CON PRESENTS ’s production of

Saturday 14 October, 6.30pm Tuesday 17 October, 6.30pm Thursday 19 October, 11.30am Saturday 21 October, 2.00pm

MUSIC WORKSHOP SYDNEY CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC Sydney Conservatorium of Music Opera School presents

DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE This Opera Australia production of The () Magic Flute is presented in arrangement with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, The . This production Opera in two acts of The Magic Flute was first performed in 2014, and toured 43 regional centres throughout Australia. It is presented by Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder kind arrangement with Opera Australia. Sung in German with English surtitles The Magic Flute is published by Bärenreiter/ Approximately 2 hours, Alkor and supplied by Clear Music Australia, with one interval of 20 minutes their exclusive hire agents for Australia and New Zealand. Original production conceived and directed by Michael Gow Designer Robert Kemp

Original Lighting Designer Matt Scott The Magic Flute was commissioned English Translation Michael Gow with for a playhouse in Vienna – an opera Anthony Legge (additional material by for the people, not the wealthy Roger Press) patrons of the Opera House.

Mozart conducted the premiere and Sydney Conservatorium of Music felt the opera was an immediate production directed by Roger Press, based success, writing to his wife to say: on the original conception and production “But what always gives me the most of Michael Gow pleasure is the silent approval! You can see how the opera is becoming Music Director Dr Stephen Mould more and more esteemed…” Revival Lighting Designer Peter Rubie Sadly, Mozart died just two months later.

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2 Tamino meanwhile encounters the Speaker Synopsis who questions him about his reasons for being in this tomb, overheard by another Act 1 stranger. Tamino tells him he’s here to rescue Tamino, a young explorer, finds himself in a a young woman from an evil man. The Speaker mysterious tomblike maze. A terrible monster tells him that Tamino doesn’t know the true begins stalking him and in his panic to escape, story about Pamina’s kidnap. Tamino is afraid Tamino knocks himself out. At that moment, Pamina might be dead but the mysterious Three Women arrive to send the monster voices tell him she is still alive. back to whatever vault it escaped from. The Speaker and the stranger return with their The Three Women are very taken with Tamino, followers. The stranger is in fact Sarastro, each wanting to stay alone with him while the Pamina’s father and leader of a band of other two go and alert the woman they serve, Philosophers working in the tomb. Monostatos the mysterious Queen of the Night. In the end has caught Tamino, who is shocked to learn all three go, promising to return. the stranger he insulted is the man who stole his beloved from her mother. Monostatos Tamino comes to, not sure where he is or even expects to be rewarded for finding Tamino whether he’s not dreaming. Another bizarre but instead is punished for harassing Pamina. figure appears. It’s Papageno, the former Sarastro tells Tamino he must join the ornithologist now bird catcher who works Philosophers if he wants to be accepted. for the Queen of the Night. Papageno claims to have defeated the monster but the three women return and make it clear they were the ones who rescued Tamino. To stop Papageno Act 2 fibbing they put a stopper in his mouth. Sarastro and the Philosophers convene and agree that Tamino is ready to undergo the They give Tamino a locket with a portrait of three trials that lead to membership of their the Queen of the Night’s daughter Pamina. circle. The first trial is the Trial by Silence. Tamino immediately falls in love with Pamina and vows to rescue her from the terrible man The Three Women appear and warn them that who has kidnapped her. terrible things will happen to them if they join the Philosophers. Papageno is terrified and The Queen of the Night hears his vow and can’t keep quiet. arrives to promise that the moment Pamina is rescued she will become Tamino’s bride. The Spirit Guides appear to tell the two men to be brave in the coming trials. Pamina finds The Three Women give Tamino a magic flute Tamino but he can’t speak to her because to protect him on his mission. They give of the Trial by Silence. She thinks he doesn’t Papageno, who doesn’t really want to help, a love her anymore and is heartbroken. She magic music box to keep him safe. The Three thinks that only death will end her suffering. Women give both men Spirits to guide them Papageno wishes he had someone to feel as on their quest. Tamino and Papageno set off deeply about him. to rescue Pamina. Monostatos finds the unhappy Pamina and Pamina is trying to escape from the maze but decides to make her his, but the Queen of she is caught by Monostatos, the man who is the Night arrives. She is impatient for Tamino assigned to guard her. It’s clear Monostatos is to lead Pamina out of the tomb. When very taken with Pamina. Papageno stumbles in Pamina tells her Tamino will become one of and looks so bizarre Monostatos goes to get the Philosophers, the Queen of the Night help. Papageno tells Pamina that a handsome is enraged. She tells Pamina she must kill young man is in love with her and they must Sarastro or she will no longer be her daughter. go to meet him. They both yearn to have someone to love.

3 Monostatos has overheard and tries to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 Jan 1756, blackmail Pamina but is finally banished by Salzburg – 5 Dec 1791, Vienna) is rightly Sarastro. Pamina challenges her father, and he regarded as one of the most supremely is forced to confront his own feelings gifted of musicians, a child prodigy who grew and beliefs. into a composer and pianist of the highest distinction. His style essentially represents a Tamino is led to the next two trials, The Trial synthesis of many different elements, which by Fire and the Trial by Water by two Priests in coalesced in his Viennese years, from 1781 protective outfits. Pamina cries out in despair, on, into an idiom now regarded as a peak Tamino hears her and they are reunited. of Viennese Classicism. The mature music, Pamina bravely leads Tamino through the distinguished by its melodic beauty, its formal secret doors that lead to the two Trials. Her elegance and its richness of harmony and love and the music of the magic flute protect texture, is deeply coloured by Italian opera them and they survive. They are welcomed though also rooted in Austrian and south into the band of Philosophers. German instrumental traditions. Unlike Haydn, Papageno is overwhelmed by the loneliness his senior by 24 years, and Beethoven, his and thinks of ending his life. But the Spirit junior by 15, he excelled in every medium Guides tell him to use the music box to obtain current in his time. He may thus be regarded what he longs for. He does and finally meets as the most universal composer in the history his perfect partner, Papagena. of Western music. Monostatos is now aiding and abetting the Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) is an Queen of the Night and they are about to example of Singspiel, the form of 18th century blow up the tomb when Sarastro exposes comic opera indigenous to Germany which their plot. But instead of punishing them, included spoken dialogue, although he heeds his own philosophy and humbles in complexity and quality it far exceeded himself before them, asking for forgiveness other examples of the genre. It was for having been so angry towards them. Every premiered in the Theater auf der Wieder in one sings of the joy and harmony that come Vienna on 30 September 1791, mere months from listening to this wisdom. before Mozart’s untimely death. Although it (Kindly reproduced with permission of was not a fashionable venue, audiences were Michael Gow and Opera Australia) good and included all ranks; Salieri attended a performance and complimented Mozart warmly. There were 20 performances in the first month. Soon after Mozart’s death Die Zauberflöte was performed in Prague and in all other centres of German opera (including Warsaw and St Petersburg) before 1798. No major operatic centre was without a production in the 19th century and the popularity of Die Zauberflöte has never waned. (Source Oxford Music Online)

4 enjoyed in the surtitles, which are derived Music Director’s Note from Michael’s text. In presenting Mozart’ s The Magic Flute The Conservatorium and Con Opera are this semester, Con Opera has moved very grateful to both Michael Gow and in a slightly different direction. We Lyndon Terracini, for their generosity in normally invite a director to create a facilitating the loan of this production, brand new production, tailor-made for and we are pleased to be fostering this our students using the resources of the important industry link with our national Conservatorium. This time, we have opera company. sourced an existing production, created I hope that you will enjoy this zany by Michael Gow for Opera Australia, a rendering of Mozart’s masterpiece. production that has toured widely, and been highly acclaimed. Dr Stephen Mould This has created a new dynamic and Artistic Director, Con Opera learning experience for our students, who have been learning to adapt to the needs and production values of a show that has Director’s Note been much performed and somewhat revised over time. This is another I’ve known The Magic Flute since I was important aspect of the singer’s craft quite young. It was the first opera I ever got and skill-base learning to slot into a pre- to know. I’ve always loved the music, the existing concept, and learning to recreate characters and the mysterious story it tells. that concept within the parameters set by Two things have always disappointed me a revival director. Opera Australia’s Roger about The Magic Flute though; in the Press has recreated this production for standard version it’s assumed black people us, and we have been very fortunate to are naturally inferior to white people; and have someone of his great experience and The Queen of the Night is portrayed as insight to lead this process. a wicked harpy bent on total power and Michael Gow’s production reinvents The the destruction of those who oppose Magic Flute in the twentieth century, with her. At the end she and her followers are references to the Hollywood of Indiana condemned to the abyss forever. Jones, with many witty references and This is a reflection of the time the opera no shortage of slapstick humour. This is was written; the brotherhood of man was undoubtedly a production that looks to still Europeans only and powerful women the comic side of the work, which has were almost against nature and were to be made it popular to audiences all around feared and opposed. Men were rational Australia. It also places it within the long creatures capable of wielding power tradition of reworkings and reinventions of for the good of everyone; women were the story that were undertaken even while irrational and needed controlling or else Mozart’s own original production was still there would be chaos. running. Here we have a Magic Flute that sits firmly in the world of opera buffa, even But the Queen of the Night is a brilliant pantomime, rather than . character; her two arias are some of the most exciting and spectacular music for We will be performing the work sung in the voice ever written. I’ve always felt it a German, with English dialogue. Michael shame when she’s destroyed at the end; it Gow created an English singing translation sends a great character to her doom and for the original production, which diminishes all of Sarastro’s noble talk of underpins and enhances the style of his reason and forgiveness. production. While we have chosen to perform the musical numbers in German, So in this version, as well as leaving out a the flavour of Michael’s translation can be few scenes in the second act, I’ve made 5 Monostatos not black but foreign and and it has been proven over the years with subservient to people who assume they are its broad appeal. better than him. And the Queen of the Night It combines adventure, romance, comedy is here a passionate woman driven almost and spirituality; everything you need for an crazy with grief that her daughter has been old-school Saturday afternoon matinee at kidnapped. At the end, instead of being the cinema (sorry, no popcorn allowed) But obliterated, I’ve shown a moment of revenge you do get Mozart’s fabulous music. Enjoy! turned into a noble act of acceptance, self- awareness and forgiveness. Roger Press Michael Gow (Kindly reproduced with permission of Opera Australia Michael Gow and Opera Australia) Australia’s national opera company was born when a band of idealists — butchers, pharmacists, newsagents — gave up their Revival Director’s Note day jobs to celebrate the 1956 Mozart It’s been a real pleasure to lead this bicentenary with a season of four of his re-working of The Magic Flute, an opera . Today, Opera Australia (OA) is which, like Michael, I have known for a long Australia’s largest arts employer, with annual time and in many varied versions. seasons showcasing the world’s great opera and music theatre repertoire, a touring The highlight of this project for me has program staging works in regional Australia, been to work with such a talented and and with performance broadcasts in cinemas enthusiastic group of young singers. Their and on national television and radio. energy and invention has added greatly to the production. It’s been a magnificent journey over the In this version we have a full, more last 60 years. In 1965, nine years after traditional casting of the opera, as the company’s inception, theatrical compared to Opera Australia’s lean touring entrepreneur JC Williamson put it on company, who Michael created this show the international opera map when he for. This means it’s been necessary to used its chorus, staff and some of the adapt and expand the way we tell the story principal singers in a season starring Joan in a few places. We are also performing all Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti. In 1967, of Mozart’s wonderful score, so you will the New South Wales state government have the benefit of several extra scenes in gave a grant towards the formation of a the production tonight. permanent state company. The opened in 1973 with These new, or reinstated, scenes have Prokofiev’s War and Peace. Sutherland required some additional translation for brought glory to the new house when the surtitles. I hope I have kept with the she sang the title role in Donizetti’s Lucia spirit of Michael’s clever work. di Lammermoor there three years later. And, of course, we are singing the text in In 1982, she performed as Violetta in La the original German – another departure Traviata at the inaugural Opera in the from Opera Australia’s production which Domain. Richard Meale’s 1986 Voss, based was completely in English. This has been on Nobel winner Patrick White’s novel and another learning process for our singers with libretto by David Malouf, united some and a challenge for me, as we try and of the biggest names in local arts to stage synthesise these disparate elements. a milestone of Australian-made opera. Baz Luhrmann’s But The Magic Flute has always been a A Midsummer Night’s Dream magical amalgam of many parts – that is subsequently became the first Australian how Mozart and Schikaneder conceived it, opera production to be performed internationally, at 1994’s Edinburgh 6 Festival. Two years later, the company, Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra, the then known as the Australian Opera, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and merged with the Victoria State Opera to conducted opera productions with the form Opera Australia, under the artistic Queensland Conservatorium of Music. In directorship of Moffatt Oxenbould. 1990, Dr Mould returned to Europe and was engaged as a conductor and musical In the 21st century, under artistic director assistant by a number of opera houses Lyndon Terracini, OA has won the hearts and festivals in Germany, Belgium, Norway of ever larger and more diverse audiences, and Italy. In 1990, he was engaged as an giving more than 600 performances for assistant at the Théatre de la Monnaie, more than half a million people every Brussels and in 1992 was appointed to the year. In 2012, Handa Opera on Sydney staff of Opera Frankfurt as assistant to the Harbour was launched with a spectacular Music Director. During this time, he was production of La Traviata, followed by also engaged as a teacher at the music Carmen, Madama Butterfly, and conservatorium in Frankfurt. In 1996, he Turandot in successive years. OA has joined the music staff of Opera Australia. also embraced musicals as part of its repertoire, most recently with a fêted Dr Mould has undertaken engagements Lincoln Center production of South Pacific for the Sydney Festival, the (2012) and followed by The King and I, Festival, Symphony Australia and the Anything Goes and My Fair Lady, directed Sydney Philharmonic Choirs. He was by . High-quality core also engaged for State Opera of South repertoire continues: co-productions with Australia’s productions of Wagner’s Der major international houses have become a Ring des Nibelungen (1998 and 2004) and cornerstone of company repertoire since Parsifal (2002). Stephen Mould was Head OA staged the 2013 world première of La of Music at Opera Australia between 2004 Fura Dels Baus’ production of Verdi’s A and 2008 and, since 1998, has regularly Masked Ball, and the company’s firstRing appeared as conductor for the Company. Cycle, directed by Neil Armfield, opened His repertoire includes La Bohème, Simon at Melbourne’s State Theatre in 2013. OA Boccanegra, Die Zauberflöte, Le nozze di capped off a jubilant 60th anniversary Figaro, La Voix Humaine, Rusalka, Carmen year with a revival of its Ring Cycle. and The Makropulos Secret. In addition, opera.org.au he has appeared with the Sydney and Queensland Symphony Orchestras, the SBS Youth Orchestra, and is a regular guest Biographies with Willoughby Symphony Orchestra. In 2006, he conducted Cavalleria Dr Stephen Mould, Artistic Director of Rusticana and Pagliacci for the Macau Con Opera, Music Director International Music Festival and, in 2008, made his American debut for Baltimore Sydney-born Stephen Mould is a graduate Opera conducting Madama Butterfly. He of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. also appeared in New Zealand with the In 1985, he moved to London to continue Auckland Philharmonia. his studies at the Royal Academy of Music. During this time, he was active Dr Mould is currently Artistic Director of as an orchestral and choral conductor Con Opera and Senior Lecturer in Operatic and as a freelance repetiteur. In 1988, Studies at the Sydney Conservatorium he was appointed Head of Music at the of Music while continuing his freelance Lyric Opera of Queensland, in Brisbane activities as a conductor and accompanist. and, in addition to conducting several Recent operatic engagements have productions for that company, was included The Mikado and a new production also engaged for concerts with the of Le nozze di Figaro for Opera Australia and Così fan tutte for Opera Queensland. 7 2014/2015 performances included Peter Rubie concerts with the Queensland, Canberra Revival Lighting Designer and Willoughby Symphony Orchestras, Messiah for New Zealand Symphony Peter Rubie is a Lighting Designer based Orchestra and Assistant Conductor for in Sydney. He graduated from the WA Elektra with the Sydney Symphony. Academy of Performing Arts in 2007 and sydney.edu.au/music/staff-profiles/ has a passion for delivering dynamic lighting stephen.mould.php designs for a wide variety of performance styles. He strongly believes that lighting can make or break a performance when viewed Roger Press by an audience and strives to enhance the Revival Director performers’ and audiences’ experiences for all performance styles be it concerts, Roger acted in, and stage managed, events, dance, opera or theatre. productions for Sydney University Dramatic Society and was an assistant director Peter’s designs are regularly seen on on five short film productions for the concert stages all around Australia and he Australian Film, Television & Radio School. has designed the lighting for many notable international artists including Amanda As a Resident Director for Opera Australia, Palmer, Ben Folds, The Proclaimers, TV on Roger has worked on productions of the Radio, Anna Calvi, Idina Menzel, Lea Carmen, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Salonga and Gary Clark Jr. He has had the Così fan tutte, The Turn of the Screw, pleasure of lighting some home-grown artists Der Rosenkavalier, Die Meistersinger von such as; Tina Arena, Kate Miller-Heidke, Nürnberg, Lucia di Lammermoor, The Megan Washington, Tommy Emmanuel, Barber of Seville, La Traviata, Der Ring Eskimo Joe and Megan Washington. des Nibelungen, Eugene Onegin, Otello, Tosca, Don Carlos and The Pearlfishers. He Peter’s classical work includes regular is associate director for productions of designs for the Australian Brandenburg Capriccio and Neil Armfield’sThe Marriage Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony of Figaro, a production he has rehearsed Orchestra, most recently working on a for Opera Queensland, State Opera of collaboration between the Brandenburg South Australia and West Australian and world renowned company Circa in Opera. Also for West Australian Opera, he ‘Spanish Baroque’, a fusion of Baroque has rehearsed Nabucco, and for Opera music and contemporary circus. Peter is Queensland, The Turn of the Screw. also no stranger to Opera having worked with many local opera companies on shows From 2007 to 2009, he was the Resident such as the 2015 production of Tristan und Director for the Really Useful Company’s Isolde presented by the SSO. The Phantom of the Opera for its tour of Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan. Roger Peter has designed for numerous high directed the OzOpera 2011 production profile clients including News Corp, Cartier, of La Traviata and was recently involved Bvlgari and David Jones. He’s had the as resident director on the ABCTV co- honour of designing for some dignitaries production of The Divorce. He has also including the farewell musical tribute to worked in various capacities for MTC, STC, Dame Marie Bashir and was responsible for Theatre of Image, Cameron Mackintosh, lighting a private function for the Crown Sydney Festival, Pinchgut Opera, The Really Prince Couple of Denmark in 2013. Useful Company and Network Ten. 2017 has been a busy year for Peter including opera.org.au/artists/roger-press a unique lighting design for the new Ministry of Sound Club in Australia: the first of its kind since the original in London. 8 peter.rubie.com.au Cast (in order of appearance)

Tamino Second Priest/ Cello Joshua Oxley First Armed Man James Morley* Jack Ayoub Nicholas McManus First Lady Lauren Olofsson Sitong Liu Papagena Anna Reid Josi Ann Ellem Second Lady Double Bass Viktoria Bolonina * Performing 14 and 19 Oct David Barlow* ‡ Performing 17 and 21 Oct Emma Trivett Third Lady Hayley Witmore Jia Yao Sun Understudies Tamino - Ryan O’Donnell Flute Papageno First Spirit/Papagena Michelle Wang* Tristan Entwistle* - Jessica Blunt Andrew Collins Jeremy Dubé‡ Orchestra Oboe The Queen of Night Callum Hogan* Esther Song* Joshua Ning ‡ Violin 1 Aimee O’Neill Anna Da Silva Chen, concertmaster Clarinet Monostatos Marrianne Liu Yeri Kim* Ryan O’Donnell* Seamus Macnamara Zhu Xing Cao ‡ Evan Kirby Eva Li Rachel Williams Bassoon Pamina Sophia Vasic Alison Wormell* Samanta Lestavel* Levana Limoa Sofia Obando ‡ Ashlee Woodgate Annastasia Milwain Horn Oliver Harris* First Spirit Violin 2 Victoria Bromberger Emily Beauchamp* Lilly Cremer Mateja Primorac Second Spirit Lucy Macourt Trumpet Victoria Hodgkinson Myri Kim Christian Sharpe* Amy Huang Sam Thompson Third Spirit Lydia Sawires Rebecca Hart Megan Yang Trombone Suntian Shen Cian Malikides* Speaker/First Priest/ Jarrod Callaghan D’arcy Shevlin Second Armed Man Viola Haotian Qi Sergio Insuasti* Henry Justo Glockenspiel Sarastro Cora Fabbri Jasmine Wei* Vincent Farrell Dana Lee Marlon Schroeder Percussion Eunice Wong Nancy Zheng*

* Section leader 9 Chorus Production Credits

Soprano Revival Director Roger Press Katherine Allen Music Director Dr Stephen Mould Meredith Cheng Kirralee Elliott Revival Lighting Designer Peter Rubie Ellen McNeil Production Manager Grant Shaw Chloe Robbins Stage Manager Katharina Huoy Alto Costumier Caitlyn Eliott Robert Adam German Language Coach Freya Backen Anke Hoeppner-Ryan Joann Balasuriya Michael Burden Scenery and Properties Opera Australia Stella Hannock Workshop Madeline O’Dea Costumes and Millinery Opera Australia Workshop Tenor Opera Australia Workshop Mark Allerton Wigs Hamish James Hair and Make-up Rachel Dal Santo Dominic Lui Head of Lighting Liam O’Keefe Warrick Tyrrell Head Mechanist Charles Upton Baritone Orchestral Management Scott Ryan, Frankie Bouchier Tom Westley Geoffrey Carman Rachelle Elliott Michael Kallidis Chorus Master Timothy Nunn Repetiteurs Julia de Plater, Daniel Ott Josephine Flores Tam, Jasmine Wei Assistant Chorus Master Warwick Tyrell Assistant Conductors Carlo Antonioli, Acknowledgments Louis Sharpe, Warwick Tyrell Thank you to: Opera Australia, Score and Music Preparation Kate McMillan, Adrienne Sach, Jarrad Stephen Yates Salmon, Dr David Kim-Boyle, Lee Surtitle Operation Carlo Antonioli Edwards, Guy McEwan and Rodney Publicity Jacqui Smith, Mandy Campbell Boatwright. Production Photography Christopher Hayles

10 Vocal and Opera Studies Division

Artistic Director, Con Opera Opera Language and Diction Dr Stephen Mould Alan Hicks (Italian) [email protected] Anke Hoeppner-Ryan (German) Simon Lobelson (French)

Unit of Study Coordinator, Voice and Opera Dance and Movement Dr Rowena Cowley Olivia Ansell [email protected] Jo Ansell

Unit of Study Coordinator, Stage Stagecraft Dr Narelle Yeo Dr Narelle Yeo [email protected]

Acting Unit of Study Coordinator, Paige Gardiner

Language and Diction Anke Hoeppner Theatre Studies [email protected] Simon Lobelson Andy Morton Voice and Opera Performance Dr Rowena Cowley Ensemble Andrew Dalton Dr Stephen Mould Associate Professor Michael Halliwell Anke Hoeppner-Ryan Maree Ryan AM Opera Performance Class Barry Ryan OAM Barry Ryan OAM Robyn Wells Stephen Yalouris Opera History Dr Narelle Yeo Associate Professor Michael Halliwell music.sydney.edu.au/opera Opera Coaching Dr Stephen Mould Siro Battaglin Julia de Plater Kate Johnson Ingrid Sakurovs Robert Greene Alan Hicks

11 JOIN THE FAST TRACK TO THE OPERATIC STAGE AT THE SYDNEY CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC

Specialist Opera Training Sydney Conservatorium of Music has a long tradition of producing opera productions of exceptional quality, which have been an important stepping stone into the operatic profession for a large number of graduates who have gone on to become leading singers, conductors, coaches and opera administrators. Professional Preparation and Partnerships The Vocal and Opera Division and Con Opera offer the only specialist opera training courses in Australia for singers and repetiteurs. Our degrees are: • Graduate Diploma in Music (Opera Performance) (one year) • Master of Music Studies (Opera Performance) (two years). Both courses emphasise the practice of opera performance to a professional standard to prepare for a career in opera in Australia and internationally. Partnerships with major institutions, such as Opera Australia, provide invaluable contact with industry and opportunities to connect with the international opera community. Core Operatic Skills Both courses concentrate on core operatic skills in singing, languages, role preparation and repertoire, stagecraft, acting, dance, ensemble and opera history. Con Opera Con Opera, our opera studio, presents two fully-staged operas with orchestra each year, and features the work of up and coming directors. These are ideal opportunities for students to immerse themselves in all aspects of the craft of staging an opera, and to acquire experience singing entire character roles. In 2018, Con Opera will present Poulenc’s delightful Les mamelles de Tirésias in French and an exciting production of Mozart’s , sung in Italian. Auditions and Further Information Early round auditions will be held in September 2017 (later round audition will be held in November 2017) for entry in 2018. For more information about our opera and vocal studies programs, please visit: music.sydney.edu.au/opera

The Fairy Queen - Con Opera, 2016