voice of Spanish tenor Celso Albelo, the greatest current exponent of this repertoire.
• The new commission and family opera The Grumpiest Boy in the World, from one of Australia’s most successful children’s writers Finnegan Kruckemeyer and award-winning composer Joe Twist.
• A new take on a classic with Alice’s Adventures in Operaland, produced for schools and young audiences with Arts Centre Melbourne, and the perfect introduction to the world of opera.
• A Tenth Birthday concert, marking the return of Victorian Opera’s popular family package, with arias, costumes and colourful characters to capture the imagination of young opera-goers.
• A free performance of Opera for the Earth presented in partnership with community-minded media outlet Dumbo Feather during the global “lights out” initiative Earth Hour.
• And a special treat on a special day with Heart and Soul, a Mother’s Day concert presented in partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne and the Australian Philharmonic Orchestra.
In addition to the ten productions that make up Victorian Opera’s tenth anniversary season, Richard Mills will host The Art of Opera, an evening in conversation open to subscribers.
Coinciding with the Season Launch, Victorian Opera’s Board has announced it will renew Mills’ contract with the company through to 2017.
The 2015 season is available on subscription from 8 August 2014, with single tickets available in November. For details go to http://www.victorianopera.com.au.
