Artists
Opera Australia casts its productions from an ensemble of Australian artists, with regular appearances by international guest artists.
The ensemble includes opera singers, dancers, conductors, musicians and repetiteurs, with around 200 people in the areas of scenic construction and painting, lighting, design, direction, wardrobe, wig-making, management and administration.
2026 Season
2025 Season
2026 Season
2025 Season
2024 Season
2026 Season
2025 Season
2024 Season
The Opera Australia Orchestra is the busiest of all Australian orchestras, giving around 300 performances of opera, ballet, musical theatre and concert works each year.
The orchestra was formed in 1967 by the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust to be the key performance partner for Opera Australia and the Australian Ballet. It subsequently played for many years as the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, becoming part of Opera Australia in 1991.
Resident at the Sydney Opera House, the Opera Australia Orchestra performs with some of the world’s finest conductors, vocal artists and dancers. Internationally recognised as a distinguished ensemble of the highest calibre, exceptional seasonal and freelance musicians support the core orchestra.
Concertmaster Matthieu Arama
Associate Concertmaster Huy-Nguyen Bui
Deputy Concertmaster Katherine Lukey
Our musicians
Violin
Catalin Ungureanu Principal 1st Violin
Tony Gault Principal 1st Violin
Airena Nakamura Principal 2nd Violin
Dominic Azzi
Amanda Chen
Natalie Kendy
Jing Lin
Daniel Rosenbaum
Benjamin Smith
Kelly Tang
Viola
Virginia Comerford Principal
Tara Houghton
Amanda Murphy
Cello
Teije Hylkema Principal
Eszter Mikes-Liu Associate Principal
Bethan Lillicrap
Ruben Palma
Double Bass
Andrew Meisel Associate Principal
Edmund Bastian
Bonita Han-Williams
Flute
Katie Zagorski Principal
Lisa Osmialowski Associate Principal
Piccolo
Diane Berger Principal
Oboe
Conall McClure Principal
Matthew Tighe Associate Principal
Cor Anglais
Nicola Bell Principal
Clarinet
Philip Green Associate Principal
Richard Rourke
Bass Clarinet
John Lewis Principal
Bassoon
Douglas Eyre Principal
Matthew Ockenden Associate Principal
Contrabassoon
Tim MurrayPrincipal
Horn
Sydney Braunfeld Principal
Bourian Boubbov Principal 3rd Horn
Lee Wadenpfuhl
Trumpet
Dominic Longhurst Principal
Craig Ross Associate Principal
Trombone
Gregory van der Struik Principal
William Farmer
Percussion
Shanie Klas Principal
Kevin Man Associate Principal
Harp
Natalie Wong Principal
During Opera Australia seasons at the Arts Centre Melbourne, our performance partner is Orchestra Victoria.
The Young Artist Program is a training program for selected young Australian opera singers. Designed to strengthen and supplement their already evident talent and performance skills, the program involves them closely with rehearsal and performance activity.
We are most grateful for the support provided to enable the participation of singers in the Young Artist Program.
Head of Young Artists Francis Greep
2026/27
2023
2021
2019
The Patricia H. Reid Orchestral Fellowships is an annual program designed to provide professional development to exceptional early career string musicians. Fellows will be involved in rehearsals and performance of mainstage opera and ballet works over a 12 month period with mentoring from members of the Opera Australia Orchestra. This Fellowship is generously supported by the Patricia H. Reid Endowment.
2026 Fellows
2025 Fellows
2024 Fellows
The Education, Learning and Participation program is designed to make opera available and accessible to everyone by providing learning opportunities for school students, engagement in communities and professional pathways and training opportunities for youth artists.