Securing the future

Celebrating 25 years

About the Opera Australia Capital Fund

2025 marks the 25th Anniversary of the Opera Australia Capital Fund. Established to help secure the future of Opera Australia for generations to come, the Capital Fund has become a bedrock of support that has helped Opera Australia withstand box office fluctuations, a global financial crisis and a worldwide pandemic. After 25 years of growth, the Capital Fund is providing consistent and essential support year on year.

Donations and Bequests to the Capital Fund are invested securely to build a capital  reserve, with the income directed to Opera Australia in annual grants. In 2025, the annual grant reached $1.25m, the sixth year in a row that the grant has been $1m or above.

The Capital Fund’s Board is committed to the principal objectives on which it was founded:

  • To raise and invest a capital fund
  • To make annual grants to Opera Australia
  • To make special purpose grants in exceptional circumstances

After a quarter of a century of support from its visionary donors, the Capital Fund is now playing a vital role in helping to safeguard the long-term financial viability of our national opera company.

Supporting the Opera Australia Capital Fund

The Capital Fund’s success is built upon the generosity, passion and vision of its supporters, all of whom we thank. To add your voice to theirs in the Capital Fund’s 25th anniversary year, you can make a donation or a pledge of support, or you can arrange to leave a gift in your Will as a bequest to the Capital Fund.

To find out more about the role you can play in the future of Opera Australia, please call or email for a conversation in confidence.

Donations to the Opera Australia Capital Fund are tax-deductible and a receipt will be issued. Donors of at least $1,000 are acknowledged in a variety of ways.

Contact Us

Nicholas Selman
General Manager
Opera Australia Capital Fund
+61 2 9318 8305
nicholas.selman@opera.org.au

Opera Australia Capital Fund
PO Box 291
STRAWBERRY HILLS NSW 2012

Make a donation to The Capital Fund

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Governance

The Opera Australia Capital Fund is a separate entity to Opera Australia with its own Board of Directors. The Directors donate their time and expertise to ensure that the management of the Fund remains aligned with its original charter.

David Armstrong (Chairman)
Shaun Kenny
The Hon Justice François Kunc
Simon Militano
Roslyn Packer AC
Rod Sims AO
James Wills

 

Our Supporters: Council of Governors

The Council of Governors comprises the Opera Australia Capital Fund’s Board of Directors, plus individuals who have either contributed a significant donation or pledged a specific bequest to the Opera Australia Capital Fund. It provides the Fund with the opportunity to acknowledge formally those supporters who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to its goals.

Members meet at an annual dinner during which the Chief Executive Officer of Opera Australia and the Chairman of the Capital Fund give a briefing on the state of the company and report on the progress of the Fund. Members of the Council are also invited to fundraising events throughout the year including private recitals, exclusive receptions and other bespoke activities.

Opera Australia artists at a Capital Fund event in London
A private dinner in Sydney in support of the Opera Australia Capital Fund

There are two levels of patronage within the Council of Governors:

A Community of Supporters

In addition to support from our Council of Governors, the corpus of the Opera Australia Capital Fund continues to grow thanks to the generosity of many valued individuals. All gifts, no matter the size, make a meaningful difference to the impact the Capital Fund has on the future of opera in Australia.

The Capital Fund is grateful to the donors who have contributed between $1,000 and $150,000 over its 25 year history.

A Gala Dinner in Melbourne in support of the Opera Australia Capital Fund. Photo by Jesse Spezza