

Wagner
The Ring Cycle
Queensland Performing Arts Centre1–21 December 2023
Wagner
The Ring Cycle
Queensland Performing Arts Centre1–21 December 2023
Venue
Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre
corner Grey & Melbourne Streets, South Bank, Queensland
Language
Sung in German, with English surtitles.
Please note
Strobe lighting is used in these productions.
We’re bringing a new production of the Ring Cycle to Brisbane in 2023, exclusive to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
Come on an exhilarating adventure with men and maidens, gods and giants, dragons and dwarves. As greed and violence threaten to destroy the heavens and earth, a glimmer of hope rises from an unexpected source.
This is Wagner’s Ring Cycle — the pinnacle of opera — a 15-hour epic performed over four nights.
Enjoy a week in sunny Queensland and see a spectacular new production by visionary Chinese director Chen Shi-Zheng.
In 2023, he’ll explore Wagner’s legendary tale through a futuristic lens. His global vision imagines a parallel universe where many cultures walk together. Towering, moving digital panels create an immersive virtual world. Astonishing costumes and props imagine an unknown future.
French conductor Philippe Auguin has conducted the Ring Cycle more than a dozen times. He leads a cast of international stars and some of Australia’s most accomplished performers to bring you the memorable music of the Ring Cycle.
DAS RHEINGOLD
Wotan / Wanderer
Donner
Froh
Loge
Fricka
Freia
Erda
Woglinde
Wellgunde
Flosshilde
Alberich
Mime
Fasolt
Fafner
DIE WALKÜRE
Wotan
Fricka
Siegmund
Sieglinde
Hunding
Brünnhilde
Gerhilde
Ortlinde
Waltraute
Schwertleite
Helmwige
Siegrune
Grimgerde
Rossweisse
SIEGFRIED
Siegfried
Brünnhilde
Erda
Mime
Wanderer
Alberich
Fafner
Woodbird
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG
Siegfried
Gunther
Alberich
Hagen
Brünnhilde
Gutrune
Waltraute
Woglinde
Wellgunde
Flosshilde
1st Norn
2nd Norn
3rd Norn
Opera Australia Chorus
Dance North Dancers
The Ring Cycle

Das Rheingold
The Ring Cycle opens with this magnificent prelude. The struggle for power and wealth in Das Rheingold irrevocably alters the order of the universe and determines the course of the entire saga.

Die Walküre
The second opera in the Ring Cycle holds special appeal for audiences with its dramatic power and remarkable music, including the famous ‘Ride of the Valkyries’. In Die Walküre Wagner plunges headlong into the highly emotional world of humanity.

Siegfried
The Ring Cycle’s third part is intensely focused on the fortunes of a single figure. Siegfried charts the rise of the son of Siegmund and Sieglinde into the greatest hero of the age.

Götterdämmerung
The Ring Cycle reaches its devastating finale in Götterdämmerung’s tale of treachery and destruction. All seems lost after naked ambition betrays love, and villains outsmart heroes.
Performance dates
Cycle 1
Das Rheingold
1 December 2023, 7pm
Die Walküre
3 December 2023, 1pm
Siegfried
5 December 2023, 5pm
Götterdämmerung
7 December 2023, 4pm
Cycle 1 is dedicated to Maureen Wheeler AO.
Cycle 2
Das Rheingold
8 December 2023, 7pm
Die Walküre
10 December 2023, 5pm
Siegfried
12 December 2023, 5pm
Götterdämmerung
14 December 2023, 4pm
Cycle 2 is dedicated to the memory of Dr Lydia and Dr Irvine Hunter.
Cycle 3
Das Rheingold
15 December 2023, 7pm
Die Walküre
17 December 2023, 5pm
Siegfried
19 December 2023, 5pm
Götterdämmerung
21 December 2023, 1pm
Cycle 3 is dedicated to Hans and Petra Henkel.

Explore Brisbane and Queensland
Beautiful one day, perfect the next.
Queensland is home to a diverse range of experiences, from golden beaches and tropical islands to emerald green rainforests and rugged mountain ranges.
Between each opera, or before or after the Ring Cycle, add a trip to one of the many remarkable destinations easily accessible from Brisbane, including the Hinterland, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Whitsundays and Tropical North Queensland.

The Wagner Syndicate
As a syndicate member you will accompany the productions from the rehearsal rooms to the stage and make it possible for artists and artisans — singers, musicians, wardrobe and wig makers, technicians, repetiteurs and designers — to prepare and present Wagner’s colossal masterpieces.
For more information about joining the Wagner Syndicate with a tax deductible gift, please contact Melissa Stark: melissa.stark@opera.org.au
The Story Bridge spanning the Brisbane River.
Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Moreton Island near Brisbane in Queensland.
Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Capricorn Coast at the Southern Great Barrier Reef in Queensland.
Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in Brisbane.
Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Kangaroos at Cape Hillsborough beach near Mackay in Queensland.
Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Wathumba Creek on Fraser Island in South East Queensland.
Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Lady Musgrave Island near Gladstone in Queensland.
Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland
Fairy lights in the City Botanic Gardens in Brisbane.
Photo: Tourism and Events Queensland