VICTORIAN OPERA 2016 2016 Highlights
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
VICTORIAN OPERA 2016 2016 Highlights An audience of over 59,000. A fully-staged opera with Circus OZ. Three new works: Voyage to the Moon, Banquet of Secrets and the Family Opera The Pied Piper. Over 4,900 students and teachers engaged through Welcome Education Workshops and Performances. Victorian Opera operated its first live-streamed In eleven years, over 300,000 concert, The Darkest Night. audience members have experienced a performance Victorian Opera extended its reach nationally with a by Victorian Opera – over coproduction with Musica Viva touring in Melbourne, 20,000 of those attending Sydney, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane. regional performances. On the international scene, 12,317 New Zealanders saw Victorian Opera’s coproduction with New Zealand Opera, Sweeney Todd, in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. During our short history, we have created 17 new Australian works and collaborated with some of Australia’s leading Victorian Opera received City of Melbourne’s companies, venues and learning institutions. We employ Melbourne Award. hundreds across the theatre industry and recruit some of the finest singers from Australia and around the world. We are committed to the accessibility of opera through tactile The National Opera Review recommended Victorian tours, and audio described and relaxed performances. Opera joins the Australian Major Performing Arts Group (AMPAG). We have inspired over 500 young singers through our Youth Opera Program and developed over 30 emerging artists. Our vision – to create a state opera company that is a state icon and a national leader. 2 | Victorian Opera 2016 Annual Report Victorian Opera 2016 Annual Report | 3 State Icon, National Leader In 2016, Victorian Opera continued to joyously comic and tragically dark “We continued to re- grow, develop and define itself as a double bill: Laughter and Tears. As a imagine the potential state icon and national leader in the prelude to Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, a of the art-form and Australian operatic landscape. The new work was created from 16th and company’s 11th season featured three 17th century music to form a classic ensured that opera distinctly different new works, new commedia dell’arte first act. A true remained accessible approaches to classic repertoire and highlight to our season! an Australian premiere of one of the to everyone.” Children and families across world’s quirkiest operas. Melbourne and regional Victoria were It was a year of great pride for our treated to two offerings: Massenet’s young company. The National Opera Cinderella and a new community Review’s Final Report acknowledged opera, The Pied Piper, written and Victorian Opera’s ongoing composed by our Artistic Director contributions to Australian opera with Richard Mills. Performed across the the recommendation that the company state, community choirs in six regional joins the Australian Major Performing Victorian towns participated in the Arts Group (AMPAG). Similarly, City of new opera, performing as the citizens, Melbourne also recognised Victorian schoolchildren and rats of Hamelin. Opera with an esteemed Melbourne Victorian Opera continued to embrace Award. new technologies and advance our Our season opened with our first art form. We presented the Australian co-production with Musica Viva premiere of Virgil Thomson and Australia, Voyage to the Moon. The Gertrude Stein’s Four Saints in Three work was inspired by Ariosto’s poem Acts featuring a youth cast and quirky Orlando Furioso and featured music 3D digital scenery created by Deakin from various period composers Motion.Lab. The company also drawn together to create a new launched podcast The Art of Opera Baroque opera. A star cast of singers, and ventured into live-streaming with A Year to Celebrate including soprano Emma Matthews an exclusively online concert, The in her Victorian Opera debut, and Darkest Night, on the eve of Winter From an artistic perspective, Victorian accordingly. It opened to great acclaim artist whom shares a long association period instrumentalists toured the Solstice. Opera’s 2016 Season was immensely in Melbourne before touring nationally. with our company, Carlos is a former acclaimed production in Melbourne, satisfying; a year filled with many VO Developing Artist and, with great Critical to Victorian Opera’s success Victorian Opera celebrated Melbourne Sydney, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane and milestones and daring new approaches tenacity and talent, has continued is the ongoing support of the State itself in Banquet of Secrets: a musical Adelaide. to our art form. From collaborations to develop to become one of the Government of Victoria, through about enduring friendships and with Circus Oz to our biggest regional country’s finest singers. One new work was immediately Creative Victoria’s Organisations our love of fine food and wine. This tour to date, our company worked followed by another, Banquet Investment Program, The Robert production boasted a rare intimacy One of the other great joys of our 2016 tirelessly to create vibrant and of Secrets: A new musical from Salzer Foundation and Helen between its cast and creative team; Season was writing and composing meaningful productions to engage the the creative talent of two iconic Macpherson Smith Trust. We also a musical written by lifelong friends community opera, The Pied Piper. imagination of every member of our Melbournians: Paul Grabowsky and thank our generous Patrons and Paul Grabowsky and Steve Vizard, This work was specifically crafted to community. Steve Vizard. The celebrated new Supporters, particularly our Artistic then performed by lifelong friends engage community choirs state-wide Australian work brought four of Director’s Circle and New Work and Voyage to the Moon, a new Baroque Antoinette Halloran, Kanen Breen, and invited the involvement of singers Victorian Opera’s audience favourites Education Syndicates, as well as our pasticcio, was assembled with such Dimity Shepherd and David Rogers- aged eight to eighty. Following its back to the stage: Antoinette Halloran, loyal subscribers and audiences. As inventiveness and respect for the Smith. Naturally, the poignancy of this Melbourne season, the opera was Kanen Breen, Dimity Shepherd and always, we must thank our Board and heritage of this form, though not work was palpable. performed in Port Fairy, Mildura, David Rogers-Smith. It was presented Staff for their ongoing dedication and without unexpected challenges. When Bendigo, Warragul, Shepparton As a conductor, I led two of the in association with Arts Centre hard work – without them, none of this the production’s original composer and Albury-Wodonga. It was a pure company’s major productions in 2016: Melbourne and the Melbourne Food would be possible. Dr Alan Curtis died suddenly during delight seeing it performed in so many Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Wine Festival. It also toured to the opera’s creation, various hurdles different communities and noting the and Laughter and Tears, featuring Brisbane, in collboration with Brisbane presented themselves: the sadness joy it provided. Jane Hemstrich Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci. I applaud the Powerhouse. of losing a colleague as well as the Chairman, Victorian Opera creative teams and casts behind both I must thank all members of the loss of a world renowned expert with In the first Australian performance operas. Both works thrilled Melbourne Victorian Opera community for very particular specialist knowledge. of her career-defining role, soprano Andrew Snell with their musical richness and enabling us to produce such a rich and Co-produced with Musica Viva Jessica Pratt made our production of Managing Director, Victorian Opera emotional intensity. rewarding season. Australia and in association with The Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor: one Australian Research Council Centre Working alongside Jessica Pratt of the country’s most anticipated opera performances in 2016. of Excellence for the History of on Lucia di Lammermoor was a Richard Mills AM Emotions, our talented creative teams memorable highlight of the year, as it Artistic Director, Victorian Opera Victorian Opera also marked its first and cast worked diligently to finish it was her co-lead Carlos E. Bárcenas. An co-production with Circus Oz; a 4 | Victorian Opera 2016 Annual Report Victorian Opera 2016 Annual Report | 5 Productions in 2016 Banquet of Secrets Lucia di Lammermoor “Of all the company’s new work in “The company’s 16th commission, “The audience was totally caught up in “For a piece of operatic history...This recent years , it’s probably the most Banquet of Secrets, is an elegantly the characters and drama on stage. An Lucia is a must see.” accomplished…. Banquet Of Secrets crafted, emotionally complex and absolute triumph.” can be harmony on the palate: sweet – Herald Sun superbly evocative work that explores – Stage Whispers and salty, bitter and umami. Get it while the affirming role of enduring it’s hot.” friendships in our imperfect lives.” – Daily Review – The Australian Lucia di Lammermoor “Jessica Pratt’s Lucia truly worthy of Laughter and Tears international acclaim. “Energetic, inspired opera performance – The Australian hits the heights.” Voyage to the Moon – The Age “A work of pure gold … I hope this Laughter and Tears partnership between Victorian Opera and Musica Viva leads to “Laughter and Tears, staged with other enterprises. Now they have drive and imagination, is a tribute the moon, they can reach for the to the company. This is not simply stars.” another