Opera Australia
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, 11 February—27 December
Stroll down to the Sydney Opera House and join the stars of Opera Australia for a concert of the greatest hits of opera.
Opera Australia & GWB Entertainment present the BB Group production of
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, 20 August—6 October
Hailed as the greatest Broadway musical of all time, the genius of West Side Story is unquestioned. Bernstein’s world-famous score features unforgettable songs including ‘Maria’, ‘Tonight’, ‘Somewhere’, ‘America’ and ‘I Feel Pretty’, that have been universally adored for generations; proving this iconic dance musical remains one of the most poignant stage works of the twentieth century.
Concert Performance
City Recital Hall, Angel Place, 25 August
An evening of Vivaldi, Hasse, Porpora and more with ECHO Classic Award winner Valer Sabadus. Pinchgut is proud to be bringing one of the world's top countertenors to Australia for the first time.
Joan Sutherland Studio, The Opera Centre, Sydney, 26 August—16 September
Join us at The Opera Centre for this series of intimate recitals curated by Jun Yi Ma, Concertmaster and Director of the Opera Australia Orchestra, and pianist, Siro Battaglin.
Monday 26 August at 7pm — Under an Azure Sky
Slip into a Mediterranean dream with a sublime program of poignant pieces and dreamy
ensemble works, including Ravel's ethereal Introduction and Allegro,
and Turnia's Las musas de Andalucía.
Monday 16 September at 7pm — Salon Diversions: Exquisite and
Eccentric
Hear William Walton and Edith Sitwell's Façade — an Entertainment,
a piece that scandalised the 1920s literary set, alongside Zemlinksy's Piano
Trio Op.3 and Poulenc's Sextet for Piano and Winds.
Reimann
Opera Australia Scenery Workshop, The Opera Centre, Dawson St, Surry Hills, 11—14 September
Aribert Reimann’s 1984 opera is a haunting and evocative chamber work, exploring Strindberg’s moody text with complex rhythms and other-worldly tones. Director Greg Eldridge creates a chilling picture of Strindberg’s Stockholm in this new staging in the Opera Australia Scenery Workshop.
Mozart
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, 18 October—2 November
Mozart’s classic comedy has been entertaining crowds for centuries, and between the witty, fast-moving libretto and the melodic, charming writing, it’s not hard to understand why.
Rossini
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, 24 October—2 November
If Rossini made a showreel of his best work, it would sound like Il Viaggio a Reims (The Journey to Reims). In Damiano Michieletto’s playful take, the eccentric cast of characters find themselves in a gallery filled with the master works of art history. It’s a surreal world, where artworks step out of the frame and come to life the moment the lights go out.
Opera Australia presents
Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, 6 November
When Bryn Terfel sings, everyone stops to listen. The superstar Welshman performs some of his favourite songs across many genres, with the backing of a magnificent orchestra. Once you’ve heard his interpretations, they’ll be your favourites too.
Vivaldi
City Recital Hall, Angel Place, 4—10 December
Farnace is a passionate drama of political and dynastic intrigue and the ideal candidate to receive the unique Pinchgut touch. A rarely performed gem, it was one of Vivaldi's most meticulously prepared operas, with orchestral colour and dramatic characterisation. Pinchgut Opera has assembled some of the world's finest voices to bring these characters to life and showcase Vivaldi's thrilling tunes.
Puccini
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, 31 December
Leave the crowds behind as you enter the Sydney Opera House, then settle back for an evening with Rodolfo, Mimi, Marcello and Musetta in Puccini's La Bohème.
The way that first love grabs hold of your insides and floods you with something you've never felt before. The fire that burns you the first time jealousy flares. The growing up you do in the instant you realise love can't last forever. Puccini takes these achingly human feelings and sets them to music — music that soars with the ecstacy of love, crackles with the pain of jealousy and cries with the agony of loss.
Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, 31 December
Step into the the Sydney Opera House's magnificent Concert Hall to watch the Opera Gala concert of popular arias by Verdi, Puccini, and Rossini, with Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks at interval.
Puccini
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, 2—30 January
The way first love grabs hold and floods you with something you’ve never felt before. The fire that burns the first time jealousy flares. The growing up you do in the instant that you realise love can’t last forever. Puccini takes these achingly human feelings and sets them to music — music that soars with the ecstasy of love, crackles with the pain of jealousy and cries with the agony of loss. Gale Edwards’ glittering production is set among the fishnets and fairy lights of 1930s bohemian Berlin.
Bizet
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, 11 January—26 March
This vibrant production of Bizet's opera features glamorous girls and bullfighting boys in eye-popping colours. There are smugglers in suits, parades and punches, lust and loathing aplenty. Irresistible Spanish tunes include the famous Toreador Song and flirty Habanera. Underneath those infectious rhythms, the dark undercurrent of fate pulses. Carmen knows she's dancing with death.
John Bell's production is a bold look at the intense relationships at the heart of Bizet's famous opera. It hones in on the wild love that promises freedom, while binding the lovers in an unbreakable web of fate.
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
Opera on Sydney Harbour, Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point, 27 March—26 April
Violetta is the life of every party. A courtesan with a heart of gold, she’s free and free-spirited. Everyone wants to be near her. Could a little love change everything?
Experience the joy and heartache of the world’s most popular opera at Sydney’s best night out. Fireworks light up the sky at every performance. A giant chandelier shimmers over the harbour stage. Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is “the ultimate Sydney experience” (Yahoo! Travel).
Monteverdi & Gabrieli
The Great Hall, University of Sydney, 26—26 April
The rich and sonorous sound world created for the splendour of St Mark's in Venice comes to Sydney. Shining music for voices and brass, as glorious as the gold mosaics of St Mark’s Basilica. Immerse yourself in the transcendent beauty of Allegri's sublime Miserere and the rich resonances of Renaissance masters Claudio Monteverdi and Giovanni Gabrieli: the original surround sound.
Charpentier
City Recital Hall, Angel Place, 18—23 June
Médée’s passion for Jason turns to murderous fury when he shifts his attention to a younger woman. Is there anything she won’t do to get her revenge? Charpentier’s sensual lyricism and dramatic insight take us deep inside the mind and heart of this terrifying woman who refuses to be a victim – even at the cost of her own flesh and blood.
City Recital Hall, Angel Place, 12—13 September
Music fit for royalty: Charpentier’s majestic Te Deum was written in honour of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and its grandeur and elegance reflect the magnificence of his palace at Versailles. Across the Channel, written just one year later, Purcell’s Come, Ye Sons of Art celebrates the birthday of Queen Mary with music of sheer delight
Handel
City Recital Hall, Angel Place, 3—9 December
In this magical tale of chivalry and cunning, the knight Rinaldo battles the scheming sorceress Armida to rescue his beloved Almirena. This was the first Italian opera ever written for the London stage, and it catapulted the young Handel to fame and fortune with its brilliant display of arias, duets and orchestral effects, by turns ravishing and thrilling.