VICTORIAN OPERA 2015 Welcome

VICTORIAN OPERA 2015 Welcome In just ten years, over 300,000 During our short history, we have created 14 new Australian works and collaborated with some of Australia’s leading audience members have companies, venues and learning institutions. We employ experienced a performance hundreds across the theatre industry and recruit some of the by Victorian Opera – over fi nest singers from Australia and around the world. We are committed to the accessibility of opera through tactile 20,000 of those attending tours, and audio described and relaxed performances. regional performances. 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. Victorian Opera 2015 Annual Report 2015 Highlights Our 10th consecutive fi nancial surplus. A 40% increase in live audiences from 2014. 371,500 reached in broadcast audiences. In a world fi rst, Victorian Opera presented a full length opera with 3D digital scenery. A record number of new works, including Alice’s Adventures in Operaland, Remembrance, The Grumpiest Boy in the World and Seven Deadly Sins. Three Green Room Awards for The Flying Dutchman. Over 4,700 schoolchildren and teachers reached through Education Workshops. Our second relaxed performance held for children with various learning abilities. Seven singers and one repetiteur graduated from the Master of Music (Opera Performance) program – delivered in collaboration with Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, The University of Melbourne. Victorian Opera stages an international collaboration – a co-production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street with New Zealand Opera. 3 “We continued to extend the boundaries of the art form, and ensured that opera remained accessible to all Victorians.” Extending Boundaries 2015 marked Victorian Opera’s 10th goodbye to Stephen and a thrilling featuring Weill’s Die sieben Todsünden Anniversary Season – a year of new conclusion to three years of staging and a cabaret inspired collection of productions and new collaborations. his work. new works from four of Australia’s Our year opened with an epic brightest composers, commissioned new production of Wagner’s International star soprano Jessica Pratt by Victorian Opera in association with The Flying Dutchman; a collaboration returned home for another bel canto the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra’s with the remarkable Australian Youth masterpiece following her 2014 Composer Development Program and Orchestra and Deakin.Motion.Lab performance in La traviata. She Symphony Services International. lead by Professor Kim Vincs. performed opposite acclaimed Spanish The double bill saw cabaret diva tenor Celso Albelo in Bellini’s I Puritani Meow Meow’s company debut and We were proud to return large-scale staged in concert at Hamer Hall with also starred the students from our opera to the Palais Theatre in St Kilda our orchestra partner Orchestra Master of Music (Opera Performance) – – the venue was once a mainstay of Victoria. Hamer Hall also provided a collaboration between Victorian Opera the city’s opera landscape during the backdrop for Heart and Soul, our and the Melbourne Conservatorium of 1970s and still offers the best acoustic for Mother’s Day Concert with the Music, University of Melbourne. opera in the country. Stuart Maunder’s Australian Philharmonic Orchestra, Sondheim Trilogy at Arts Centre Melbourne and Remembrance, our project for Our commitment to youth and new concluded with Sweeney Todd: the ANZAC Centenary which engaged work was the underpinning feature The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. community choirs from around Victoria. of our 10th Anniversary Season – we Teddy Tahu Rhodes made his debut with continued to extend the boundaries of the company in the title role and starred The year concluded with two new works, the art form, and ensured that opera opposite Victorian Opera favourite the fi rst our youth opera The Grumpiest remained accessible to all Victorians. Antoinette Halloran as a decidedly Boy in the World at the Malthouse wicked Mrs Lovett. It was a bloody Theatre. Our fi nal presentation was Richard Mills our double bill Seven Deadly Sins, Artistic Director, Victorian Opera Victorian Opera 2015 Annual Report State Icon, National Leader Victorian Opera’s 10th Anniversary Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Season was a year of great successes, Fleet Street was the fi nal instalment in many fi rsts and valuable collaborations our Sondheim trilogy – produced with our dear friends at New Zealand Opera – a year which further cemented who will be touring the musical thriller the company’s reputation as a in late 2016. state icon, national leader and 2015 also boasted Victorian Opera’s fi rst trip to Tasmania with Richard Mills’ major player in the Australian ANZAC commemoration, Remembrance, operatic landscape. making its world premiere with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. This The year opened with a revelatory production was performed in Melbourne exploration of Wagner’s earliest in August before touring regional masterpiece, The Flying Dutchman, Victoria; it deepened the company’s which saw our entire audience involvement with community choirs in wearing 3D glasses to experience every centre where the work was staged. ground-breaking 3D digital scenery. We collaborated with the TSO further, This feat in technology was followed as well as Symphony Services International, by a concert in the dark. Set during on double bill Seven Deadly Sins Earth Hour, Opera for the Earth was – specifi cally developing multiple a unique collaboration between compositions from some of the Victorian Opera and Dumbo Feather country’s brightest young composers. performed to an audience limited to 100 people – admission granted In a series of federal funding fi rsts, through ideas around the sustainability matched funding from Creative of the planet and our art form. Partnerships Australia, Ministry for the Arts and Department of Premier and Cabinet Our littlest fans were treated to our enabled a number of critical projects family production of Alice’s Adventures from the implementation of Tessitura, in Operaland – a chance to travel an industry wide customer relationship down the rabbit hole to meet some management tool, to the presentation of of opera’s biggest characters and our ANZAC centenary work. hear some of opera’s most iconic music. This production marked Critical to the company’s achievements another collaboration with is the ongoing support of the Arts Centre Melbourne – our fourth State Government of Victoria, through collaboration with them for our Creative Victoria’s Organisation Education Season production. Investment Program, The Robert Salzer Following the company’s work with Foundation, The Helen Macpherson Arts Centre Melbourne on the fi rst Smith Trust, our generous Supporters relaxed performance staged in Victoria, and Patrons including our Artistic Alice’s Adventures in Operaland was Director’s Circle and New Work and presented to an audience of children Education Syndicates, and our loyal with various learning abilities. subscribers. Most importantly, our thanks must go to our dedicated board Alongside Victorian Opera’s 10th Birthday and staff whose tireless efforts continue concert for children and families and to ensure the company’s success. our new commission and youth opera The Grumpiest Boy in the World, Jane Hemstrich a production supported by Chairman, Victorian Opera The Robert Salzer Foundation and our Andrew Snell New Work Syndicate, the company Managing Director, Victorian Opera offered a number of works to engage young audiences and indeed, our audiences of the future. 5 Productions in 2015 The Flying Dutchman “The Flying Dutchman is a watershed moment for the Victorian Opera. An ambitious undertaking, but one that deserves admiration and praise. Set sail to St Kilda.” – The Age The Flying Dutchman “With its 3D projection, an Sweeney Todd outstanding Senta, and our brilliant “Few shows could boast such a national orchestra of young superb union of technical, musical musicians in the pit, it is an ideal and artistic balance in an opening entrée for those new to opera night performance.” and a memorable night for all Wagnerians.” – Herald Sun – Australian Book Review Sweeney Todd The Flying Dutchman “Halloran is revelatory as Mrs Lovett“ “For this pioneering production, the – Australian Book Review audience will be asked to wear 3D glasses to view the images projected Sweeney Todd on huge screens that fan out from the stage. Thus one is fully immersed “The singing is, as you’d in the turmoil of the mythical expect, magnifi cent“ Dutchman coming ashore beneath – The Age the Norwegian cliffs.“ – The Age Alice’s Adventures in Operaland “…a great vehicle for educating the younger generation.“ – Stage Whispers Victorian Opera 2015 Annual Report I Puritani The Grumpiest Boy in the World “Victorian Opera’s performance was truly affecting, one that captured the “In Victorian Opera’s world poignancy and death-hauntedness premiere of a homegrown work… of Bellini’s spirit.” a little bit of magic was made at – Australian Book Review Malthouse’s Merlyn Theatre. It’s a delightfully adventuresome jaunt from Opera for the Earth the living room to a world of fantasy that reintroduces ourselves to a “Victorian Opera’s latest venture takes comfort zone we often ignore.” the novel step of ditching traditional – Opera Chaser ticket prices and instead allowing admission by ideas only…Hopeful Remembrance attendees

Load more