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Home , Carlo Felice Cillario, Deborah Cheetham, Greg Saunders, Hannelore Bode, Jonny spielt auf, Melbourne Athenaeum

Part One of e Ring of the Nibelung WAGNER’S

Regent Theatre Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo

Principal Sponsor: Henkell Brothers Investment Managers Sponsors: Society (VIC) • Wagner Society (nsw) Dr Alastair Jackson AM • Lady Potter AC CMRI • Angior Family Foundation Robert Salzer Foundation • Dr Douglas & Mrs Monica Mitchell • Roy Morgan Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund melbourneopera.com Classic bistro wine – ethereal, aromatic, textural, sophisticated and so easy to pair with food. They’re wines with poise and charm. Enjoy with friends over a few plates of tapas.

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WAGNER’S

COMPOSER & LIBRETTIST RICHARD WAGNER First performed at National Theatre, Munich, Germany on 22nd September 1869.

Wotan Eddie Muliaumaseali’i Alberich Simon Meadows Loge TENOR James Egglestone Fricka MEZZO- Sarah Sweeting Freia SOPRANO Lee Abrahmsen Froh TENOR Jason Wasley Donner BASS-BARITONE Darcy Carroll Erda MEZZO-SOPRANO Roxane Hislop Mime TENOR Michael Lapina Fasolt BASS Adrian Tamburini Fafner BASS Steven Gallop Woglinde SOPRANO Rebecca Rashleigh Wellgunde SOPRANO Louise Keast Flosshilde MEZZO-SOPRANO Karen Van Spall

Conductors Anthony Negus, David Kram FEB 5, 21 Director Suzanne Chaundy Head of Music Raymond Lawrence Set Design Andrew Bailey Video Designer Tobias Edwards Lighting Designer Rob Sowinski Costume Designer Harriet Oxley Set Build & Construction Manager Greg Carroll German Language Diction Coach Carmen Jakobi Company Manager Robbie McPhee Producer Greg Hocking AM

MELBOURNE OPERA ORCHESTRA

The performance lasts approximately 2 hours 25 minutes with no interval. Principal Sponsor: Henkell Brothers Investment Managers Sponsors: Dr Alastair Jackson AM • Lady Potter AC CMRI • Angior Family Foundation Robert Salzer Foundation • Dr Douglas & Mrs Monica Mitchell • Roy Morgan

Restart Investment to Sustain and The role of Loge, performed by James Egglestone, is proudly supported by Expland (RISE) Fund – an Australian the Richard Wagner Society of . The Wagner tubas purchased for this Government Initiative production are proudly supported by the Wagner Society in NSW Inc 3 Sway-pole Performers Emily Ryan, Lily Paskas Goodfellow Nibelungen Rebecca Rashleigh, Louise Keast, Karen Van Spall, Jane Magão, Eleanor Greenwood, Rose Nolan, Will Barker, Emily Ryan, Lily Paskas Goodfellow

Stage Manager Lachlan O’Connor Assistant Stage Managers Will Barker, Cointha Walkenden Repetiteur Konrad Olszewski Set Design Assistant Max Bowyer Associate Lighting Designer Bryn Cullen Head of Wardrobe Jillian Wilson Assistant Director Will Barker Hair, Make-up & Wigs Julz Mayberry Rheinmaidens Choreographer Miki Oikawa Sway-pole Choreographer Phillip Gleeson Surtitles Operator Eleanor Smith

Wagner working on the stage of the Festspielhaus, during preliminary rehearsals of The Ring. Drawing by Adolf Von Menzel, 1875.

4 FROM OUR PATRON-IN-CHIEF

How wonderful to find ourselves back in the theatre and enjoying beautiful productions and performances after the 12 months we’ve been through. We at Melbourne Opera are thrilled to be leading the recovery for the performing arts with the first large scale production for the year, and reopening the beautiful Regent Theatre, with . There are many exciting aspects to this production. For any opera company, embarking on The Ring is the apogee of a company’s aspirations. We are particularly proud to be presenting an all Victorian cast and creative team with the vital addition of Maestro Anthony Negus, one of the world’s leading Wagnerian conductors at the musical helm. Anthony’s thrilling performances of Tristan and Isolde, The Flying Dutchman and Fidelio (our last production before lockdown) have greatly enhanced the company’s reputation both here and internationally. We are also delighted that several important roles are taken by members of the Emerging Arts Program, now recognized as perhaps the nation’s best program for emerging artists. The company’s efforts in leading the arts recovery have been recognized by the Federal Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Paul Fletcher, with a RISE grant for Das Rheingold. This has helped us – and particularly all the artists involved - enormously. However we were both disappointed and perplexed not to receive Victorian Government Creative Victoria assistance for the same project-the inconsistency is surprising. So, in this our 20th year of operation we thank our generous philanthropic sponsors, supporters and audience as we enter our third decade and commence our Ring adventure. Melbourne Opera could not have achieved all it has without your ongoing and generous support. Lady Potter AC CMRI Patron-in-Chief

Participants in the Belcanto Masterclass with Maestro AC and Lady Potter AC CMRI

5 FROM THE DIRECTOR

Preparing and rehearsing Das Rheingold has been unlike this has been influential in the creation of the production the preparation of any other opera I have undertaken. This style. The other in cycle are largely about people – is not only because in the conception I am considering a albeit some heroic ones. We have asked ourselves what is further three operas and plotting the journey through these the essence of the characters; the Gods, Giants, Nibelungen over several years in a rapidly changing world. It has also and Rheinmaidens and how they can be presented in a way required a completely different mindset in that speaks to contemporary audiences, to reinforce the of the COVID lockdown. This has led to a six-month eternal relevance of this story of the machinations of power, postponement with the knock-on effect of significant entitlement and greed. My aim is to always be true to the changes to collaborators and singers, as well as significant storytelling and strive to understand how each moment in changes to our work practices. Wagner serves the work, then present it in a way that is detailed and fresh. In my preparation I was struck by how the New rehearsal and performance protocols have been put concept and structure of The Ring owes much to the ancient in place, including the distribution of the orchestra from Greek theatre festivals, and that ‘Das Rheingold’ can sit as beyond the pit to into the stalls. Our extraordinary stage a prologue, a kind of a Satyr play, a ‘joking tragedy’ where management team have had their workload increased as the actors play mythical heroes engaged in action drawn they diligently sanitise and deep clean our working space from traditional mythical tales.This production’s mythical and provide daily updates about the COVID situation in past refers to the heady and hedonistic times of the sixties Victoria. Everyone is committed to bringing opera back in and seventies when the rich had seemingly endless wealth this changed world. I am so proud to be a part of a project (approaching the ‘greed is good’ era of the eighties), where which is providing work for over 140 Victorian artists and many of the seeds were planted for our current malaise of production workers after a year when our industry has been the environment and democracy. hit so hard and giving you, our audience, this mainstage opera work in a full production. The production has a poetic and suggestive performance space which moves with the music through its scenic It is equal parts terrifying and thrilling to be a part of this shifts, so we never lose contact with story. It symbolically first major production coming out of the pandemic and renders the difference between the world of light which Melbourne Opera is to be congratulated for its flexibility, the gods inhabit, against the dark world of Nibelheim - the agility and bravery in commencing this project during these dichotomy of the overlords and the underworld. It was my times. wish to genuinely explore the magic Wagner demands in the transformation scenes and thewonder-filled watery world of Throughout 2020, in a world of ever escalating catastrophe, the Rhine maidens which Alberich stumbles into. I want to I reflected that Wagner’s Ring Cycle may be the story of make ‘Das Rheingold’ both fantastical and enjoyable. the ‘Twilight of the Gods’, but our world is currently feeling unnervingly like the ‘Twilight of Humanity’, with Therefore ‘Das Rheingold’ does feel like it is in ‘a’ past, but the outbreak of COVID-19, worldwide disasters linked to only compared to the rest of the cycle to come. It is a fresh, climate change and where a petulant man-child has ruled and highly theatrical production that does not always take “the land of the free.” In ‘Das Rheingold’ we meet aloof itself too seriously. This is Wagner with a nod to absurdism and indolent powerbrokers filled with self-interest who and the surrealism of the Italian master filmmaker of the will renounce love for personal gain, blithely ravage natural 1960’s and 1970’s, Frederico Fellini. resources and welch on deals; we appear to be living in a world fuelled by ancient tribal hatreds, teetering on the brink After a year of artistic inactivity, I am thrilled to work with of chaos. No wonder the operas which make up Richard every one of these outstanding Victorian artists to make Wagner’s Ring Cycle have such timeless appeal - this reads a production that celebrates the depth of Victorian artistic like a daily newsfeed. talent. This production allows our unique Wagnerian sensibility to flourish under the guidance of international With my creative team - Andrew Bailey (Sets), Harriet Wagner specialist, Maestro Anthony Negus, our irreplaceable Oxley (Costumes) and Rob Sowinksi (Lights) – we have Head of Music Raymond Lawrence and Dr David Kram. looked to create a world that does not drag the mythological characters of ‘Das Rheingold’ down to being ‘normal’ recognisable people. I found inspiration reading literature imagining Norse Gods in our contemporary world and

6 The Characters

Alberich, is the Nibelung who dares to dream, coming out The giants, Fasolt and Fafner, come from a noble and skilled of the bowels of the industrial hub of Nibelheim to look for race, more practical than the gods but disdained by them. love. His way to deal with rejection by the exotic and free They see things in black and white and simply want their spirited Rheinmaidens, is to steal their natural resources and contract with fulfilled. That should not be too much become a despot who renounces love. He believes once he to expect from the god of law! As they see it, they’ve built has enough riches and power, he can take any woman he Valhalla and should be given the goddess Freia as payment, likes with or without consent. as agreed. Fafner wants Freia for the golden apples she cultivates which provide immortality but his brother Fasolt Wotan – chief god and creator of Law – has messed things wants the beautiful Freia as his bride. up in a world which is turning against him and is planning his escape with his godly entourage to an impenetrable Erda is the most ancient of the gods – the ultimate Mother fortress with little regard for how they get there. He cheats Earth. Her knowledge goes far beyond Wotan’s blinkered on his wife Fricka, the goddess of marriage, he dismisses . the Rheinmaidens and their problems as nothing to do with him and he offers Freia as a bargaining chip in order to get Wotan’s journey through other operas in the Ring Cycle his fortress Valhalla built. is one of personal insight and self-realisation. Alberich is despicable, but in ‘Das Rheingold’ there is not a lot of He should care about natural resources being ravaged difference between the behaviour of Alberich and Wotan. by unthinkable acts, but he doesn’t. He should care about Villains come in all guises and only Loge, a unique character, trading women for buildings, but doesn’t believe it’s his like a cross between Puck and ’s Fool, sees through it all. problem. This is a matter for Loge to manage. Loge is the agent of change who straddles the world of the gods Suzanne Chaundy with his demigod credentials. He is disliked by the other Director gods but is inexplicably bound to Wotan and subject to his dictates. A ‘fixer’, Loge can be everywhere, in human form or as an element. He has a razor-sharp insight into everyone’s failings and foibles. He truly understands why the gold must be returned to the Rhine maidens.

MELBOURNE OPERA 2021 Season

DAS RHEINGOLD | Richard Wagner Regent Theatre, February 3,5,7 Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo, February 21

MOZART BY MOONLIGHT Royal Botanic Gardens, March 7

THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO | W.A. Mozart Australian Club, Promenade Production, May

MACBETH | Athenaeum Theatre, July

THE RISE & FALL OF THE CITY Melbourne Opera Orchestra and Chorus are available for freelance engagement OF MAHAGONNY | Brecht/Weill Athenaeum Theatre, September Co production with iOpera melbourneopera.com (03) 9600 2488

BEL CANTO SURPRISE Athenaeum Theatre, November A new production continuing Melbourne Opera's acclaimed exploration of this repertoire. TBC April. FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Welcome to Melbourne Opera’s 2021 season. Our company plans a busy 2021. Das Rheingold is the first major opera in 2021, to be introduced in this very challenging environment. The Ring Cycle is an enormous and exciting venture for Melbourne Opera, to be produced over the next three years, culminating in complete Cycles in 2023. We are sure that you will enjoy this masterpiece, continuing our company’s production of the most beautiful of Wagner’s operas. Your company plans a very busy 2021. Das Rheingold will be followed by a new production of Verdi’s starring Helena Dix and directed by Bruce Beresford. We are also planning an innovative production of , with details to be announced soon. In the second half of the year we will co-produce a new production of Brecht/Weill’s The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny and we are planning a further major bel canto repertory work for October. Our Victorian touring continues with our popular Mozart by Moonlight concerts in February, in Melbourne at the Botanical Gardens and in our country locations, bringing opera to the regions. We look forward to co-presenting the 95th Herald Sun Aria in October and there will be several equally exciting events hosted by FOMO during the year, similar to the wonderful fund raising dinner at Queens Hall which opened our 2020 season, before all 2020 plans were put on hold. All our professional operatic activity is provided by Melbourne Opera without any ongoing government support. The company operates with a very modest overheads; 90% of the company’s annual budget goes directly into productions. Simply, this is all done with the financial help of our supporters and donors. Melbourne Opera’s continued success in this very challenging environment continues to depend upon your support. As in the past, I request your consideration and help with that support. All donations are fully tax-deductible.Thank you and I hope that we will continue to see you over many wonderful productions in 2021 and beyond. Remember, Our Company is your Company. Michael Flemming Chairman - Melbourne Opera

FRIENDS OF MELBOURNE OPERA (FOMO) With over 150 members, FOMO enables opera lovers to engage with others to support Melbourne’s own opera company and emerging artists. FOMO members enjoy many special events during the year including masterclasses, talks, the Annual FOMO On-Stage dinner, open rehearsals and soirees, discounted tickets and pre-production lectures. FOMO is particularly proud to support The Richard Divall Emerging Artists Program, ’s foremost initiative for supporting emerging operatic talent. There are four tiers of membership ranging from platinum membership ($500pa) to youth membership ($30pa). To join please contact Robbie McPhee on 9600 2488 or email [email protected]

Rebecca Rashleigh, Richard Divall Emerging Artists Program member winning the 2018 Herald Sun Aria. Michael Lampard (left), was awarded the Richard Divall Award

8 RICHARD DIVALL EMERGING ARTISTS PROGRAM

After the mayhem and postponements throughout the Dimovski covering Froh and Stephen Marsh covering past extraordinarily challenging year, we are pleased Donner. Associate artist Chloe Harris, along with to report that despite it all, we continued to run a Jane Magao, Michael Dimovski and Darcy Carroll very viable programme to keep our wonderful young appeared in our Annual Christmas Concert with singers engaged and learning despite the lockdowns. Sylvie Paladino, Samuel Sakker and the Melbourne Opera Orchestra, performed live and live-streamed Language learning was a constant throughout COVID from the Athenaeum Theatre on Friday December time with programme members choosing to focus 18th 2020. on online learning of either Italian (Italian Institute of Culture) or German (Goethe Institute). We We also celebrate the achievements of our singers introduced highly popular weekly Zoom sessions of during the challenges of 2020. Darcy Carroll won ‘Yoga for Vocalists’ and held weekly Zoom professional the German-Australian Opera Grant and is off to development sessions to keep the group together, Wiesbaden to take up a one-year contract as soon as motivated and well-prepared for post-lockdown singer the COVID situation allows. Jane Magao was a semi- professional life. Featured guests included Australian finalist in this competition. Also off to Germany, all singers with international careers plus conversations being well, are Louise Keast and Michael Dimovski – about working with coaches, directors and even your both winners of the Rotary NGSE award. Louise will accountant! be based in Stuttgart and Michael in Nuremberg and both will participate in the Bayreuth Young Artists Also competition and concert preparation and a whole Festival. Stephen Marsh was recipient of both a Joan new world – working to camera! Contributors to Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award these sessions include Roxane Hislop, Samuel Sakker and the inaugural Michael Stubbs and Malcolm (based in London), Fiona Jopson (based in Vienna), Roberts Opera Prize. Alexandra Flood and Alexander York (based in ), Brenton Spiteri (studying at Guildhall in London), The Richard Divall Emerging Artists Programme Gianna Rosica (accountant) and Greg Saunders exists to provide practical and essential opportunities (film acting coach). We are so grateful to all for their through performance and industry experience generous support of our programme. alongside tailored language study, supported singing lessons and coaching. Melbourne Opera was able to conduct the live audition component of the Richard Divall Emerging Artists Programme in the final week of November 2020 with a full assessment panel of esteemed singers: Margaret Haggart, Geoffrey Harris and Roger Howell, alongside Raymond Lawrence (Head of Music) and Greg Hocking AM. We are thrilled to announce the members of the Richard Divall Emerging Artists Programme 2021. Two distinguished singers, recent Herald Sun Aria award winner Georgia Wilkinson, and Eleanor Greenwood will join returning programme members Louise Keast, Jane Magao, Michael Dimovski and Darcy Carroll. Shakira Dugan, Chloe Harris and Louis Hurley become Associate Artists alongside Rebecca Rashleigh and Stephen Marsh. Programme members and Associates feature strongly in Das Rheingold, with Darcy Carroll singing the role of Donner (and covering the giant, Fasolt), Rebecca Rashleigh singing Woglinde, Louise Keast singing Wellgunde (and covering Freia), Jane Magao covering Woglinde, Eleanor Greenwood covering Wellgunde, Michael Richard Divall Emerging Artists, 2021

9 MUSICAL CHAIRS

Melbourne Opera thanks the following generous supporters of Das Rheingold.

CONDUCTOR: HARPS: Len Britton Ian Dickson AM & Lisa Dwyer Margaret S. Ross AM Michael Flemming Libby Smith & John Middleton Margaret Haggart Christine & Elsdon Storey Ken Harrison AM & Jill Harrison OAM Michael Wright AM QC Barry Janes & Paul Collins Debra & Greg Hocking AM Ken & Michelle Neate Gayle Pitt

ORCHESTRAL CHAIRS: Fairlie McColl Shirley Breese Peter & Mary-Ruth McLennan Frere & Farah Byrne Miki Oikawa AO & Toni Lalich OAM Greg Reinhardt AM Maxine Cooper Chris & Margery Renwick Greig Cunningham Ian Ross Dr Ian Dickson AM & Ms Lisa Dwyer Margaret S. Ross AM John & Ros Dowling Chris Ryan David Feighan Libby Smith & John Middleton Peter Gallagher Christine & Elsdon Storey Robert Gibbs Craig Thomas & Graeme Moody Janet Gibson Celia Thompson & Derek Leather Lester W Johnson Peter Tregear Sue Kirkham Marilyn & John Viggers John & Erin Lidgerwood Pauline Walden Jennifer Marshall Ziggy Wright Dennis Mather & John Studdert The Tallis Foundation Margaret Mayers Anonymous

10 SYNOPSIS

SCENE ONE SCENE THREE

In the depths of the Rhine, the three Rhinemaidens guard Here they meet Alberich’s brother Mime, who has forged the Rhinegold, a treasure of immeasurable value. The the Tarnhelm, a magic helmet that transforms its wearer into Nibelung dwarf Alberich is dazzled by the sight of it. any shape. Mime tells Wotan and Loge how Alberich has The Rhinemaidens explain that whoever wins the gold enslaved the Nibelungs to work for him. Alberich appears and forges it into a ring will gain power over the world, and mocks the gods. Loge asks for a demonstration of the but must first renounce love. Frustrated by his unsuccessful Tarnhelm and Alberich turns himself into a dragon, then attempts to catch one of the Rhinemaidens, Alberich curses into a toad, which the gods capture. Dragged to the surface, love and steals the gold. the dwarf is forced to summon the Nibelungs to up the gold. Wotan wrests the ring from his finger. Shattered, Alberich curses the ring: ceaseless worry and death shall be the destiny of its bearer. SCENE TWO

Wotan, lord of the gods, is reproached by his wife Fricka: he has promised to give Freia, goddess of youth, to the giants SCENE FOUR Fasolt and Fafner in return for their building a fortress for the gods. When the giants demand their reward, Loge, the The giants return and agree to accept the gold. The gods god of fire, suggests an alternative payment: the ring Alberich have to give up even the Tarnhelm, but Wotan refuses to has forged from the Rhinegold, and his other treasures. The part with the ring. Erda, goddess of the earth, appears and giants agree, and Wotan and Loge leave for the Nibelungs’ warns him that possession of it will bring about the end underground home. of the gods. Wotan reluctantly gives the ring to the giants, and Alberich’s curse claims its first victim as Fafner kills his brother in a dispute over the treasure. As the voices of the Rhinemaidens are heard, lamenting the loss of their gold, the gods walk toward their new home, which Wotan names Valhalla.

The machine used at Bayreuth in 1876 to help the Rhinemaidens with their swimming!

11 ON THE WAGNER TRAIL WITH ANTHONY NEGUS

Wagner is a full-time occupation for Rheingold conductor too simplistic an interpretation of these musical ‘cells’: “The Anthony Negus. As a case in point, when I meet him in labels are useful provided that one accepts that they don't central London, he has just coached a singer preparing a role tell the whole story." in , and is about to attend a Wagner Society talk on , having recently returned from conducting a The complexity of the story is just one aspect of the Ring highly acclaimed production of Der Fliegende Holländer cycle which could be perceived as daunting to an outsider. for Melbourne Opera. Anthony first heard Wagner’s music Embarking on the task as a conductor, one is not necessarily as a child, in a 1960 performance of Das Rheingold at the helped by the huge array of scholarly writing on the subject. Royal , but rather than the clichéd accounts “It is daunting,” he says. “There is a lot I should have read of mind-blowing revelation, he had a rather more grounded but haven’t, and when I have read certain books, the work of response, and a sensation of encountering something that studying the music usually takes over.” The sea of recordings was already a part of him. “It was familiar,” he recounts. “It could prove equally stifling, although Anthony is delighted felt like coming home. Yet I knew it was going to be a huge to be forging his own path as an artist, after many enriching journey for me.” That journey would turn out to be a lifelong years working as an Assistant Conductor and Repetiteur on voyage, and one which accelerated at an astonishing rate, multiple Wagner productions: “I feel that my voice is just even by the standards of the most ardent Wagner fanatics. emerging. It was an LP entitled Toscanini Conducts Wagner “In 1961 I got access to the orchestra pit at Bayreuth, where that really got me going in the first place – and I still look to I experienced the Ring conducted by Rudolf Kempe, whom him, and pay tribute to all the influences that got me here. I met that year, and Tristan conducted by Karl Böhm. I just But it was the telephone call from Longborough that really fell into the heart of it.” opened things up for me.”

For every Wagner lover, a trip to Bayreuth, the composer’s That phone call, made in 2000 by stage director Alan purpose-built theatre and final home, is something of Privett, marked the start of a long-standing relationship a pilgrimage, but one doesn’t gain access to the epicentre between Anthony and the Festival. From its beginnings with of the Wagner universe as a teenager by accident. “I was a reduced orchestration, 9-hour Ring Cycle spread over 4 spending hours and hours playing Wagner on the piano: I nights (as opposed to the full-length 15 hours), the festival used to play Parsifal on Good Friday every year – I would has evolved into an operatic institution with considerable imagine that I was the orchestra,” reminisces Anthony. Yet impact and an international profile. Anthony has been despite the quasi-religious adulation that the composer and thrilled to be part of that journey and relishes the chance his music can attract from some quarters, Anthony is wary of to revisit the Ring cycle with every Longborough staging, falling into this trap: “I definitely cut through the mystique: although he will take a measured approach: “You have to when you’re conducting this music, you have to get down to go step by step with this music, and allow it work itself the nitty-gritty. And actually, Wagner’s relationship with his through.” orchestral musicians was extremely pragmatic: he nurtured Yet despite his insistence on a pragmatic approach to his players, and that’s an approach that I believe in, too.” conducting Wagner, Anthony’s wonderment at the Another hallmark of Anthony’s conducting style is a composer’s use of tonality only increases as the years go commitment to providing space for the music: “It needs by: “His command of harmony is awe-inspiring, and his rhythmic lift; it needs to breathe. You wouldn’t conduct rhythmic structure creates magic.” There is also magic in Beethoven or Mozart without the rhythm being incisive, the joy of true artistic collaboration: “I’m very receptive to and Wagner was more influenced by Beethoven than anyone lighting design,” Anthony says. “If I feel it’s right, it helps else.” He also advocates the importance of silence during me to colour the music, and I’ve been very lucky that I’ve performances: “There’s something at work when you allow worked with directors who care about the music.” silence to speak, and there are different types of silence that Taking breaks between what Anthony describes as “Intense you create as a conductor, and which the audience can feel.” bouts of Wagnerian activity” throughout his career has Conducting the Ring is a balancing act: “You’ve got to do invariably revealed unexpected delights: “Any job I’m given the job. You have to be realistic, so that the musicians feel sets me on the trail. The music is always there, in the back safe: that is the foundation from which inspiration can flow.” of my mind, but I’m ready to embark on the journey. What Further inspiration can be found in decoding Wagner’s I enjoy most is coming back to the music, opening the score Leitmotifs; the recurrent melodic fragments that make up and saying, ‘Oh my goodness! It’s got to be performed like the musical fabric of the entire Ring, and which are frequently this, and I’ve only just seen that.’” The next four years at associated with particular themes, characters or objects in Longborough look set to be full of discoveries for conductor, the saga. Citing as an example the Rhinemaiden Woglinde’s performers, and audience alike. line: 'Nur wer der Minne Macht versagt’ (Only the one Interview by Sophie Rashbrook, article originally appeared who renounces love...') from the opening scene of Das in Longborough Festival Opera’s 2019 programme. Rheingold, Anthony says: “The first time [the Leitmotifs] appear, especially with text, is of great significance and importance for later development.” However, he is wary of

12 ANTHONY NEGUS: CONDUCTOR

The spirit of Melbourne Opera is close to Anthony’s heart, and after the success of Tristan und Isolde in 2018 (receiving a Green Room Award for best conductor), he returned to conduct Der fliegende Holländer in 2019 and Fidelio in 2020. He is delighted to be back - under the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic- for Das Rheingold this year, having begun a new Ring Cycle at Longborough, with Das Rheingold in June 2019. He looks forward to continuing with Die Walkuere in both Longborough (2021) and Melbourne in 2022. Music has been a major part of his life since playing clarinet and piano from of 7, and discovering Mozart and Brahms.

The excitement of hearing Verdi’s Otello, both the Toscanini recording, and live at Covent Garden with del Monaco, Gobbi, and Solti conducting in the 1960’s, awoke the realisation of wanting to become a conductor. Throughout his years at school, Royal College of Music London, Oxford University and especially Else Mayer-Lismann’s Opera Workshop in London, he spent many hours playing operas, and conducting scenes. Seminal experiences were sitting in the Bayreuth pit, hearing Rudolf Kempe, Boehm and Knappertsbusch performances; and in London, hearing Boulez and Klemperer conduct. Most significantly, he met after his unique Mastersinger performances at Sadlers Wells and the London Coliseum, and later worked closely with him at .

In the 1970’s he became a member of the Music Staff in Wuppertal, Germany, where he made his conducting debut with Tiefland (d’Albert), and 2 seasons at Bayreuth, as well as a year at Hamburg State Opera. On returning to the UK, he joined the wonderful Welsh National Opera Company, whose chorus was already famous, and which has gone on to achieve an increasingly international status; he remained on their Music staff for over 30 years, conducting a wide repertoire. In the 1980’s he made his WNO conducting debut with Fidelio (Harry Kupfer production), and went on to conduct Parsifal, The Greek Passion (Martinu), and . 1985 was a special year, in which whilst assisting Richard Armstrong (MD) on the Ring, he conducted Siegfried and Götterdämmerung for WNO, assisted Cambreling on Tristan at La Monnaie Brussels ( as Isolde), and married Carmen Jakobi, Opera Director, with whom he later did Tristan und Isolde for Longborough Festival. The arrival of Sir as MD at WNO in 1987, led to some great collaborations: over the next few years, Anthony conducted all the major Mozart operas, R. Strauss (translated by Eric Crozier in collaboration with Anthony Negus), Elektra, as well as Gluck Iphigenie en Tauride. He assisted on Pelléas et Mélisande, and Carlo Rizzi on Verdi Simon Boccanegra and Don Carlos (French version).

The 2000’s saw the beginning of Anthony’s work at Longborough Festival Opera (LFO) with a smaller version of Wagner’s Ring, for which Sir Donald MacIntyre sang Wotan in 2004. With MacIntyre and Simon O’Neill, he conducted Parsifal for Wellington Festival NZ; and for Opera Theater Pittsburgh, the small Ring. At Longborough the full Ring Cycle started in 2007 with Das Rheingold, and culminated in 3 Cycles in the Wagner bicentenary year 2013. At Glyndebourne, after assisting Vladimir Jurowski, a highlight was to conduct a performance of Die Meistersinger. Since then, for LFO he has conducted Tristan und Isolde (2015/17 director C Jakobi), Tannhäuser and Strauss Ariadne (director Alan Privett), and with Tom Guthrie Die Zauberflöte and Der fliegende Holländer, which he had also recently conducted in Lubeck, Germany. In 2016 he received the Sir Reginald Goodall Award for Services to Wagner’s music from the Wagner Society London. As well as operas, Anthony loves to conduct concerts and accompany Lieder recitals when the opportunity arises; and to renew himself in a love of nature, both sea, rivers and woods.

13 DR DAVID KRAM AM: CONDUCTOR

Dr David Kram AM’s comprehensive CV can be readily found at davidkram.com. Here is an account of his dealings with the works of Wagner. David’s father served as a repetiteur at House during the golden age of the 1930s. David inherited his scores a as a twenty-year-old student at the Royal College of Music. With them he coached Anne Evans and Katherine Pring for their roles as Norns in a new production of the Ring at the Grand Theâtre de Genève (Switzerland). Their recommendations enabled David to audition playing a rehearsal of Götterdämmerung. Thus he gained a full-time position there, including assisting Armin Jordan, conductor of Parsifal. This led to five years as conductor and repetiteur at the Stadttheater Basel under the leadership of Jordan. Subsequently a contract as Erster Kapellmeister (First Conductor) at the Nationaltheater Mannheim (Germany) enabled David to conduct , cover the Ring assisting Generalmusikdirektor (a Wagner expert) and working with singers and orchestral musicians who were regulars at Bayreuth, including Hannelore Bode and Franz Mazura. Thereafter David assisted the Swedish conductor of a new Ring production at the Grand Théatre, conducting the piano-stage rehearsals with a cast from Bayreuth Later, as Resident Conductor of The Australian Opera, David worked with Sir Mark Elder in Die Meistersinger, Das Rheingold and Tristan und Isolde, featuring in ’s autobiography. Reigniting his European career in the early 1990s, David conducted new productions of Die Meistersinger in Wiesbaden and Siegfried in Nantes. He delivered a paper at an international conference at Bayreuth and accompanying a concert in the house where Wagner composed most of Die Meistersinger. More recently, David created The Ring.Wagner.Animated – a 100 minute multimedia show for families presented by More Than Opera. This won awards in Adelaide, toured Victoria and featured in ’s 2013 Ring Festival, winning rapt attention from children. An even shorter version has been devised for school incursions.For Melbourne Opera, David conducted Tannhäuser and Lohengrin. He is proud to continue his association with the company and delighted to be conferred Member of the Order of Australia in 2020.

SUZANNE CHAUNDY: DIRECTOR

NIDA trained, Suzanne’s thirty-five year directing career spans opera, text-based theatre, outdoor spectacle and encompasses close to 100 productions. She has directed for a diversity of Australian theatre companies including La Mama, STC, MTC and Red Stitch Actors Theatre. Notable recent theatre productions include the world premiere of THE DRESSMAKER (a musical adaptation of the novel by Rosalie Ham) for MLIVE and IN BETWEEN TWO for the 2016 Festival, 2017 Melbourne Festival and 2019 national regional tour. She directed signature productions for Australia’s internationally renowned outdoor performance troupe Strange Fruit, THE FIELD, FLIGHT and THE SPHERES. Her productions for Strange Fruit have been performed in over 300 international festivals and events in more than 40 different countries. Known primarily as an opera director, opera direction credits include THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO and DON PASQUALE for the West Australian Opera, LA BOHÉME for Opera Australia and COSI FAN TUTTE for the and Melbourne Opera. For Melbourne Opera she has also directed DER FREISCHÜTZ, , THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO, , and .

Suzanne is fast becoming regarded a Wagner specialist, attracting critical acclaim for her productions of TANNHÄUSER (Outstanding Production 2016), LOHENGRIN (Opera Chaser Outstanding Independent Production 2017), TRISTAN UND ISOLDE (2018) and THE FLYING DUTCHMAN (2019) all for Melbourne Opera. Alongside her busy directing schedule she is currently Director of the Richard Divall Emerging Opera Artists Programme. Suzanne was supported by the Victorian Government through the Creative Victoria initiative Sustaining Creative Workers in reaction to the COVID crisis in 2020, to assist with her preparation of the Melbourne Opera Ring Cycle. Suzanne was supported by the Victorian Government through the Creative Victoria initiative Sustaining Creative Workers in reaction to the COVID crisis in 2020, to assist with her preparation of the Melbourne Opera Ring Cycle.

14 EDDIE MULIAUMASEALI’I: WOTAN

Eddie has a career spanning three decades in opera as well other artistic genres. He has been a stalwart for Melbourne Opera since 2000 singing many roles including: King Heinrich in Lohengrin, Der Landgraf in Tannhäuser, Mephistopheles in , Henry the 8th in Anna Bolena, Oroveso in Norma, Osmin in Die Enfurung aus dem Serail, Commendatore in , Bonze in , Colline in La Boheme, Lord Cecil in Maria Stuarda. He began his opera career in New Zealand for the Mercury Theatre in 1987 to 1992 singing in operas and musicals. He was a natural singer with no training in voice or music but was hired by the Mercury and honed his crafts on the job. He took up formal training at The Brisbane Conservatorium of Music in1994. Since then he has won many vocal prizes including the Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship, as well being a finalist in the Finals. He has sung in the UK, New York, China, Samoa and has worked for Opera Express, Sydney, Opera NZ, Co-Opera in Adelaide, Opera Queensland, South Australian Opera, More than Opera, Gafa Arts Collective in London, Sydney Symphony, Christchurch Symphony, and from1999 to 2005 was selected by Brigitte Fassbender to work for the Tiroler Landestheatre in Innsbruck, Austria. Other favourite roles he has sung are Leporello in Don Giovanni, Porgy, Crown and Jake in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Eddie’s versatility as a performer has allowed him to work in music theatre as well as in plays. He has played the role of Chief Bromden in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest for Monster Media at the MTC. For the Melbourne’s Sondheim Company, Watch This, he played the role Carl Magnuss in A little Night Music and in Febuary 2021, will sing the role of the Russian villain, Molokov in Chess the Musical touring to Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. This role of Wotan for Melbourne Opera’s Das Rheingold is a culmination of all his previous work in the arts as the role itself is very demanding, as well as a joy to sing. Eddie is grateful for the opportunity to perform this iconic role.

SIMON MEADOWS: ALBERICH Simon studied at the Victorian College of the Arts graduating with a BA (Music) and a Grad Dip (Opera) where he was the recipient of the Mabel Kent Singing Scholarship. He was a winner of the Armstead vocal scholarship for the Music Lovers Society of Victoria as well as a finalist in the Liederfest. For Opera Australia, Simon has performed Morales in Bizet’s Carmen, Count Almaviva in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Yamadori and the Imperial Commissioner in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, the Lieutenant in Kate Miller-Heidke’s The Rabbits, The Gaoler in Puccini’s and the Messenger in Verdi’s La Traviata.

Simon’s roles for other companies include The title role in Le Nozze di Figaro (Australian International Opera Company) Almaviva (VCA Opera studio and Eastern Metropolitan Opera), Guglielmo in Cosi fan Tutte (Melbourne Opera). He has performed both Junius (VCA Opera series) and Tarquinius (Lyric Opera Melbourne) in Britten’s Rape of Lucretia well as Demetrius in A Midsummer Nights Dream (Co-Opera, SA )and Marcello in Puccini’s La Boheme (Co-Opera, Citi Opera and Opera Siam in Bangkok). Musiklehrer in (Victorian Opera), Faninal in ’ , Figaro in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Melbourne Opera), Cascada in Lehar’s The Merry Widow (Melbourne Opera), Marullo in Verdi’s (Melbourne Opera), Silvio in Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci (Preston Symphony) and Tonio (Sydney Independent Opera), Dancairo and Morales in Carmen (Eastern Metropolitan Opera), Alfio in Cavelleria Rusticana (Citi Opera) Jimmy in Stuart Greenbaum’s The Parrot Factory (Victorian Opera), and David in Samuel Barber’s A Hand of Bridge (Athenaeum Opera series). He performed the lead role of Rupert Brooke in Nicholas Vines’ Green Room award winning opera The Hive (Chamber Made Opera) for which he personally received a Green Room award nomination.

In 2013, Simon Meadows performed the role of Belcore in Doniztti’s L’Elisir D’Amore with UK company Opera up Close. He also made his German debut singing the Baritone solo in Swiss composer Frank Martin’s In Terra Pax at ’s Heilige Kreuz Kirche. In 2012 he performed the title role in Verdi’s Macbeth (Kennet Opera), Villequier in Chabrier’s Le Malgre Roi Lui (Wexford Festival Opera, Ireland), Escamillo in Carmen (Opera Up

15 Close, London and Melbourne Opera) and Sonora in Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West (Opera Up Close). Simon’s Concert Engagements in 2012 were as soloist in the Schubert Mass in G (Wexford, Ireland) and the Brahms Eine Deutsches Requiem (Romsey Abbey, UK). Other concert engagements have included Dvorak’s Te Deum (Stonnington Symphony)and dramatic Cantata The Spectres Bride(Willoughby Symphony), Schubert’s Mass in G, Bach’s Wachet Auf cantata(Victoria Chorale), Mozart’s Requiem (Sydney Philharmonia), Orff ’s Carmina Burana (Melbourne Philharmonia), Handel’s Messiah(Victoria Chorale), Judas Maccabaeus (Heidelberg Choral Society) Haydn’s Nelson Mass (National Boys Choir), Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs (Melbourne Uni Chorale),A Sea Symphony (Willoughby Symphony and Royal Melbourne Philharmonia),Serenade to Music (Victoria Chorale), Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia (Monash Symphony). He has performed recitals at Midsumma Festival, Melbourne Fringe Festival, Lieder Society of Victoria and Castlemaine Arts Festival. Another highlight was performing the Baritone solo in Faure’s Requiem in a collaboration between Opera Victoria and .

JAMES EGGLESTONE: LOGE

Dual Helpmann Award-winning James Egglestone is one of Australia’s finest tenors; he has already built up an impressive list of credits with many national and international performing companies. For the Belcanto Festival in The Netherlands, he performed Elvino in and Don Carissimo in La Dirindina; for Melbourne Opera, the roles of Tamino in The Magic Flute, Nadir in The Pearl Fishers, Almaviva in and Rodolfo in La bohème. Roles for State Opera of South Australia have included Laurie in Little Women, Ishmael in Moby-Dick and Nadir in The Pearl Fishers; for West Australian Opera – Nadir, Almaviva, Ismaele in Nabucco and Pluto in Orpheus in the Underworld; for Victorian Opera - Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte and Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw. James’ major role debut for Opera Australia was as Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He returned to Victorian Opera in 2020 as Narraboth in Salome. In 2007, he sang leading roles in The Love of the Nightingale for West Australian Opera, Opera Queensland and Victorian Opera (for which he won the Helpmann Award as Best Male Singer in a Supporting Role); he won the same award in 2008 for his performance in Little Women. Most recently, James has sung Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Lensky in Eugene Onegin, Cassio in Otello, Froh () and Lysander for Opera Australia; Rodolfo (La bohème), Don José (Carmen) and the title role in Faust for State Opera of South Australia; Cavaradossi (Tosca) for New Zealand Opera and Cassio (Otello) for Auckland Philharmonia. He sang Edrisi (Krol Roger) for OA and won the Green Room Award for Best Male Performance in a Supporting Role.

SARAH SWEETING: FRICKA

Sarah began her professional career as a soprano, gaining experience touring the UK in both musicals and operas. She performed the roles of Edith and Isobel in the Joseph Papps Broadway version of The Pirates of Penzance at The London Palladium. She then moved into the mezzo soprano repertoire, and since then, for the past 20 years, she has performed over 40 roles around the globe, including the UK, France, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Asia, Barbados, Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania and China. She performed the role of Annina in Opera Australia’s inaugural Handa Opera on Sydney’s Harbour performance of La Traviata and in 2017 she gained critical acclaim and two Green Room Nominations for her performances in the roles of and Ortrud for Melbourne Opera’s productions of Tannhäuser and Lohengrin. She has appeared with Melbourne Opera, Opera Australia, Opera Holland Park, Opera Queensland, State Opera South Australia, The Australian International Opera Company, Lyric Opera Dublin, Carl Rosa Opera, Raymond Gubbay Productions, London Opera Festival, Jakarta Festival, Travelling Opera UK, Longborough Festival Opera, Lyric Opera (Melbourne), London City Opera, Macau Music Festival, Holders Barbados Festival, Opera Kernow,

16 Co*Opera, Harbour City Opera and Opera Bites. Most notable roles have included Amneris, Erda (Siegfried), Sieglinde, Ortrud, Brangäne, Carmen, Venus, Orlofsky, Zelatrice (Sour Angelica), Suzuki, Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), Donna Elvira, Liu, Fiordiligi, Countess Almaviva, Musetta, Cio Cio San, Leonora () and Alma March in the Australian Premiere of Little Women. On the concert platform, Sarah appeared as a soloist at the , Linbury Theatre for the Covent Garden Festival, John McCabe’s Notturni Ed Alba at the Westminster Central Hall, Opera performances at the Barbican, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal Albert Hall London, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the Concert Hall, Die Erste Walpurgisnacht (Mendelssohn), with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and with the Tall Poppeas at the Armidale Bach Music Festival. Sarah is absolutely thrilled to be singing Fricka in her first Das Rheingold!

LEE ABRAHMSEN: FREIA

Recently described by critics as “Melbourne’s favourite soprano” and hailed as “a rising star” by Limelight Magazine ( July 2016), Australian soprano Lee Abrahmsen is a multi-award winning soprano both on the operatic stage and concert platform. Lee was recipient of the prestigious Herald Sun Aria, Opera Awards Royal Overseas League Award and the Acclaim Awards first prize. She has performed as soloist in Australia with Opera Australia, Opera Queensland, Melbourne Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Queensland Symphony, Omega Ensemble, Melbourne Opera, Victorian Opera, and internationally at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, St Martin in the Fields in London, in China and Japan. She has sung over 30 principal roles including Isolde in Tristan und Isolde, Senta in The Flying Dutchman, Die Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, Leonora in Fidelio, Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, CioCioSan in Madame Butterfly, Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Mimi in La Bohéme (for Melbourne Opera), Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro (Opera Australia) and title role in Tosca (Australian Discovery Orchestra). Recent concert performances include: Recital with Omega Ensemble at Sydney Opera House, soprano solo in Brahms’ Requiem with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Recitals at the Port Fairy Festival, Richard Strauss Four Last Songs with Omega Ensemble at City Recital Hall in Sydney, Fifth Maid in Strauss Elektra with Sydney Symphony at Sydney Opera House and Berlioz Les Nuits D’ètè with Melbourne Sinfonia. Lee received the Opera Chaser’s Outstanding Female in a Lead Role for Isolde in 2018 and received nominations for Best Female Lead in the roles of Senta, Die Marschallin and Valencienne for Melbourne Opera. Lee appeared on Qantas In-Flight Entertainment singing Richard Strauss Four Last Songs with Omega Ensemble and sang the National Anthem at the Ashes Cricket Tests in Sydney and Melbourne. Performances in 2021 include Freia in Das Rheingold, Verdi Requiem at the with Heidelberg Symphony and Chorale and guest artist in a Strauss concert with Geelong Symphony Orchestra.

JASON WASLEY: FROH

Jason Wasley commenced his training at the age of 17 with Robert Lemke . In 1991 he received the Sleath -Lowery award whilst studying at the Victorian College of the Arts. Jason is a Green Room award recipient and was the youngest male ever awarded the prestigious Herald-Sun Aria. He went on to win the National heat of the Placido Domingo world Operalia contest and represented Australia in Vienna.

Jason studied Italian at Bertrand Russell Institute of Languages in Padova. He then moved to London where he was accepted into the National Opera Studio. Jason has performed professionally in , the United Kingdom, Greece, Singapore, China and around Australia with companies such as Glyndebourne festival opera, British Youth Opera, Pegasus Opera Company, D’Oyly Carte Opera, Welsh National Opera, Singapore lyric Opera, State Opera of South Australia, Melbourne Opera, Victoria State Opera, Victorian Opera and Opera Australia.

17 Jason has performed a wide and varied repertoire over his long career starting as a Baritone with notable roles including Papageno from the MagicFlute, Figaro from The Marriage of Figaro, Escamillio from Carmen, the Boatswain in H.M.S. Pinafore, Figaro in The Barber of Seville, Peter in Hansel and Gretel, Belcore in The Elixir of Love, Sid in and Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia. He performed the title role in the British premier of Kullervo by Aulis Sallinen and Marcello , Shaunard in La Boheme (under the baton of ).

In 2006, he moved to tenor in Verdi’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, the title role in Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex, Handels Messiah and performed the roles of Don José in Carmen and Cavaradossi in Tosca, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Alfredo in La Traviata, Florestan in Fidelio the title role of Wagner’s , Rodrigo in Otello, Max in Der Freischütz, Calaf in and the title role of Wagner’s Tannhauser. In 2015 Jason moved to musical theatre performing in Women in War, (Athens, Greece) and starred along side Delta Goodrem as Old Deuteronomy for the Australasian tour of CATS.

ROXANE HISLOP: ERDA

Roxane Hislop is one of Australia’s most respected and accomplished Mezzo . She is a graduate of Sydney University, the NSW Conservatorium of Music and holds a master’s degree in Arts Administration from RMIT University in Melbourne. Awards include the Sydney Sun Aria and the Australian Regional finals of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. She has been nominated five times for a Green Room Award and was named best female artist in a supporting role for Maddalena (Rigoletto) and Olga (Eugene Onegin).

Roxane has an operatic repertoire of over 60 roles including the title roles in Carmen and La Pericole, Rosina (Barber of Seville), Dalila (Samson et Dalila) ,Varvara (Katya Kabanova), Medoro (Orlando), Baba the Turk (The Rakes Progress), Marcellina (Le Nozze di Figaro), Cornelia ( Julius Caesar), and Armastre (Xerxes). She has appeared with every major opera company and Symphony orchestra in Australia.

Miss Hislop performed Mary in Melbourne Opera’s recent production of Der Fliegende Hollander and is thrilled to be singing Erda in this new production of Das Rheingold. Other recent engagements include singing the role of Teresa (La Sonnambula) in concert for Victorian Opera, Dame Hannah (Ruddigore) for Opera Queensland and Gertrude (Romeo et Juliette) in concert with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Roxane reprised the role of Rossweisse (Die Walküre) in Opera Australia’s 2016 Melbourne Ring Cycle, as well as covering Erda and Flosshilde (Das Rheingold) and the First Norn ( Götterdämmerung). She also sang Mrs Herring (Albert Herring) for Opera Australia in Sydney.

Concert engagements include Beethoven 9th Symphony, and Missa Solemnis with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, L’Enfant et les Sortileges with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; The Last Night of the Proms and the Messiah with Queensland Symphony Orchestra; The Jewish Chronicle, Elijah, The Dream of Gerontius and A child of our Times with the Melbourne Chorale and numerous Opera Galas.

Roxane is a passionate supporter of the next generation of Australian Opera singers, and teaches at The Conservatorium as well as serving on several music advisory Boards.

MICHAEL LAPIÑA: MIME

Michael began his professional career touring internationally with Walt Disney Special Events Group. For Melbourne Opera, his past appearances include the title role in Faust, The Steersman in The Flying Dutchman, Remendado in Carmen, Beppe in Pagliacci, and the cover of the title role, Cavaradossi in Tosca, and Goro in Madam Butterfly.

He appeared in Opera Australia’s 2018 tour of Madam Butterfly in China and returned to the company to sing the role of Goro in the 2019 Australian Touring production of the same opera. His roles for Victorian Opera include Normanno in , the First Armed Man and First Priest in The Magic Flute and the covers of Nemorino in L’Elisir D’Amore, and Der Tanzmeister in Ariadne Auf

18 Naxos. Other roles include the Emperor in Turandot for , Alfredo in La Traviata and Manrico in Il Trovatore for Stonnington’s Opera In The Park, the cover of Alvaro in the State Opera Of South Australia’s La Forza del Destino and in Verdi’s Macbeth, the roles of Malcolm for Heidelberg Choral Society and Macduff for Gertrude Opera. He has been soloist in Messiah and Verdi’s Requiem for Camberwell Choral Society, Rossini’s Stabat Mater for the Heidelberg Choral Society and has toured extensively in opera concerts throughout China.

ADRIAN TAMBURINI: FASOLT

After singing as a boy chorister for many years, Adrian commenced vocal lessons with Bettine McCaughan at the age of 15. Between 1996 and 2011 he achieved great success winning awards in many vocal eisteddfods and competitions throughout Victoria including two international singing competitions. In 2017, Adrian was the winner of Australia’s prestigious singing award, the Australian Opera Awards (YMF, MOST). His singing has featured on cinema releases of opera, DVD, international recordings, motion picture soundtracks, radio, television (Woolworths Carols in the Domain) and Australian dramas including the soundtrack to “After the Deluge”. His Operatic debut was in 1997 and ever since has had a varied career as an operatic soloist (Opera Australia, West Australian Opera, Melbourne Opera, Lost and Found Opera), a concert performer (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Zelman Symphony Orchestra, Sydney University Graduate Choir, Melbourne Bach Choir, West Australian Symphony Orchestra), musical director and producer. His work, both on and off the stage, has been nominated for awards and his performances have received critical acclaim. Adrian has worked with international conductors and directors such as Asher Fisch, Andrea Molino, Philippe Auguin, Andrea Battistoni, Jonathan Darlington, Pietari Inkinen, Andrea Licata, Carlo Montanaro, Renato Palumbo, Guillaume Tourniaire, David McVicar, Barry Kosky, Bruce Beresford, John Bell, Francesca Zambello, and Elijah Moshinsky.

STEVEN GALLOP: FAFNER

Steven Gallop studied at the Queensland Conservatorium before becoming a member of Opera Australia’s Young Artist Program. He studied in Vienna subsequently singing Varlaam in Boris Godunov and Fernando in Fidelio for Welsh National Opera, Swallow in Peter Grimes in Santiago, Kasper in Der Freischutz at Reinsberg Festival, The Emperor in Tan Dun’s Tea, Hotel Manager in Powder Her in Vienna, Rome, Naples, and Chicago and Anthony Carol in Osborne’s The Piano Tuner for Covent Garden. Since returning to Australia in 2008, for Melbourne Opera, he has appeared as Georgio in , Angelotti in Tosca, Mephistofeles in Faust, Rocco in Fidelio, The Bonze in Madam Butterfly, Caspar in Der Freischutz and King Marke in Tristan und Isolde. His recent roles for Opera Australia include Angelotti in Tosca, Nourabad in Pearlfishers, Wurm in Luisa Miller, Sarastro in Magic Flute and Bartolo in Marriage Of Figaro and The Bonze in Madam Butterfly on tour in China. Other appearances include Mephistopheles in Faust and Sarastro for Eugene Opera in the USA, the Marquis of Calatrava in Force Of Destiny , Commendatore in Don Giovanni and Bonze for State Opera Of South Australia and Commendatore, Sarastro, Ariodate in Xerxes and Achilla in Julius Caesar all for Victorian Opera.

DARCY CARROLL: DONNER

Darcy holds a Master of Music (Opera Performance) from the University of Melbourne. Over the course of the Masters Darcy performed the roles of Sid in Britten’s Albert Herring, Jupiter in Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers, Gianni Schicchi in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.Other recently performed roles include Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Lyric Opera Studio Weimar), Frank in Strauss’ (Berlin Opera Academy), and Colline in Puccini’s La Boheme (directed by Cameron Menzies). In early 2020, Darcy sang the featured solo of the Officer in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Victorian Opera).

19 In 2017, Darcy was a scholarship recipient and studio artist with Gertrude Opera. Whilst in the program Darcy studied and performed the roles of Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (performed in English), Mr Kofner in Menotti’s The Consul, Ben in Menotti’s The Telephone, and The Maestro in Salieri’s Prima la Musica e Poi le Parole (performed in English). He is a current young artist with Melbourne Opera’s Richard Divall Emerging Artists Program (2019-2020). As part of the program Darcy performed the 2nd Prisoner solo in Beethoven’s Fidelio, and workshopped the role of Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. In August 2020 Darcy was awarded the German-Australian Opera Grant and will fly to Germany in June 2021, where he will begin a year long contract as a member of the ensemble at the Hessische Staatstheater Wiesbaden.

REBECCA RASHLEIGH: WOGLINDE Rebecca is one of Australia’s up and coming Sopranos. Born in Melbourne, Australia She graduated at the Victorian College of the Arts and Music in 2010. Since then Rebecca has performed with several opera companies within Australia such as Opera Australia, Victorian Opera, Melbourne Opera, Australian International Opera Company and Lyric Opera of Melbourne and performing such roles as: Marzelline (Fidelio) Susanna (Le Nozze di Fiagro), Rosina (Barber of Seville), Yvonne ( Jonny spielt auf ), Clotilde (Norma), Gretel (Hansel and Gretel), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Liu (Turandot), Blonde (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Sofia (Il Signore Bruschino), Poppea (L’incoronazione di Poppea) and Wendy (Contact!). Rebecca has also received several awards such as The More Than Opera Development Grant from The German Australian Opera Grant, The Boroondara Eisteddfod Aria and The West Gippsland Drama and Music Eisteddfod Aria. During her time with Opera Scholars Australia, Rebecca was awarded Opera Scholar of the Year for 2015 and in 2018 Rebecca was the winner of the much prestigious Herald Sun Aria.

KAREN VAN SPALL: FLOSSHIDE

Karen graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Arts (Music) and Bachelor of Music Performance (Hons) after which she lived and worked in London. She performed for ARYA Opera Company under the direction of Olusola Oyeleye and was a creative workshop participant for London’s Opera Factory. She performed regularly as a guest artist of Opera Australia, soloist for Victorian Opera and various orchestras. Roles for Opera Australia’s national touring company include Suzuki, Kate Pinkerton, Mercedes and Carmen (understudy). Other roles include: Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte), Second Lady, Third Lady (Magic Flute), Mother, Secretary (The Consul), Slave (Salome, OA) Third Orphan (Der Rosenkavalier, OA) Third Handmaiden and Unborn Child (Die Frau Ohne Schatten, VSO) Lola (Cavallaria Rusticana), Marianne (Le Chatte) and Dryade (Ariadne auf Naxos). She created the role of “Therese Rein” (Rain) and played “Offred’s Mother” in the Australian premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale. She wrote “Wagner in Paris” for Opera Australia’s “Melbourne Ring Festival.” Karen is a regular performer at the , having given recitals with Melbourne Art Song Collective and The Parlour. Sacred and concert repertoire includes Alto solos in: Mozart’s Requiem and Missa Brevis in C, Mass in D - Dvorak, Mass in G Minor - Vaughan Williams, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Berlioz’ “Les Nuits d’Ete”, Mahler’s “Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen”, “Rückert-lieder” and 8th Symphony. Along with her classical music performances, she has appeared in film, television and her writing credits include Clara’s Party, Grainger at Home, and The Paris Trilogy. Karen has a MA in Arts Management and enjoys creating engaging musical experiences for audiences as a singer, writer or producer and occasionally all three. In 2015 she formed “The Parlour” as a vehicle to explore the potential of Art Song as a theatrical and evolving genre.

20 LOUISE KEAST: WELLGUNDE

Currently based in Melbourne, soprano Louise Keast is emerging as a skilled and versatile Australian operatic artist with aspirations of an international performance career. Initially trained at the Queensland Conservatorium, Louise is a current member of the Richard Divall Emerging Artist Programme with Melbourne Opera and studies with eminent dramatic contralto Liane Keegan and vocal coach Raymond Lawrence. In February 2020 Louise made her company debut with Melbourne Opera in the role of Marzelline (Beethoven’s Fidelio) conducted by Anthony Negus. Louise’s recent operatic experience includes Countess (Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro), Donna Elvira (Mozart’s Don Giovanni), Micaëla (Bizet’s Carmen), Ofglen (Ruder’s The Handmaid’s Tale), Eurydice (Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice) and Mimí (Puccini’s La Bohéme). Recently, Louise was awarded the Rotary International Next Generations Service Exchange Scholarship, which will see her perform at the Festival Junger Künstler Bayreuth and pursue further professional development and experience in Germany in 2021. In 2020 Louise was a finalist in the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Aria Competition. In 2019 Louise represented Australia at the final rounds of the 38th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition in Villach, Austria. The and Richard Bonynge Foundation have supported Louise in both 2019 & 2018, awarding her the Encouragement Award, Bel Canto Award, and as a finalist in the Sydney International Song Prize respectively. In 2018 and 2019 Louise has been a semi-finalist in the Herald Sun Aria and in 2018 she received the Gertrude Johnson Studio Artist Fellowship, performing principal roles in the inaugural Yarra Valley Opera Festival with Gertrude Opera. Upcoming performances include Fiordiligi (Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte) with IOpera in May and as Dama di Lady Macbeth (Verdi’s Macbeth) later this year with Melbourne Opera.

ANDREW BAILEY: DESIGNER

Andrew Bailey is a Melbourne based Set and Costume Designer. Some of his recent designs include The Curtain 45 Downstairs, Melbourne Opera’s The Flying Dutchman, Melbourne Theatre Company’s Wild, Melbourne Talam, Double Indemnity, Lungs, The Boy at the Edge of Everything (2015 Green Room Award nomination), What Rhymes with Cars and Girls, The Effect (2014 Green Room Award nomination), Beached, Happy Ending, The Golden Dragon, On the Production of Monsters (2012 Green Room Award nomination), The Joy of Text, Songs for Nobodies, Ruby Moon, and, for MTC Education, Explorations: A Streetcar Named Desire. Some of his other independent/site-specific designs include, Oil Babies (Darebin Arts Speakeasy Festival) Grief and the Lullaby ( Flight Festival), The Stream/The Shore/The Boat/The Bridge (Next Wave Festival; 2012 Green Room Award), Southern Crossings (Green Room Award), Pillow Talk, 24003, and This is Our Youth. Andrew currently holds the position of Lecturer in Design at the Victorian College of the Arts.

ROB SOWINSKI: LIGHTING DESIGNER

Rob is a lighting designer with a practice spanning opera, music theatre, drama, consultancy and management. Opera credits include The Flying Dutchman, Iphigenie en Tauride, The Coronation of Poppea, Pygmalion, Stella, Trouble in Tahiti, Bluebeard’s Castle and The Tender Land. Green Room award nominations include best lighting for The Flying Dutchman (MO), Triangle (MKA), Pacific Overtures and A Little Night Music (Watch This), and The Trouble with Harry (MKA/ Melbourne Festival). Other projects include The Dressmaker, the critically acclaimed Angels in America (FortyFive Downstairs) lighting design for John Cameron Mitchell’s Australian tour, and tours of Strangers in Between and Resident Alien. For National: La Casa di Bernarda Alba, Orpheus/Eurydice, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. Other work includes Die Knef, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, The Threepenny Opera, Cabaret and Palace of the End. Rob has undertaken touring production design for Chita Rivera, Ben Vereen, Lillias White, Lorna Luft and Macy Gray.

21 BRYN CULLEN: ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER

Bryn is a Melbourne based theatre designer, acrobatic rigger, and automation technician. Recent design highlights include co-lighting and scenic design of Spencer (Lab Kelpie), lighting design on L’incoronazione di Poppea (Lyric Opera of Melbourne), associate lighting design on Cabaret (Showtune Productions), and co-lighting design of Angels in America (Cameron Lukey & Dirty Pretty Theatre). Bryn has also had the opportunity to work in a technical capacity on shows such as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Show Rigger), and Kurios and Amaluna for Cirque Du Soleil (Rigging, Automation, and Lighting).

HARRIET OXLEY: COSTUME DESIGNER

A graduate of VCA (Theatre Design) and RMIT (Fashion Design), Harriet has been designing dance, opera, circus and musical theatre productions since 2005. Recent design credits include Stephanie Lake’s outdoor mass dance event Multiply and Gabrielle Nankivell’s Future History (Adelaide).For Melbourne Opera, Harriet designed Norma and The Flying Dutchman in 2019. Over the last 10 years, for Victorian Opera, she designed Laughter and Tears, Into The Woods, Angelique/The Bear, and Assembly. In recent years, credits include Us 50 and Neon Aether (Gideon Obarzanek, and Gabrielle Nankivell, for Sydney Dance Company), The Temple (), Dust (Dancenorth) and One Infinity (Dancenorth/ Beijing Dance Theatre), Wunderage and Aurora (Circus Oz), and Oil Babies (Petra Kalive/ Lab Kelpie). Harriet’s extensive contemporary dance design experience includes award-winning productions Attractor (Gideon Obarzanek/ Lucy Guerin Inc/ Dancenorth), The Dark Chorus (Lucy Guerin Inc), Colossus, Pile of Bones, Double Blind, A Small Prometheus (Stephanie Lake Company), and In Plan (Michelle Heaven). For Chunky Move, Harriet designed Nether for Lauren Langlois and Anti-Gravity for Anouk Van Dijk. Harriet has been nominated for several Green Room Awards, winning once for design in Opera.

RAYMOND LAWRENCE: HEAD OF MUSIC & CHORUS MASTER

Raymond has been Head of Music and Chorus Master at Melbourne Opera since 2012 and is one of Australia’s most highly regarded vocal coaches, accompanist and most experienced young opera conductors. He studied at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and joined Opera Queensland’s Young Artist Program as a répétiteur.

In 2019, Raymond was nominated for a Green Room Award for his conducting of Melbourne Opera’s production of Bellini’s Norma. He has conducted performances of The Merry Widow, La Traviata, The Pearl Fishers, The Barber of Seville, Anna Bolena, The Abduction from the Seraglio, HMS Pinafore, Roberto Devereux and Rossini’s Otello for Melbourne Opera. Raymond is the Music Director for Opera Australia’s Victorian Schools Company and was Music Director of Stonnington Opera in the Park from 2014 to 2016.

As a vocal coach, he has nurtured many Australian singers who have gone on to become members of the Jette Parker Programme at The Royal Opera House, the Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Programme at Opera Australia, ensemble member at the Wiener Staatsoper, as well as becoming finalists and prize winners in many prestigious singing competitions.

22 GREG HOCKING AM: PRODUCER

Greg graduated with a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne. He studied under Carlo Felice Cillario and Geoffrey Arnold. He worked at Queensland Opera and Australian Opera, and has run his own successful entrepreneurial business since 1979. As a conductor Greg has an extensive operatic repertoire and produced and conducted Melbourne Opera’s inaugural season of La Traviata, The Pearl Fishers, and The Magic Flute. He has produced and conducted many of Melbourne Opera’s 42 productions since. In 2004 he conducted La Traviata in Fiesole and returned to Rome for concerts later that year. Recent international engagements include Germany and regular tours of China. Greg is chief adjudicator of the Herald Sun Aria. Greg is a founding director of Melbourne Opera. He also founded the Universal Theatre, the Comedy Club, and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. As a theatrical producer his extensive credits range from Wogs out of Work to Beckett directs Beckett and Australian concert tours of many famous artists including Yehudi Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Roger Woodward, Ivo Pogorelich, Sir George Martin and Elvis Costello. In 2017, Greg was awarded an AM in recognition of his service to the performing arts and the comedy industry.

Photograph of Wagner in 1867, clad and seated in the velvet-lined comfort to which he had become accustomed, prior to the Rheingold premiere.

23 MELBOURNE OPERA ORCHESTRA

VIOLIN I HARPS HORN Ben Spiers - Concertmaster Samantha Ramirez Evgeny Chebykin Felicite Heine Alannah Guthrie-Jones Ella Moulton Daniel Tan Laura Tanata Rosie Savage Jessica Lambourn Sarah Lambourne Phoebe Smithies Ben Sim Gemma Tong Ray Chan Vanessa McKeand Terence Lu Glavier Aldana TRUMPET Nathan Jurianz Bruno Siketa Katrina Shilton Rob Sims Emma Martin FLUTE I Lewis Coard Rennata Morrison Vicki Stanko Kenneth McClimont (Bass) Emily Frazer Emma Winestone Roy Theaker FLUTE 2 TROMBONE Liz Barcan Ian Haines Spencer Nelson VIOLIN II Glenn Bardwell (Bass) Bernadette Baker FLUTE III/PICCOLO Elijah Cornish (Contrabass) Nino Ksovreli Julie Danaher Vincy U Jack Cross TUBA Katherine Squires CLARINET I Tom Campbell (Tenor Tuba 1) Navin Gulavita Kelli White Tim Hannah (Tenor Tuba 2) Kat Tsyrilin Stuart McGregor (Bass Tuba 1) Josiah Kop (Bass Tuba 2) Matheus Felipe Lessa Oliveira CLARINET II Matthew van Emmerik (Contrabass) Raymond Wei Paul Jenkins Kate Marshall Hannah Kuek TIMPANI CLARINET III Sam U Arwen Johnston Brendan Toohey

VIOLA PERCUSSION BASS CLARINET Catherine Turnbull Fintan Hocking Joel Hands-Otte Setsuko Minikawa Christine Baker Sandra Ionescu Sabrina Yeh OBOE I OFF STAGE Vivian Wheatley Rachel Curkpatrick PERCUSSION ANVILS Ely Ruttico Ben Dickson Eugenie Lyons Chrissy Chan Warren Wiggins OBOE II John Rechter Madeline Roycroft Shaun Fogarty VIOLONCELLO Mandy Van Zanen Christopher Raduly OBOE III Augustus Stephenson Keryn Lientschnig Laura Schulze Brandon Waterworth Janet Butler Leah Columbine Nicholas Jensen Huon Bourne Blue COR ANGLAIS Peter West Sebastian Beswick Lewis Reed Andrew Jacobs Laura Smith Lauren Jennings Amanda Goldsworthy BASSOON I Lachlan Black CONTRABASS Glenn Taylor Peter Tregear Louis Stevens Chris Gelok BASSOON II Alexandra Giller Sally Wickes Samuel Nock Ian Crossfield Luke Richardson BASSOON III Rob Nicholls Sara Rafferton

The Melbourne Opera Orchestra is available for, and loves, freelance engagements.

24 MELBOURNE OPERA COMPANY BENEFACTORS

Principal Benefactors

The Angior Family Foundation Dr Alastair Jackson AM Mr Kenneth Reed AM The Estate of Margaret May Attwood Mr Barry Janes & Mr Paul Cross The Robert Salzer Foundation Mr Keith Beard Lady Potter AC CMRI Roy Morgan Research Mr Hans & Mrs Petra Henkell Dr Douglas & Mrs Monica Mitchell Fisher Fund Henkell Family Fund 2 Mr Allan Myers AC QC and Mrs Maria Vera Moore Foundation The Ian Potter Foundation Myers AC Debra and Greg Hocking AM

Benefactors

Beverly & Geoff Abbott Mr & Mrs John Grigg Mr Bill Pell Ms Seonaid Alexander Ms Margaret Haggart Mr Geoffrey & Mrs Jan Phillips Mrs Valma Allaway OAM Mr Ken & Mrs Anne Hanlon Mr Fred Porter Australian Communities Foundation Hansen Little Foundation Professor John & Mrs Marion Poynter Mr Philip Bacon AM Mr David Harper David & Gayle Pitt Ballandry (Peter Griffin Family) Fund Harris Family Fund, a charitable fund account of Peter Reilly & Lynton Soderholm Anthony & Amanda Battaini LMCH Professor Gregory Reinhardt AM Ms Laurie Bebbington & Ms Elizabeth O'Keeffe Mr & Mrs Geoffrey Harris Mr Chris Renwick AM & Mrs Margery Renwick Beleura - Tallis Foundation Ken Harrison AM & Jill Harrison OAM Mrs Vivienne Ritchie Ms Marja Berclouw Mr John Heitlinger Mr & Mrs Tomas Romanowski Binks & Associates Management Pty Ltd Ms Catherine Heggen Dr Ian Ross Mrs Ann Blainey Mr Roger Howell Mrs Margaret S Ross AM Mrs Shirley Breese Mr Peter & Mrs Jenny Hordern Ms Margaret Rush Mr Len Britton Ms Suzanne Hume Cheryl Saunders & Ian Baker Mr Stuart Brown Mr David Jackson Schapper Family Ms Diana Burleigh Mr Basil & Mrs Rita Jenkins Mr Clive Scott Mr David Byrne Mr Anthony Kennedy OAM Mr Paul Selar Ms Pamela Caldwell Mrs Margaret Kidd Mr William Sharpe Mrs Jennie Cameron AM Ms Suzanne Kirkham Mr & Mrs Jeffrey Sher John & Janice Carpenter Mrs Joy Laurence Mr John Shellard Hon Alex Chernov AC QC & Mrs Elizabeth Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation Ms Yvonne Sheppard Chernov Peter Lovell & Michael Jan Mr Andrew Sisson AO Ms Christine Clough Mr Lester Johnson Ms Libby Smith & Mr John Middleton Ms Maxine Cooper Ms Barbra MacDonald Mrs Julie Spence Mrs Joan Cowan Ms Marga Macdonald Professor Elsdon & Mrs Christine Storey Lady Anna Cowen AM Ms Jennifer Marshall Scott Sutherland Mr Stephen Crawford Ms Anne-Marie Maschio Judith & Valdis Svars Mrs Annie Cuming Mrs Ann Mattingly Mr Jamie Tait Mrs Joan Darling Mrs Margaret Mayers Professor Hugh Taylor AC & A/Professor Elizabeth Mrs Sue Darvall Mrs Fairlie McColl Dax AM Mr Ernest Dawes OBE & Mrs Nola Dawes Mrs Ann McFarling William Taylor Mr Knut & Mrs Toni Feddersen Dr Judith McKenzie Craig Thomas & Graeme Moody Dr Ian Dickson AM & Ms Lisa Dwyer Mrs Elizabeth McKern Dr Celia Thompson & Mr Derek Leather Mr & Mrs John Dowling Mrs Rosemary McLeish Dr Peter Tregear OAM Mr Michael & Mrs Rosemary Dowling Peter & Mary-Ruth McLennan Dr Michael Troy Mr John Drury OAM & Dr Dianne Drury AM Mr Paul Mocnay Mr Peter Valder Mr John & Mrs Anne Duncan Modean Family Trust Mr Frank Van Straten & Mr Adrian Turley Equity Trustees - Marshall-Hall Trust Motet Fund, a charitable fund account of LMCH Dr John & Mrs Marilyn Viggers Mr Malcolm Fisk Professor Kerry Murphy The Revd. Noel Whale Mr Michael Flemming Ms Judith Neale Ms Sue Westwood Mrs Kathy Franks Mr & Mrs Ken Neate Mrs Lyn Williams AM Ms Thelma Frey Mrs Anne Neil Mr Rod Woolley Mr Peter Gallagher & Ms Karen Morley Mr Peter Newman Mr Renn Wortley George Hicks Foundation Ms Miki Oikawa Mr H McM Wright QC Sir James & Lady Gobbo Mr & Mrs Vincenzo Paolucci Anonymous (4) Ms Nance Grant AM MBE & Mr Ian Harris Mr Gregory Payne & Ms Alicia Payne

25 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Melbourne Opera is grateful for the generous assistance of:

Set Construction and Painting: Greg Carroll, Daniel Madrigali, Shane Lee, James Williams, Christina Logan-Bell, Sello Molefi, Brendan Ewing, Cheryl Darvidis, Giuliana D’Appio, Creed Butler-Zelen, Stevie David, Gareth Lieberman and Tiny Good (Showtech Australia), Kinetic Sets, Geoff Nixon, Marty Shlansky

Lighting: Prof. Ken Sloan, Resolution X: Jamie Russell, Nick Rutherford and Rohan Holt, Casey Loraine, Jodie Hutchinson and Dean Schulz, Melbourne Theatre Company (Projection) Video Design Consultant: Yandell Walton

Dressers: Amelia Peace, Aislinn Naughton, Claire Mercer, Kristine Walker, Bridie Harvey Hair, Wigs and Make Up Assistants: Senior Artists: Madison Levett & Tayla Alexander. Assistant: Amelia Lever

Marriner Theatres: Jason Marriner, Jesse Cain, Drue Goodwin, Mark Allan, Nikai Van Garderenn

Heidi Victoria Photography

Melbourne Opera would like to thank: FOMO committee – Lady Primrose Potter AC CMRI, Dr Ian Dickson AM, Ms Maxine Cooper, Dr Celia Thompson, Mr Chris Ryan, Mr Greg Hocking AM, Mrs Robbie McPhee.

Melbourne Opera Intern: Anastasia Webb Publicity: Rain Fuller, Keshia Hutchens Website Management: Fred Porter, Steven Smith, David Woodberry Photography: Halls Videographer: Bradley De Vries

From Anthony Negus: Acknowledgements: To Greg Hocking and Melbourne Opera for having the faith and determination to get us over in difficult circumstances; to Novotel, Melbourne for looking after us so well during 14 days' quarantine detention; to David Kram and Raymond Lawrence for devoted preparation work.

Directors of the Athenaeum Theatre: Barry Janes, Glenn Elston OAM, Greg Hocking AM Athenaeum Theatre Technical Managers: Paul Boath, Tony Day, Mick Bell

26 MELBOURNE OPERA

ABN 20103803774 Phone: 03 9600 2488 www.melbourneopera.com

PATRON-IN-CHIEF FOUNDING PATRONS Lady Potter AC CMRI Sir Zelman Cowen AK GCMG GCVO Professor Richard Divall AO OBE Sir AC KCMG PATRON Lady Hamer Maestro Richard Bonynge AC CBE Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE Dame Joan Sutherland OM AC DBE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Flemming Margaret Haggart Barry Janes Chairman Geoffrey Harris Anastasia Fai Kogan David Pitt Kenneth Harrison AM Kenneth Neate AM KSJ Deputy Chairman Greg Hocking AM Michael Wright AM QC Ian Dickson AM Roger Howell

MANAGEMENT Robbie McPhee - Company Manager · Kenneth Neate - Company Secretary

ARTISTIC COMMITTEE Michael Wright AM QC · Geoffrey Harris · Greg Hocking AM · Raymond Lawrence

GRAPHIC DESIGN & PUBLICITY designjunkies.com.au · FullerPR - Rain Fuller

MUSIC DEPARTMENT Greg Hocking AM - Resident Conductor Raymond Lawrence - Head of Music, Associate Conductor & Chorusmaster Cecily Woodberry - Assistant Chorusmaster Repetiteurs: Konrad Olszewski

ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT Christopher Raduly, Ben Spiers, Ella Jakins, Glenn Taylor

PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Greg Hocking AM - Producer · Greg Carroll - Set Build & Construction

FOMO COMMITTEE Lady Potter AC CMRI, Ian Dickson AM, Maxine Wright, Robbie McPhee, Michael Flemming, Chris Ryan, Celia Thompson, Greg Hocking AM

27 *Approx