Annual Report 2019 Welcome
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019 WELCOME Based in Melbourne, Victorian Opera is a national leader in presenting unforgettable opera and musical theatre experiences. As the state opera company of Victoria, we are committed to making creative and accessible opera for everyone, and evolving the art form in adventurous ways. From opera diehards to first-timers, over 30,000 people experience our work annually through live performances, streamed events and activities in Victoria and Tasmania. We premiere at least one new Australian work each year and have staged 22 new works since the company formed in 2005. We employ hundreds of people across the creative industries, recruit some of the finest singers from Australia and around the world, and collaborate with Australia’s leading companies, venues and learning institutions. The next generation of talent is developed from the ground up through the Victorian Opera Youth Chorus Ensemble (VOYCE) and our innovative Access All Areas: Livestream Program. As part of our commitment to developing the art form, we also stage opera in Tasmania. Recognised for our unique voice and contribution to the country’s operatic landscape, Victorian Opera was awarded Major Performing Arts company status in 2019. 2 Victorian Opera 2019 Annual Report Victorian Opera 2019 Annual Report 3 REIMAGINING THE POTENTIAL OF OPERA AND MUSICAL THEATRE, FOR EVERYONE Following the formation of Victorian The Selfish Giant; a new opera deftly realised Opera in October 2005, the state opera by former Developing Artists Simon Bruckard company has taken many important steps and Emma Muir-Smith. It sold out a five- in each year of its existence. Across this performance season at Gasworks Theatre time, our dedicated staff and artists have and was met with both audience and critical worked tirelessly for each performance acclaim. staged and helped develop our reputation Victorian Opera continued to extend its for reimagining the potential of opera and reach interstate in 2019. In addition to our musical theatre, for everyone. concert staging of The Barber of Seville in These many years of hard work and Tasmania, Victorian Opera’s productions artistic excellence resulted in a significant Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet achievement for Victorian Opera in 2019, Street and Cunning Little Vixen were staged as we became a Major Performing Arts by West Australian Opera and State Opera company. We thank the many individuals of South Australia, respectively. Our Victorian Opera entered a new age in Our base Horti Hall’s Hemstritch Studio was beautifully reimagined by two of behind this success and celebrate our relationship with Sydney Chamber Opera 2019 as our young company marked became a social hub in 2019; extending Victorian Opera’s promising former increased capacity for even further growth. yielded another rewarding collaboration with one of its most significant years to date. beyond our primary rehearsal room as Developing Artists: composer and the world premiere of Elliott Gyger’s Oscar a site for so much more. We welcomed conductor Simon Bruckard and librettist In May 2019, following a rigorous executive In addition to presenting a broadly and Lucinda. audiences for a variety of events Emma Muir-Smith. search, we unveiled Victorian Opera’s new diverse season, we joined the ranks CEO Elizabeth Hill-Cooper. Drawing upon Victorian Opera acknowledges our many key including a talk series and intimate It was another moment of immense alongside many of Australia’s most her nationwide career across the arts and supporters for enabling us to realise another recitals across Five Fridays in August. pride for our company as the pair esteemed organisations as a Major extensive career in management at both highly successful season. Primary students, teachers and displayed the depths of their talents Performing Arts company; a proud Opera Australia and Victorian Opera, families were greatly entertained with this new creation. As our annual It is always a great privilege to recognise reflection and celebration of the Elizabeth was a natural selection for this by the company’s latest operatic Youth Opera, it was performed by a the commitment we receive from these contribution that our company has role. Under the stewardship of Elizabeth and invention for kids, Alice Through the cast of emerging artists, featuring individuals and organisations. In February made to the Australian cultural Richard Mills, Victorian Opera is poised for a Opera Glass. An amusing and musically singers aged 13–25 and members of 2019, we were proud to name our primary landscape. bright artistic future. rich hour of opera’s great arias, duets the Victorian Opera Youth Chorus rehearsal studio after our former Chairman We opened our season with a return and ensembles woven together in a Ensemble (VOYCE). Our Season 2019 demonstrated bold artistic Jane Hemstritch. This was an important to the Palais Theatre, St Kilda to stage whimsical adventure guided by Alice diversity: Wagner, Sondheim, Rossini, both a acknowledgement of Jane’s commitment to Wagner’s final masterwork, Parsifal. An Ending a season with Rossini’s The and the White Rabbit. concert and family opera, as well as a world our company and many years of generous opera of serene and ethereal beauty, Barber of Seville is a delicious treat for premiere and a myriad of intimate recitals. patronage. it was a monumental undertaking Following Victorian Opera’s much- artists and audiences alike. It was a Our diversity was matched with artistic for our company and represented a loved Sondheim Trilogy from 2013– special joy to collaborate as conductor Our thanks to the Australia Council for the excellence of the highest standard and great accomplishment. The Australian 2015, we presented another of his and director on a semi-staged concert Arts, The State Government of Victoria masterworks: A Little Night Music. version of this opera buffa. Jose Carbo extraordinary audience enthusiasm. Youth Orchestra (AYO), director through Creative Victoria, our long-standing Director Stuart Maunder and Music reprised one of his signature roles as Roger Hodgman and Victorian Opera At the heart of Victorian Opera is a Foundation partner the Robert Salzer Director Phoebe Briggs lead an enviable Figaro alongside Italy’s most celebrated reunited once again, following our dedication to the next generation of operatic Foundation, our Trusts and Foundations, cast of Australia’s most loved music Rosina, Chiara Amarù, in her local 2015 collaboration: Wagner’s The Flying talent. Our greatly valued association with Patrons, Corporate Partners, and audiences. theatre performers, including Nancye debut. We welcomed the return of Dutchman. It was a privilege to work the University of Melbourne continued Hayes, Simon Gleeson, Verity Hunt- Paolo Pecchioli in the role of Don with these fine young musicians and an with student singers, undertaking either Ballard and Alinta Chidzey. Basilio and rising star Brenton Spiteri as exceptional international cast, featuring a Bachelor of Music or Master of Opera Count Almaviva. many of the world’s greatest Wagnerian Ali McGregor returned to Victorian Performance, cutting their teeth on the Genevieve Overell singers: Burkhard Fritz, Katarina Opera to head the cast as Desirée This production toured to Launceston professional stage in our productions of Chairman, Victorian Opera Dalayman and Peter Rose. Armfeldt, delivering a captivating and was performed with our colleagues Wagner’s Parsifal and family opera Alice performance and rendition of ‘Send in at the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Through the Opera Glass. It is always a special honour for our the Clowns’. before performances in Melbourne company to welcome local artists together with Orchestra Victoria. Similarly, we introduced over 2,500 primary back home from their distinguished The glories of Italian opera were students statewide to the magic of our international careers to make their performed in the concert Heroic Bel Diverse and enriching; a year to art form with the second instalment of Canto featuring the sublime Jessica celebrate. Australian debuts. In this instance, we our popular Access All Areas: Livestream Pratt, the Australian debut of Italian celebrated the homecoming of both Program. mezzo Daniela Barcellona, and baritone James Roser and bass-baritone Orchestra Victoria. Dr Richard Mills AM The result of such an attitude toward Derek Welton - in his signature role Artistic Director, Victorian Opera nurturing emerging talent was especially as Klingsor, a role supported by the In October, we premiered our latest evident with the world premiere of Richard Wagner Society of Victoria. commission, The Selfish Giant. The Elizabeth Hill-Cooper adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s parable Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Opera 4 Victorian Opera 2019 Annual Report Victorian Opera 2019 Annual Report 5 The Barber of Seville Heroic Bel Canto “A deliciously crafted program of lesser “Victorian Opera has not only presented an performed arias, duets and ensembles in praise of PRODUCTIONS exceptionally good Barber, it has provided the art of bel canto spun its dazzling charms from Melbourne a truly world-class, technically flawless go to whoa.” IN 2019 celebration of the art of singing.” ½ - The Age – Opera Chaser Parsifal “This was one of most compelling Parsifal’s I have experienced. The quality was excellent, the Australian Youth Orchestra full of poise and maturity, all the singing impressive. Victorian Opera should be proud.” – Bachtrack A Little Night Music “The production positively Alice Through drips with wit and charm, the Opera Glass with a sumptuous visual palette to accompany the “A thoroughly show’s myriad musical and engaging show that dramatic pleasures. And some lucky Victorian best of all, it has a cast children will be without a single weak link; singing about for a it’s the most consistent long time.” Little Night Music the city has ever seen.” - Opera Chaser - Time Out Melbourne The Selfish Giant “A highlight of Victorian Opera’s season.” – Classic Melbourne 6 Victorian Opera 2019 Annual Report Victorian Opera 2019 Annual Report 7 INSPIRING AUDIENCES Victorian Opera reached a national audience of 23,760 across 253 performances and activities.