2014 Annual Report

Contents
Vision
Enriching Australia’s cultural life with
exceptional opera.
Mission
To present opera that excites audiences and
sustains and develops the art form.
Corporate Governance
Opera Australia is a Company Limited
by Guarantee. Its governance is the
responsibility of its Board of Directors,
who are elected by its Members. The Board is
responsible for the overall strategic direction
of the Company and its ongoing viability.
The Company’s direction and activities are
underpinned by its agreed Values:
• Pursuit of excellence in everything we do
• Respect for knowledge, imagination and
creative ambition
• Honesty and integrity in all our dealings
• Fairness
• Sustainability
• Encouragement of professional
development
• Respect and compassion for people
• Safe working environment
The work of the Board is supported by:
Audit Committee - meets before each Board
meeting and otherwise as required and is
responsible for scrutinising the Company’s
management systems, financial processes
and the financial prudence of its strategies.
The Company’s auditors meet with the Audit
Committee on a regular basis and report on
their processes and findings.
Vision, Mission, Corporate Governance
Chairman's Report
Chief Executive's Report
Our People
Artists - 2014
Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra Report
Patron Program
Opera Australia Capital Fund - Chairman's Report
Opera Australia Activities
Opera Australia Salutes its 2014 Partners
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Development and Government Committee meets as required and provides strategic advice
on corporate partnerships, philanthropy and
government engagement.
Property Advisory Committee - meets as
required and makes recommendations to
the Board regarding the Company’s property
portfolio.
Giacomo Puccini
Remuneration and Nominations Committee - meets
as required and is responsible for overseeing
the Company’s remuneration policy, including
remuneration of the senior management team.
•
The Board of Directors of Opera Australia is
also the Board of Directors of the Australian
Opera and Ballet Orchestra Limited, a
wholly-owned subsidiary company of Opera
Australia. The Board of Directors delegates
to the Chief Executive, and through him to
the executive team, authority to manage,
within the parameters set by the Board, the
Company’s activities.
Risk Committee - meets four times a year and
is responsible for monitoring the Company’s
risk management process and compliance
framework.
Photographs
Jeff Busby, Aidan Corrigan, Branco Gaica, Darcy Grant, Jim Lee, Limuel Martine, James Morgan,
Ben Symons, Nikki To, Lisa Tomasetti
Cover: Hyeseoung Kwon as Cio-Cio-San, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour - Madama Butterfly
Inside front and back cover spreads: Mazda Opera in the Bowl, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
Stacey Alleaume with Maxine Buxton (interpreter). Photo by Albert Comper.
Nicole Car as Tatyana
Eugene Onegin
David Mortimer AO
Throughout 2014, Opera Australia has again
demonstrated the Company’s artistic vibrancy,
its commitment to a truly national presence and
its ability to maintain the highest standards in a
financially challenging environment.
In common with opera companies around the
world we have to handle the difficult balancing act
between programming the operas people want
to see, remaining fresh and contemporary, and
managing the rising costs of presenting this very
expensive art form. Our Artistic Director Lyndon
Terracini has done a magnificent job in expanding
Opera Australia’s reach and accessibility with
five new mainstage productions over the year,
a brilliant new production of Madama Butterfly
for Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour and an
inaugural season of Opera on the Beach featuring
a family friendly production of The Magic Flute. An
expanded artistic program, however, inevitably
brings more costs to the Company so it is
essential for Opera Australia to ensure revenue
rises to compensate.
Opera Australia had some significant box office
successes during the year. Our New Year’s Eve
performances and activities at the Sydney Opera
House were the most successful to date with all
events sold out. Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
saw an increase in audience from the previous two
years and brought $20 million over three years
into the NSW economy as well as new audiences
to Opera Australia. Of the 42,000 people who
attended Madama Butterfly, 41 per cent of them
had not previously been to an Opera Australia
production in any venue. In wonderful news for
Opera Australia, both Destination NSW and Dr
Haruhisa Handa committed to a further three
years of financial support for Handa Opera on
Sydney Harbour.
5
Income and Expenditure Components 2014
Income
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT CONTINUED
77% ($82.4 m) Box office, earned income and contributions
23% ($24.9m) Government grants
Expenditure
54% ($58.2 m) Staff and employment expenses
14% ($15.7 m) Venue, transport and travel costs
21% ($22.2 m) Depreciation, other production and overhead costs
11% ($12.4 m) Marketing and promotion
The musical The King and I exceeded all targets,
extended its season and went on to be the highest
grossing show in the history of the Sydney Opera
House. Once again, the Opera Australia Capital
Fund generated a strong investment income
of $1.1 million. However, even after taking into
account this investment income, the financial
result for the year ended 31 December 2014
reveals a consolidated deficit of $918,000 and an
operating deficit for Opera Australia of $2 million.
This is a disappointing outcome that cannot be
sustained over time and operating results must be
improved significantly in 2015.
The deficit was impacted by a noticeable
reduction in mainstage opera box office in
comparison to budget expectations even
though expenditure was well controlled and
moderate savings were achieved. The impact
of intergenerational change on donations is
increasingly significant and we must find ways
to create the next generation of donors. Revenue
from corporate sponsorship was also lower in
2014 than in 2013. There is an increasing demand
in Australia for corporate sponsorship and with
this comes increased pressure from corporates
to demonstrate the benefits of brand association
and ways of activating the sponsorship.
On a more positive note, sales revenue for 2014
was up by $15 million compared to 2013. This was
largely due to The King and I tour which resulted
in paid attendance of 253,000 compared to 2013’s
South Pacific with paid attendance of 140,000 (the
full South Pacific tour was spread over 2012, 2013
and early 2014). For the year ended 31 December
2014 Opera Australia’s total paid attendance
was 539,000 (excluding touring and outreach)
compared to 354,000 in 2013. Clearly, 2014 should
have been a good year. The reality however is
mainstage average ticket prices are declining
whilst production costs, salaries and employment
expenses are increasing. Our Board together with
management must continue to identify ways to
contain costs and increase revenue.
As part of our mission to bring opera to as
many people as possible, we worked with
ABC TV to broadcast three operas during
2014. During May and June the ABC broadcast
Roger Hodgman’s production of the light and
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CHAIRMAN'S REPORT CONTINUED
delicious comedy Don Pasquale, La Fura dels Baus’
brilliant re-imagining of A Masked Ball and John
Bell’s justifiably legendary production of Tosca.
In October we held our inaugural Opera Ball to
raise money to support the Moffatt Oxenbould
Young Artist Program. The scenery dock at
Sydney Opera House was transformed into a
glamourous opera set replete with operatically
themed cocktails, cabaret performances by our
singers and the Australian Opera and Ballet
Orchestra masquerading as The Opera Horns!
In order to realise our vision of being a leading
opera company on a global basis it is essential that
we are financially strong. To achieve this Opera
Australia needs a strong Board with expertise
across all significant business areas. I was
delighted to welcome back Philip Bacon AM to the
Opera Australia Board in April. A well regarded
art dealer and patron and philanthropist, Philip
is one of Australia’s leading philanthropists and a
great friend of Opera Australia. It was with great
disappointment that I announced in November
that Simon Mordant AM had resigned from the
Board due to increased commitments locally
and internationally. Simon is an intelligent
contributor who has much to offer and I thank
him for his support during his time with us.
Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
In September 2014 Federal Attorney-General
George Brandis announced a National Opera
Review, chaired by Dr Helen Nugent AO. The
review is charged with examining the artistic
vibrancy, engagement with audiences and
financial positions of Opera Australia, State
Opera of South Australia, West Australian Opera
and Opera Queensland. With public consultation
sessions and submissions completed the review
panel is expected to report their findings and
recommendations around June 2015.
I would like to acknowledge the importance of
the financial support we receive from our major
stakeholders including patrons, subscribers and
corporate sponsors. Without you, we would be
unable to deliver such a strong, innovative and
professional season of operas. The work of the
Opera Australia Capital Fund is also vital to the
ongoing success of our company and I would like
to acknowledge its Board and supporters. Finally
I want to acknowledge our government partners,
the Federal Government through the Australia
Council for the Arts, and the governments of New
South Wales and Victoria.
9
Craig Hassall
From world renowned theatres to outback
school halls, from the harbour and even to the
beach, 2014 has been a year of consolidation and
expansion for Opera Australia. Under the inspired
artistic leadership of Lyndon Terracini, Opera
Australia has once again shown it is uniquely
Australian and holds a unique place in the world.
When I returned to the Company in 2013, I
thought the spectacle of Handa Opera on Sydney
Harbour was about as iconic an Australian event
as one could get. Then, in 2014, we presented
Opera on the Beach. And not just any beach but
Greenmount Beach on Queensland’s renowned
Gold Coast. This magical new production of
The Magic Flute by Michael Gow featured sand
sculptures and lifeguards, community choirs and
fireworks and was a clear example of the flexibility
and creativity of Opera Australia in ensuring a
future for this fabulous art form.
Gianluca Terranova as
the Duke of Mantua
Rigoletto
There were many highlights over 2014 including
seven new productions; an immersive Carmen
featuring Spanish food, wine and entertainment;
the first of three Mozart operas directed by Sir
David McVicar; and an effervescent, awardwinning production of The King and I that made
history as the highest grossing show in the history
of the Sydney Opera House. To top it all off,
in August, Opera Australia won a record nine
Helpmann Awards for the 2013 productions of
The Melbourne Ring Cycle and the 2014 musical
The King and I.
Mainstage Productions
Our New Year’s Eve productions were the most
successful to date for Opera Australia. On the
evening that welcomed the arrival of 2014 we
opened our Sydney Summer Season with Gale
Edwards’ dazzling production of La Bohème in
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT CONTINUED
the Joan Sutherland Theatre and presented our
traditional and joyful Opera Gala in the Sydney
Opera House Concert Hall. Both performances
and their affiliated special events sold out in
record time. Nicole Car, reprising her role of
Mimì, went on to conclude a very popular season
of La Bohème. Julie Taymor’s delightfully playful
production of The Magic Flute returned to the
Opera House with her version specially designed
to appeal to families and children. We were
thrilled to welcome the remarkable American bass
Morris Robinson in the role of Sarastro – a role
he first sang in Taymor’s production of The Magic
Flute for the Metropolitan Opera, New York.
Occasionally, a new production of a rarely
performed opera can transform into a brilliant
jewel. Both Sydney and Melbourne were treated
to such a jewel with director Simon Phillips’
take on Rossini’s The Turk in Italy. Moving the
action forward to the 1950s Italian Riviera,
Phillips created a fast-moving farce featuring
the confused lovers and disguised strangers so
familiar to opera audiences. Whimsical sets and
costumes – including swimwear - were created
by multi-award winning designer and frequent
collaborator of Phillips, Gabriela Tylesova, and
the production was conducted by Andrea Molino
with a cast that included Emma Matthews and
Paolo Bordogna.
Staying in the Mediterranean but this time
moving to Spain, we brought back Francesca
Zambello’s much-loved production of Carmen to
Sydney and Melbourne. The international cast
included Nancy Fabiola Herrera and Milijana
Nikolic as the eponymous tragic heroine and the
return of the outstanding Dmytro Popov as Don
José – the role he sang in the Handa Opera on
Sydney Harbour production in 2013. Ignoring the
old stage adage about not working with children
or animals, our production of Carmen included
both horses and a children’s chorus to great effect
and with no lasting damage.
In a first for Opera Australia, we presented a
new co-production of Eugene Onegin with the
Royal Opera, Covent Garden. International
collaborations are an essential part of the
future for us and allow the world’s great opera
companies to share technical and artistic
expertise. The creative teams of Opera Australia
worked side by side with Covent Garden, and
the Director of Opera at Covent Garden, Kasper
Holten, made his directorial debut with us for
our Sydney and Melbourne seasons. Guillaume
Tourniaire returned to Australia to conduct and
Dalibor Jenis made a triumphant Opera Australia
debut in the title role.
The Melbourne Autumn Season opened with a
new production of Rigoletto directed by Rodger
Hodgman. Conducted by one of the world’s
great Verdi experts, Renato Palumbo, Warwick
Fyfe featured in the title role and was joined
by international singers including Gianluca
Terranova and Irina Dubrovskaya. Designers
Richard Roberts and Tracy Grant Lord created a
production that was both moody and luscious.
The Melbourne season continued with Eugene
Onegin with Paolo Szot in the title role, followed
by The Turk in Italy and Carmen.
The Sydney Winter Season opened with Rodger
Hodgman’s production of Rigoletto and featured
Giorgio Caoduro as the eponymous court jester.
This was followed by Otello with a striking set by
Hans Schavernoch. Christian Badea returned to
Sydney to conduct the production with star New
Zealand tenor Simon O’Neill in the title role and
Lianna Haroutounian as the ill-fated Desdemona.
The pivotal role of Iago was sung by Claudio Sgura
in his debut with Opera Australia.
Don Giovanni was our fifth new production
for 2014. Sir David McVicar, described as the
‘opera director of a generation’, made his Opera
Australia debut with this first in a series of three
new Mozart productions featuring the great
director. Teddy Tahu Rhodes reprised his role
as the legendary casanova and Elvira Fatykhova
returned to Australia to sing the role of Donna
Anna. McVicar’s distinctly gothic interpretation
of Mozart’s darkest opera included Nicole Car as
Donna Elvira and Shane Lowrencev as Leporello.
The Sydney Winter Season concluded with the
return of Simon Phillips’ seminal production of
The Elixir of Love.
In August, we presented Jonas Kaufmann in
concert. Kaufmann is a contemporary opera
superstar, unrivalled in opera today. The tenor
presented two concerts at the Sydney Opera
House and one at the Arts Centre Melbourne.
All three concerts sold out and audiences were
treated to a selection of arias from some of the
world’s favourite operas.
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT CONTINUED
The Melbourne Spring season opened with
John Bell’s much lauded production of Tosca.
This intense production designed by Michael
Scott-Mitchell and Teresa Negroponte was given
a powerful presence with a fascist setting of
Mussolini’s Rome in 1943. Martina Serafin made
her Australian debut in the title role, Claudio
Sgura sang the role of the menacing Scarpia and
Diego Torre sang the role of Cavaradossi. Roger
Hodgman’s production of Don Pasquale followed.
Although this production premièred in Sydney
in 2013 it was new to Melbourne. Set in the 1950s
this light-hearted opera showcased the comedic
talents of Rachelle Durkin and Conal Coad.
To conclude the Spring Season we brought Simon
Phillips’ production of Falstaff to Melbourne.
Phillips won wide-acclaim for his fast-paced
production. The last of Verdi’s 28 operas, Falstaff
is known for its fast wit and joyful parody and
requires intricate ensemble work. An Australasian
cast under the baton of Christian Badea brought
this comic masterpiece to life.
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
We returned to Sydney’s fabulous harbourside
setting with a new production of Madama
Butterfly. This was the third year of our outdoor
spectaculars and audiences once again responded
enthusiastically to this event that has rapidly
Top Left: Andrew Jones as Papageno
The Magic Flute
Left: Samuel Dundas as Belcore, Rachelle Durkin as
Adina and members of the Opera Australia Chorus
The Elixir of Love
gained national and international recognition.
In an interpretation by the great Spanish theatre
specialists La Fura dels Baus, Madama Butterfly
soared above its harbour setting to create one of
the most brilliant productions to date. Directed
by Àlex Ollé, conducted by Brian Castles-Onion
and with Hiromi Omura and Hyeseoung Kwon
alternating in the title role, former Arts Editor of
The Australian Deborah Jones named it one of the
10 best performance events of the last 50 years.
The film of the production was distributed in
cinemas in 17 countries and over 20,000 people in
the UK alone watched it on screen.
The success of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
is due to the extraordinary vision and generosity
of Dr Haruhisa Handa and the ongoing support of
the NSW Government through Destination NSW.
Opera on the Beach
This time it was out of the harbour and on to
the beach. In partnership with Gold Coast City
Council and Events Queensland it was time
to take your shoes off, roll out your towel and
watch a musical tale of wonderment and young
love unfold. Michael Gow’s family friendly
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT CONTINUED
production of The Magic Flute featured some of
Opera Australia’s rising stars along with a chorus
drawn from community choirs and even the Gold
Coast’s own surf lifesaving clubs. Robert Kemp
overcame the complexities of designing a stage
on sand with a towering set the colour of sand.
Although Opera on the Beach only ran for three
evenings, more than 7,000 people bought tickets
to the production.
The King and I
A national tour of a musical is now firmly on
the annual Opera Australia calendar. Following
two acclaimed sell out seasons of South Pacific in
2012 and 2013, we again joined with John Frost to
present Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and
I. This wildly successful production broke new
ground as the highest grossing show in the history
of the Sydney Opera House with more than
250 performances in Brisbane, Melbourne and
Sydney. It won three Helpmann Awards for Best
Musical, Best Costume Design and Best Sound
Design. Based on Christopher Renshaw’s 23-yearold Australian production, this new version
upped the slickness and glitziness to gladden the
most hardened heart. Once again, the obvious
chemistry between Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Lisa
McCune brought an emotional intensity to their
lead roles and Shu-Cheen Yu as Lady Thiang
and Marty Rhone as The Kralahome shone like
stars. Finally, I must congratulate our production
partner, John Frost, on receiving the prestigious
JC Williamson Award for his exceptional
contribution to the Australian live entertainment
and performing arts industry.
National Engagement
As a national company, Opera Australia has a
mandate to engage with audiences around the
country and to provide accessible and affordable
opera experiences to as many people as possible.
In 2014 we toured Victorian and NSW primary
schools with productions of Cinderella (Victoria)
and The Barber of Seville (NSW). In Victoria we
presented 154 performances in 134 venues to
almost 29,000 primary students. In NSW we
presented 225 performances in 152 venues to
more than 41,000 students. In fact, since 1998,
more than one million children have had an opera
experience through our Schools Tour programs.
Our Auslan Shadow Interpreting Program
expanded into New South Wales for the first time
in 2014 to huge success, and was nominated for
the International Day of People with a Disability,
2014 National Disability Award.
Our regional tour of Michael Gow’s production
of The Magic Flute toured to 26 venues across
Victoria, NSW, ACT and Tasmania. More than
15,000 people enjoyed this sparkling production
of Mozart’s tale of love overcoming all. Along the
way, we were nominated for three Green Room
Awards - Best Director Michael Gow, Best Design
Robert Kemp and Matt Scott, and Best Male
Lead Andrew Moran. New to our Regional Tour
program, each presenter had the opportunity
to bring together local children to be part of the
Regional Children’s Chorus. Opera Australia’s
Regional Children’s Chorus Master trained
local choir leaders and toured to all the towns,
teaching the children. The children rehearsed
choruses from The Magic Flute ahead of Opera
Australia arriving in town and then joined the
artists on stage as part of the performance. Over
the regional tour, 475 children across 24 venues
and 28 choir leaders took up the opportunity to
participate in the production. More than 100
students auditioned for our Regional Student
Scholarships and we congratulate the successful
recipients: Anastasia Gall (Hobart), Daniel Ott
(Maitland), Chloe Robbins (Canberra) and
Katherine Allen (Parramatta).
Our Education and Community Partnerships
Program continued to expand through 2014,
in large part thanks to the Australia Council
Community Partnerships funding. The Sydney
Conservatorium Internship Project attracted
14 participants and five masterclasses; the
Regional Conservatoriums Video Conferencing
and Sydney Intensive Project attracted 50
participants across 54 workshops concluding
with a performance; our ever-popular
Community Choirs included 40 participants
as part of Opera on the Beach and 420 singers
joined our Western Sydney Community Choirs
and performed at the Sydney Opera House
Concert Hall with conductor Simon Kenway,
Opera Australia soloists and the Australian
Opera and Ballet Orchestra.
Our Stakeholders
Our continued growth is only possible due
to the support of many key stakeholders. The
Federal Government, through the Australia
Council for the Arts, is our primary government
supporter. The New South Wales and Victorian
Governments’ ongoing support is vital and
we must acknowledge the particular support
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT CONTINUED
of Destination NSW for the presentation of
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. The Federal
Government is also a key partner of our national
touring program through Playing Australia.
Our Principal Partner Mazda Australia once again
generously contributed to our level of public
engagement through two major free outdoor
events, Mazda Opera in the Domain (Sydney) and
Mazda Opera in the Bowl (Melbourne). These
annual, free outdoor events allow thousands
of people to experience the glorious sounds of
Opera Australia soloists and orchestra in a casual,
family-friendly setting. Alongside Mazda sits a
long list of ongoing partnerships with Australian
companies that allow us to present work in our
major cities and regional centres.
The level of private support continues to
grow. We have an incredibly committed and
loyal group of philanthropists who assist us in
providing some of our most valuable programs
such as supporting emerging artists and the
encouragement of educational and outreach
programs. To all of you, thank you.
Paolo Bordogna as Selim and
Emma Matthews as Fiorilla
The Turk in Italy
opera, marketing opera, broadcasting opera and
engaging people young and old across Australia
with opera. The Australian Opera and Ballet
Orchestra is the busiest orchestra in the country
and it provides the backbone to all that we do.
This fabulous orchestra is critical to our ongoing
success. Our permanent chorus and ensemble
deliver their magic night after night, day after
day, to hundreds of thousands of people around
the country. Lyndon Terracini drives our artistic
vision as never before and must be congratulated
on expanding Opera Australia’s reach and
accessibility. Our Board of Directors chaired
by David Mortimer is vital to our longer term
planning and assisting us to navigate a difficult
financial environment. Our teams and crews in
Sydney and Melbourne keep everything ticking
over, working assiduously and creatively to keep
our organisation lean and nimble.
We have to be agile, both creatively and
financially, to ensure a strong and bold future
for Opera Australia. We are uniquely Australian
and unique in the world. It is by presenting
exceptional and accessible opera experiences and
exciting audiences around the nation that Opera
Australia will ensure its future.
The Team
Opera is a ravenous feeder of human capital.
More than 1,500 people were employed over
2014 in creating opera, presenting opera, touring
19
Andeka Gorrotxategi as B F Pinkerton and
Hyseoung Kwon as Cio-Cio-San
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour - Madama Butterfly
Artists 2014
Principals
Opera Australia employs around 400
permanent and seasonal staff, and over 1,000
people in total when guest artists and casual
staff are included. Our staff includes singers,
instrumentalists, repetiteurs, language coaches,
directors, conductors, designers, electricians,
mechanists, props technicians, dressers, makeup technicians and other production staff, stage
managers, stores-persons, carpenters, welders,
tailors, sewers, wig-makers, painters, writers,
ticket sellers and administrators.
Opera Australia’s activities also depend on
the contribution of a significant number of
staff at its performance venues, in particular at
the Sydney Opera House and the Arts Centre
Melbourne. These include technical and
backstage staff, ticket sellers, ushers, catering
and facilities management staff. Smaller
venues, such as those used for regional touring
performances, also supply staff to support the
Company’s activities.
Natalie Aroyan*
Catherine Bouchier
Nicole Car
Hannah Dahlenburg
Jacqueline Dark
Jessica Dean
Anna Dowsley*
Irina Dubrovskaya
Rachelle Durkin
Jane Ede
Amelia Farrugia
Elvira Fatykhova
Tania Ferris
Taryn Fiebig
Lorina Gore
Eleanor Greenwood
Lianna Haroutounian
Nancy Fabiola Herrera
Anke Höppner
Milica Ilic
Hyeseoung Kwon
Total
Thiago Arancam
Jud Arthur
Jonathan Biggins
John Bolton Wood AM
Paolo Bordogna
Marcus Bortolotti
Luciano Botello
Kanen Breen
Martin Buckingham
Giorgio Caoduro
José Carbó
Conal Coad
David Corcoran
Bradley Daley
Aldo Di Toro
Gennadi Dubinsky
Samuel Dundas
James Egglestone
Warwick Fyfe
Luke Gabbedy
Steven Gallop
Konstantin Gorny
Andeka Gorrotxategi
Alex Hargreaves
Christopher Hillier
Michael Honeyman
Dalibor Jenis
Andrew Jones
Simon Kim
Rosario La Spina
Christopher Lawrence
Jason Scott Lee
Adrian Li Donni
John Longmuir
Shane Lowrencev
Graeme Macfarlane
Virgilio Marino
Simon Meadows
Richard Mitchell
Andrew Moran
Guy Noble
Simon O'Neill
Ji-Min Park
David Parkin
Lou Diamond Phillips
Adam Player
David Pomeroy
Dmytro Popov
Arnold Rawls
Teddy Tahu Rhodes
Marty Rhone
Sam Roberts-Smith
Morris Robinson
Barry Ryan OAM
Claudio Sgura
Daniel Sumegi
Paulo Szot
Gianluca Terranova
Diego Torre
Georgy Vasiliev
Yolanda Lorenzato
Jodie McGuren
Marjory McKay
Ke-Lu Ma
Lynette Murray
Sandra Oldis
Sharon Olde
Leah Thomas
Katherine Wiles
Anna Yun
Dean Bassett
Christopher Bath
Gregory Brown
Brad Cooper
Malcolm Ede
Thomas Hamilton
Scott Hannigan
Stuart Haycock
Jin Tea Kim
Nara Lee
David Lewis
Jeffrey Lock
Jonathan McCauley
Kent McIntosh
Clifford Plumpton
Benjamin Rasheed
Ryan Sharp
Sitiveni Talei
Adrian Tamburini
Simon Kenway
Anthony Legge
Andrea Licata
Tahu Matheson
Andrea Molino
Benjamin Northey
Renato Palumbo
Guillaume Tourniaire
Antony Walker
Language Coaches
Tanja Binggeli
Nicole Dorigo
Adriana Hanic
Naomi Edwards
Susana Gómez
Michael Gow
Hugh Halliday
Roger Hodgman
Kasper Holten
Harry Kupfer
Bárbara Lluch
David McVicar
Andy Morton
Alex Ollé
Simon Phillips
Roger Press
Johanna Puglisi
Christopher Renshaw
Julie Taymor
Francesca Zambello
Robert Jones
Robert Kemp
Roger Kirk
Katrina Lindsay
Tracy Grant Lord
Julie Lynch
Tanya McCallin
Teresa Negroponte
Adrian Riddell
Richard Roberts
Hans Schavernoch
Michael Scott-Mitchell
Mia Stensgaard
Yan Tax
Julie Taymor
Brian Thomson
George Tsypin
Gabriela Tylesova
Leo Warner for
59 Productions
Paul Collison
Paule Constable
David Finn
Wolfgang Goebbel
Donald Holder
Alexander Koppelmann
Gary Marder
Nigel Levings
John Rayment
Nick Schlieper
Matt Scott
Toby Sewell
Gavan Swift
Michael Gow
Rebecca Gulinello
Kaine Hayward
Christopher Hillier
Angela Hogan
Aleisa Jelbart
Richard Jerziorny
Nicholas Jones
Robert Kemp
Simon Kenway
Raymond Lawrence
Anthony Legge
Michelle McCarthy
Daniel Macey
Oliver Mann
Andrew Moran
Rebecca Moret
Hamish Peters
Benjamin Rasheed
Sam Roberts-Smith
Matt Scott
Alex Sefton
Shanul Sharma
Clarissa Spata
Joshua van Konkelenberg
Anna Yun
Patrick Jeremy
Leah Lim
Anna Magrath
Sean Matthew Moore
Matthew Nguyen
Alexis Pedraza-Sampang
Rip-Van Parks
Hayanah Pickering
Marcus Rivera
Michaelle Rozario
Ariya Sawadivong
Victor Siharath
Nicholas Sopelario
Yong Ying Woo
Chorus
Chloris Bath
Emma Castelli
Annabelle Chaffey
Lisa Cooper
Mary-Ann Fraser
Eleanor Greenwood
Eva Kong
Vanessa Lewis
Conductors
Full Time Equivalents
Victoria Lambourn
Celeste Lazarenko
Jenny Liu
Lisa McCune
Jacqueline Mabardi
Daria Masiero
Dominica Matthews
Emma Matthews
Jade Moffat
Milijana Nikolic
Hiromi Omura
Sian Pendry
Sharon Prero
Martina Serafin
Janet Todd
Shu-Cheen Yu
Anna Yun
Jonathan Abernethy*
John Adam
Richard Anderson
Pelham Andrews
Christian Badea
Peter Casey
Brian Castles-Onion
Jonathan Darlington
Ongoing
Seasonal
Casual
Principal singers
19
42
0
61
Music Staff
Choristers
39
2
8
49
Orchestral players
56
10
54
120
Chorus Master
Assistant Chorus Master
Anthony Hunt
Thomas Johnson
Other performers
0
0
13
13
Music and language staff
7
4
2
13
Repetiteurs
Siro Battaglin
Brian Castles-Onion
Paul Fitzsimon
John Haddock
Tahu Matheson
Stephen Walter
Other artist support
13
11
4
28
Directors
Artistic administration
20
4
1
25
TOTAL ARTISTIC
154
73
82
309
Stage management
5
6
0
11
Matthew Barclay
Grace Barnes
John Bell AO OBE
Sarah Carradine
Gale Edwards
Stage staff
18
24
17
59
Designers
Set and props workshop
16
4
3
23
Wardrobe and wigs
17
17
8
42
Stores
5
1
8
14
Iain Aitken
Lluc Castells
Tony David Cray
Michael Curry
Alfons Flores
Facilities
4
0
2
6
Choreographers
Technical support and admin
11
3
2
16
TOTAL TECHNICAL
76
55
40
171
Mark Dendy
Signe Fabricius
Andrew George
Marketing Sales
16
2
6
24
Touring and Outreach
Admin and Management
45
0
0
45
Kyla Allan
Stacey Alleaume
Christine Anketell
Natalie Aroyan
Jonathan Bode
Christopher Cartner
Emma Castelli
Brian Castles-Onion
Pamela Christie
TOTAL ADMINISTRATION
61
2
6
69
TOTAL
291
130
128
549
Lighting Designers
Miles Hoare
Susan Kikuchi
Arthur Pita
Michael Curtain
Hannah Dahlenburg
Regina Daniel
Lara de Wit
Anna Dowsley
Naomi Edwards
Paul Fitzsimon
Steven Gallop
Ashley Giles
The King and I Ensemble
Bianca Baykara
William Centurian
Jade Coutts
Teresa Duddy
Vivien Emsworth
Ella Evangelista
Carolyn Ferrie
Chris Fung
Kiana Gallop-Angeles
Emma Jarman
* Members of the Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program
Program Coordinator: Andrew Greene
23
The Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra
(AOBO) is the busiest of all Australian
orchestras, giving around 250 performances
each year. A wholly owned subsidiary of Opera
Australia, the AOBO performs for Opera
Australia and The Australian Ballet during their
respective Sydney seasons, as well as Handa
Opera on Sydney Harbour.
Formerly the Sydney Elizabethan Orchestra,
the AOBO has earned a reputation for warmth
of sound and impressive flexibility in the most
challenging of environments. The repertory
performance schedule of Opera Australia
means that up to five different productions
are being performed and prepared at any one
time, resulting in up to eight performances per
week. Excellent seasonal and casual musicians
provide respite for the permanent musicians of
the Orchestra.
Jonas Kaufmann and conductor
Jochen Rieder with members of the
Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra
Richard Anderson as
Dulcamara, and his driver
The Elixir of Love, 2006
Notable recent productions for Opera Australia
in the last year have included: Handa Opera
on Sydney Harbour - Madama Butterfly, which
saw the orchestra playing once again on the
harbour stage in the acclaimed third season of
this landmark Sydney event; Eugene Onegin,
Tchaikovsky’s wonderful music conducted
by Guillaume Tourniaire and staged as a
co-production with the Royal Opera House
Covent Garden directed by its renowned
Artistic Director Kasper Holten; Simon Phillips’
hilarious new production of Rossini’s The Turk
in Italy conducted by Andrea Molino; and The
Australian Ballet’s much-loved production of
The Nutcracker conducted by Nicolette Fraillon.
After the success in the previous years of South
Pacific, OA’s collaboration with the Gordon Frost
Organisation, the AOBO’s sound and ensemble
were hailed in the production of The King and I.
The Orchestra also features on recent
recordings of live performances in the Sydney
Opera House of Don Giovanni, Rigoletto, La
Bohème and Madama Butterfly for cinema and
DVD release.
25
Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra
Concertmaster
Deputy Concertmaster Violin
Adrian Keating*
Tony Gault*
Airena Nakamura (2nd Violins)
Mark Fitzpatrick* (2nd Violins)
Virginia Blunt
Thomas Dundas
Rachel Easton
Yu-Qing Rebecca Irwin
Marek Kruszynski
Samuel Podjarski
Daniel Rosenbaum
Robert Sek
Jaroslaw Talar
Rachel Westwood
Viola
Virginia Comerford
Amanda Murphy
David Dixon
Magda Kruszynska
Cello
Teije Hylkema
Eszter Mikes-Liu*
Andrew Hines* *
Pierre Emery
Margaret Iddison
Henry Urbanavicius
Claudio Sgura as Baron Scarpia with
members of the Opera Australia Chorus
Tosca
Double Bass
Brett Berthold
Andrew Meisel*
Edmund Bastian
Huy-Nguyen Bui (Acting)
Catalin Ungureanu (Acting)
Trumpet
Joshua Clarke
Craig Ross*
Bruce Hellmers
Flute
Elizabeth Pring
Amanda Hollins*
Piccolo
Diane Berger
Cornet
Brian Evans
Trombone
Gregory van der Struik
Brett Favell*
William Farmer
Oboe
Conall McClure
Matthew Tighe*
Mark Bruwel
Huw Jones^
Bass Trombone
Brett Page
Cor Anglais
Andrew Malec
Percussion
Shaun Trubiano
Clarinet
Peter Jenkin
Philip Green*
Richard Rourke
Timpani
David Clarence
Allan Watson*
Bassoon
Douglas Eyre
Matthew Ockenden*
Gillian Hansen
Horn
Bourian Boubbov
Victoria Chatterley
Lisa Wynne-Allen
Tuba
Edwin Diefes
Harp
Jane Rosenson
Italics Principal
* Associate Principal/Principal 1st Violin
* * Acting Assistant Principal
^ Guest Principal
#
Contract Musician
^ Huw Jones appears courtesy of
Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra Management
General Manager, Orchestra Gérard Patacca
Deputy Orchestra Manager Emma In der Maur
Assistant Orchestra Manager Ella Howard
Assistant Orchestra Manager - Operations Anna Dodgshun
Assistant Orchestra Manager Valérie Morgan-Pertus
Taryn Fiebig as Zerlina and
Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Don Giovanni
27
The Patron Program
Patrons - $1,500+
The Patron Program is an important and integral part of Opera Australia. I am
honoured to be Patron-in-Chief and to thank those generous individuals who have
raised their voices in support of our national company.
Opera lives in the hearts and imagination of the more than 550,000 people who
enjoy our performances each year. Opera Australia is sincerely grateful to the
individuals, organisations, trusts and foundations whose loyal support underpins
everything we do.
We give you our applause and many bravos – thank you.
Yvonne Kenny AM,
Patron-in-Chief
Yvonne Kenny AM, Patron-in-Chief
Ambassador Patrons - $20,000+
Robert Albert AO RFD RD and
Elizabeth Albert
Philip Bacon AM
Jennifer Brukner
Mrs Rowena Danziger AM and Mr K G Coles AM
Christine Davis
Martin Dickson AM and Susie Dickson
Lady (Mary) Fairfax AC OBE
Hans and Petra Henkell
Iphygenia Kallinikos and
in memory of Despina Kallinikos
Anthony and Sharon Lee Foundation
David Mortimer AO
Carol Sisson
Maureen Wheeler AO
Anonymous (1)
Dr I J Hunter
Rex Irwin, Esq.
Mr and Mrs Aron Kleinlehrer
John Lamble AO
Peter Mason AM and Kate Mason
Nick and Caroline Minogue
Mrs Patricia New
Katharine Olsen
Richard Owens AM
Kenneth R Reed AM
Brenda and Laurence Scofield
Fred Street AM and Dorothy Street
Alden Toevs and Judi Wolf
Professor Barbara van Ernst AM
Cameron Williams
Anonymous (3)
Peter Griffin AM
Mr Ian Harper AM and Mrs Ian Harper
Pat and Frank Harvey
Jennifer Hershon
Peter and Jenny Hordern
Mrs Cynthia Jackson AM and the late
Dr Edward Jackson AM
Dr Judith Kinnear
Peter Lovell
Dr Joan M Lawrence AM
Peter and Pamela McKee
Lisa and Doug McKern
Suzanne and Antony Maple-Brown
Robyn Martin-Weber
Justice Jane Mathews AO
Catriona and Simon Mordant AM
Colin and Rosalyn Nicholson
Tom and Ruth O'Dea
Mrs Janette O’Keefe and the late
Hon Justice Barry O’Keefe AM QC
Valmai Pidgeon AM
Dr David and Dr Gillian Ritchie
Janis Salisbury
Mark and Ruth Sampson
Phillip and Sue Schudmak
Rod Sims and Alison Pert
John and Jo Strutt
Tony and Josephine Sukkar
John Symond AM
Peter and Leonie Szabo
Mr Kevin Troy
Michael Troy
Lyn Williams AM
Elizabeth Windschuttle
Roy and Gay Woodward
Anonymous (2)
Alexander Gosling and Wirat Sukprem
Leonard Groat
Nereda Hanlon and Michael Hanlon AM
Craig Hassall
Dr Peter Hickman
Nora Hinchen and John Flint OAM
H and R Hofmann
Erwin and Judith Katz
Kernaghan & Associates Lawyers
Mrs Suzanne Kirkham
Anna-Lisa Klettenberg
Kloeden Foundation
Ms Eugenia Langley JP
G D Levy and J M Hockey
Solomon and Rosie Lew
Alex and Halina Lewenberg
Mr Paul Lindwall and Ms Joanne Frederiksen
Peter Lowry OAM and Carolyn Lowry OAM
Justice Robert McDougall
Mimie MacLaren
The Alexandra and
Lloyd Martin Family Foundation
Dr and Mrs P J Meddings
Dr Mark and Dr Alla Medownick
Mrs Margot Melzak
Graham Miller
Thomas Timothy Murphy
Mrs Judith Myers
Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD and Jocelyn Nebenzahl
David and Lynne Olsson
Dr Robert and Mrs Joan Osborn
Mrs Roslyn Packer AO
George and Jillian Pappas
Timothy and Eva Pascoe
G Pearson
Dr Kevin Pedemont
Fred Peisah
Professor David Penington AC
Susan Perrin-Kirby
John and Moya Phillips
Dave Poddar and Angela Flannery
Greeba Pritchard
Josef and Sarina Reisinger
Mark Renehan
Bruce Rosenberg
Graeme Samuel AC and Jill Davies
Edward and Susan Schutz
Penelope Seidler AM
Mrs H Showniruk
Dr Michael Slaytor
Margot Smith
Mr Sam Smorgon AO and Mrs Minnie Smorgon
Assoc. Prof. Ross Steele AM
Michael and Judy Stewart
Dr and Mrs David Sugerman
Mrs Graham Thorp
Mrs Alma Toohey
Mrs Dawn Troy
John Tuckey
Mr and Mrs Peter Turner
Mr David Valentine
Isaac and Susie Wakil
Alex and Claire Weis
Geoffrey and Karen Wilson
Ray Wilson OAM in memory of
James Agapitos OAM
Sue and Bill Wood
Donna Woodhill
Anonymous (5)
Artist Patrons - $12,000+
Antoinette Albert
The Board of Opera Australia
Mrs K E Bryan
Juliana and Robert Clemesha
Vic and Katie French
Mr John Frost AM
Ian Dickson and Reg Holloway
Mrs Jane Hemstritch
Governor Patrons - $6,000+
Nance Atkinson Trust
Peter Bartholomew and Donna Pelka
Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO
Tom Begg
Stephen Bell
The Hon Bronwyn Bishop MP
Miki Brotzler
Audrey Blunden
Russell and Leanne Bowie
Paul Brady and Christine Yip
Conal Coad and Colin Beutel
Michael and Shanny Crouch
Mary Davidson and Frederick Davidson
The Hon Mrs Ashley Dawson-Damer AM
Mrs R Dechert
The Denton Family Trust
Suvan and Shamistha de Soysa
Chris and Judy Fullerton
The Greatorex Foundation
Benefactor Patrons - $3,000+
Jeannette Abrahams
David and Elizabeth Adams
L R Alway
Dr Ben Anderson
Janette and Jim Bain AM
Michael Ball
Judith and David Beal
Margaret and James Beattie
Mrs Christine Bishop
Rosemary and Julian Block
Ms Judith Brinsmead
Jannie Brown
Dr Andrew Buchanan
Ian and Jillian Buchanan
Mrs Barbara Cain
Pam Caldwell
Dr Lionel Chan
Mrs David Clarke
The Clayton Family
Maxwell J Connery OAM and Joan R Connery OAM
Mrs Joan Darling
Chum Darvall AM
Mrs Catherine Davies
Ernest Dawes OBE and Nola Dawes
Mr J T Dominguez CBE AM and Mrs Dominguez
Mrs Gordon Douglass AM
Sandy and Phil Dudgeon
Suellen and Ron Enestrom
Dr Helen M Ferguson
Diana and Richard Fisher
Mr Gerhard and Mrs Monica Flechsig
Neilma Gantner
Margaret Gibbs
Rachel Goldberg and Alan Goldberg AO QC
Leon and Judy Goldman
Anthony Adair
Dr and Mrs Mario Adamo
Rae and David Allen
The Hon Richard Alston
Sidney and Lynn Anderson
Dr Patricia Armstrong-Grant OBE
Rosalind Baker
Jenny Barnes
Ross and Ann Barnetson
Tony Barnett
Mrs Jeanette Beaumont
Laurie Bebbington and Elizabeth O’Keeffe
Alasdair Beck
Dr Jane Beeby
Dr Simon Bell and
Dr Jennifer Coghlan-Bell
Nicole Berger
Tom Best
Minnie Biggs
Graeme Black
Kevin Bleasel AO
Mrs Jan Bowen
Mrs Roslynne Bracher AM
Virginia Braden OAM and Ken Woolley AM
Ms Jane Brodribb
Dr Roderick Brooks
Beth Brown and Tom Bruce AM
Professor David Bryant
Mr R J Burbidge QC and Mrs R J Burbidge
Diana Burleigh
David Byrne
Hugh and Hilary Cairns
Elise Callander
Ian Cameron
Mrs Naomi Carrick
Mr and Mrs M H Carriol
Mr J A Carroll
Emily Chang
Greg and Terry Chesher
Caroline and Robert Clemente
J C Conde AO
Miss Renata Conrad
Leith Cooper
The Hon Justice Dennis Cowdroy OAM
Tim and Bryony Cox
P F and M J Crane
M and M Cranitch
I F Crawford
Mr Charles P Curran AC and Mrs Eva Curran
Mrs Mary Curtis
Rod and Marie Dalziel
Mrs June Danks
Mrs Jeanette Davies
Kathryn Davies
Kyle Davis and Andrew Adney
Mr Michael Diamond AM MBE
Jennifer and Robert Dickerson AO
Disium Pty Ltd
The Hon. John Dowd AO QC
Andrew and Barbara Dowe
Mr John Downer AM and Mrs Rose Downer
Dr William Downey
Margaret Dunstan
Dana Dupere
Charles Edmonds
James Fairfax AC
Mr Bill Fleming
Mrs M Ford
John and Diana Frew
Vivienne Fried and the late Ruben Fried
Sabina and David Full
Robert Furley and Leon Nicholas
Eric and Tonia Gale
Justin and Anne Gardener
Peter Gardner
John Garnsey QC
Mrs David Gibbs
Minnie Gibbs
Dr Rosita Gibson
Dr Nicholas S Girdis CBE and Mrs Marina Girdis
International Patrons
DR HARUHISA HANDA,
Honorary International Patron
Sir Roderick and Lady Deane
Hamish Parker
The Hon. Justice and Mrs G Giudice
Charles and Susan Glanville
Mr Timothy Glanville
George H Golvan QC
George and Kay Gordon
Beatrice Gray
Miss Catherine Gray
Dr Anthony Grigg and Mr Paul Williamson
Mr and Mrs Egon Grossberg
James and Sarah Guest
The Hon Ian V Gzell
Jean Hadges
Richard and Judy Haes
Mrs Pamela Hall
Michael K Halprin
Louis Hamon OAM
Dr John Harvey AO and Mrs Yvonne Harvey
Judy Hastings
Alan Hauserman and Janet Nash
Assoc. Prof. Bernard Haylen
and Mrs Denise Haylen
Peter Hennings
Dr W J Heriot
D S and S P Heywood
Dr and Mrs R F Hicks
Sinclair Hill AM OBE
John David Hobbs
Michael Hobbs
Mrs Naida Holliday
Ms A Hooper
Dr Ron Houghton
Ian Hunt and Vicki Nicholson
Michael and Penny Hunter
Dr Alastair Jackson
Patricia Jackson
Stuart Jennings
John S Jessup
Michael and Anna Joel AM and Mrs Anna Joel
Dr Garry Joslin and Prof Dimity Reed AM
Anne and Bruce Judd
John Kaldor AM and Naomi Milgrom Kaldor
Mrs Mathilde Kearny-Kibble
Dr Susan M Kelly
James and Diana Kimpton
Mrs Deborah Kirk
In memory of Suzanne Korbel
Drs Marjorie and George Kossoff AO
George Krawat
The Hon Justice François Kunc and
Felicity Rourke
Peter Lazar AM
Margaret Lederman
Catherine and Yick Him Lee
Stephanie Lee
Mrs Ruth Leon
Barbara and Bernard Leser
Ann and David Levitan
Richard and Elizabeth Longes
Jill and Brian Loton
Drs Kathryn Lovric and Roger Allan
Mr Howard Lowe
Susan McCarthy
Mrs Marie McCann OAM
Dr Ann McFarlane
Avril and Peter McGrath
George and Patricia McGregor
Robert and Sarah McKay
Marcus and Brooke MacLean
Mark and Sue MacLennan
Hon Ian and Mrs Julie Macphee
Geoffrey Magney
David Malouf AO
Jenny Manton
Merilyn Marel
Professor Bernard and Mrs Joyce Marks
Jennifer K Marshall
Graham Matheson
Dr Bryan and Mrs Debora Mendelson
Desmond B Misso, Esq
The Monarch Investment Group of Companies
Associate Professor Jane Munro AM
John and Isobel Morgan
Adrian Morris and Eileen Chanin
Ted and Brenda Mouritz
Dr Stephen Mulligan
Mr Barry Murphy
Rupert and Annabel Myer
Dr and Mrs Ken Neale
Irena Nebenzahl
New Vision Clinics
Dr Paul Nisselle AM and Mrs Sue Nisselle
Professor G C O'Brien and Dr I E O'Brien
Mr Douglas Paisley
Mrs Robyn Pal
Mr and Mrs Alexander Papli
Ms Janine Perrett
Phillip and Jennifer Perry
D E Pidd
Mr Ian Plater
Ray Poon
Mr Peter Charles Prior CLJ
Railx Aluminium Products
Judith and Ernest Rapee
Angela Raymond
John and Leah Read
Jane Recny
Frank A Robertson
Mr Geoffrey Robertson QC
Mr Graeme Robertson
Michael and Angela Rodd
Mr Jeremy Ruskin QC and
Ms Roz Zalewski
Rowan and Susie Russell
Ms Donna St Clair
Margaret Sammut
The Satir Centre of Australia
Mrs M Saunders
Garry E Scarf
Aubrey G Schrader
Tom Schrecker
Max and Jill Schultz
Caroline Serventy
Mrs Penelope Service
Dr John and Mrs Sue Sheehy
Professor Gillian Shenfield AM
Tim and Lynne Sherwood
Mrs Suzanne Simon
Gary Singer and Geoffrey Smith
Bernadette Slater
Michael and Melissa Slattery
Denise Smith
In memory of Beryl Stephens
Mr Nigel Stoke
Anthony Stolarek
Mrs Joan Tayler
Victoria Taylor
The Langham, Melbourne
Victoria Thorogood
Sandy and Anna Todd
Richard and Caroline Travers
Peter Tremewen
Judge Robyn Tupman
Suzanne and Ross Tzannes AM
Ullmer Family Charitable Endowment
Stephen and Paulin Walter
John S Walton AM
The Shirley Ward Foundation
Mrs Suzanne A R Waterhouse
Derek Watt and Cathy Brown-Watt
Arthur and Topsy Webster
Dr Eric Wegman
Roslyn Weiley and Chris Harper
The Honourable Justice Anthony Whealy
Professor Chris and Mrs Vimala Whitaker
Warwick and Karen White
Caroline Wilkinson
Evan Williams AM and Janet Williams
Mr Kerry Wright
Dr Kun-Gay Yap and Dr Kuldip Kaur
Anonymous (31)
Trusts and Foundations
The Andrews Foundation
The Association of Australian Decorative and
Fine Arts Societies
Cassandra Gantner Foundation
Commonwealth Bank Staff Community Fund
Crown Resorts Foundation
Packer Family Foundation
29
Syndicate 30 - The Da Ponte Cycle
Opera Australia salutes those Patrons who have joined Syndicate 30: Mozart for 2015. Members of each year's Syndicate support a new
production and participate directly in the work of Opera Australia. We sincerely thank our Syndicate 30 Patrons for their generosity.
Rowena Danziger AM and Ken Coles AM
Jennifer Hershon
Iphygenia Kallinikos and in memory of Despina Kallinikos
Dr Joan M. Lawrence AM
Dr and Mrs P J Meddings
Colin and Rosalyn Nicholson
D E Pidd
Valmai Pidgeon AM
David and Gillian Ritchie
Cameron Williams
Christine Yip and Paul Brady
Anonymous (1)
Artist Patrons are proud to support the performances of our artists
Jonathan Abernethy is supported by John Lamble AO
Cheryl Barker is supported by Anthony and Sharon Lee
Nicole Car is supported by Jane Hemstritch
David Corcoran is Opera Australia's ambassador for the
Asthma Foundation of NSW
Jacqueline Dark is supported by Juliana and Robert Clemesha
Anna Dowsley is supported by
Martin Dickson AM and Susie Dickson
Samuel Dundas is supported by Maureen Wheeler AO
Taryn Fiebig is supported by Maureen Wheeler AO
Lorina Gore is supported by
Mrs Rowena Danziger AM and Mr Kenneth Coles AM
Andrew Jones is supported by Maureen Wheeler AO
Shane Lowrencev is supported by Vic and Katie French
Dominica Matthews is supported by
Professor Barbara van Ernst AM
Emma Matthews is supported by Jennifer Brukner
Milijana Nikolic is supported by Kay Bryan
Teddy Tahu Rhodes is supported by Rex Irwin, Esq.
Diego Torre is supported by Jennifer Brukner
John Wegner is supported by Hans and Petra Henkell
The Opera Australia Chorus is supported by ExxonMobil
Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program
The Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program is a two-year 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 the rehearsal
and performance activity of the Company. Opera Australia is most grateful for the support provided to enable the participation of
singers in the Young Artist Program. Members of the program in 2014 are:
Jonathan Abernethy (supported by John Lamble AO)
Anna Dowsley (supported by Martin Dickson AM and Susie Dickson)
Julie Lea Goodwin (supported by an anonymous donor)
Andrew Greene - Program Coordinator
Friends of Opera Australia
Friends of Opera Australia enjoy a closer involvement with the opera as well as helping to support the work we do.
Friends are invited to our seasonal Insight evenings, to hear artists perform and the creative team discuss works from
new productions. Friends are also given access to select dress rehearsals and discounted tickets where possible.
Teddy Tahu Rhodes as the King of Siam and
Lisa McCune as Anna Leonowens
The King and I
Opera Society Inc.
Opera Society Inc. is a Melbourne-based organisation which supports Opera Australia through its fund-raising activities and
provides its members with informative and entertaining events throughout the year. The Society offers access to dress rehearsals,
insights, film nights, lunches, brunches, concerts and recitals. Information about the Society is available from the office on (03)
9685 3757 or at www.operasociety.org.au
We urge you to become part of Opera Australia’s future. Your tax deductible donation will enable us to keep developing the highest
calibre of opera artists, present products of the highest standard, give more Australians the opportunity to experience opera and
sustain this beautiful art form into the future. To find out more about the part you can play in Opera Australia’s future please contact:
Victoria Hope in Sydney on (02) 9318 8333 or Melissa Forlano in Melbourne on (03) 9685 3733.
31
Michael Traill AM
Following another year of significant growth in
its investments, the market value of the Opera
Australia Capital Fund reached $14.48 million
by the end of 2014. The increase in reserves has
enabled the Capital Fund to make a distribution
to Opera Australia of $500,000 and, in doing so,
helps to provide a consistent income stream to
the Company. When all donations and pledges,
including notified bequests, are aggregated it
highlights more than $26 million received and
pledged to the Capital Fund since its inception.
The cumulative distributions from the Capital
Fund to Opera Australia total $3.207 million. It
is the certainty of this income that has helped
the Company to plan, take risks, leverage
contributions and be more entrepreneurial than
it could otherwise have been.
Top: Lang Walker, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Ron Murray
Ashley Dawson-Damer’s home
Bottom: Patrick de Pelet, Ashley Dawson-Damer,
Cheryl Barker, Warwick andMichael
Karen Newbury,
Lady
Honeyman
as Fairhaven
Escamillo
The Dorchester,Carmen
London
The Capital Fund has built a reputation for
excellence in events and a reception and recital
held in London in June was exceptionally well
received by the 100 guests who attended. Lord
Goodlad, Chairman, and Members of the Opera
Australia Capital Fund UK Committee, hosted
the evening which was held at and sponsored
by The Dorchester. There is a true sense of
goodwill for the Company in the UK and we
continue to attract both influential expats and
British residents with Australian connections in
the pursuit of our fundraising goals there.
Successful events in Melbourne and Sydney
were held during the year. Board Member,
Michael Bartlett, hosted a recital and reception
for our Melbourne supporters at the Melbourne
Club in the autumn, and in spring we returned
for a fundraising dinner to the Vaucluse home
of Ashley Dawson-Damer who has graciously
hosted several Capital Fund events in the past.
33
In November the annual Council of Governors’
dinner was held at Cranlana in Toorak. Rupert
and Annabel Myer kindly hosted the dinner
which marked the tenth year when we have met
with those benefactors to the Capital Fund who
have either made leadership contributions or
pledged significant bequests. We were able to
reflect on the achievements of the Capital Fund
and to welcome a new member, Jane Brodribb.
The Capital Fund has always been generously
supported by the artists of Opera Australia
to whom we are indebted. This year we were
privileged to hear superb performances by
Emma Matthews at the Melbourne Club, Cheryl
Barker at The Dorchester, Teddy Tahu Rhodes at
Ashley’s home and Taryn Fiebig and Dominica
Matthews at Cranlana.
On behalf of the Board of the Opera Australia
Capital Fund, I would like to thank all of our
benefactors for their support and for the role that
they play in ensuring the certainty of funding
for our national opera company. I am grateful
to my fellow Directors, David Armstrong, Philip
Bacon, Michael Bartlett, Ashley Dawson-Damer,
Craig Hassall, François Kunc, David Mortimer
and Maureen Wheeler who are committed to the
task of securing the future of Opera Australia for
generations to come.
Overleaf, clockwise from top left
Opera Australia Chorus and Cast, Falstaff
Mazda Opera in the Domain
Jonathan Abernethy as Tamino in Opera on the Beach The Magic Flute
Opera Australia's Community Choirs
Simon O'Neill as Otello
with members of the
Opera Australia Chorus
Otello
35
The Opera Australia Capital Fund was established to build capital reserves to help ensure the ongoing
financial viability of Opera Australia.
Council of Governors
Michael Traill AM (Chairman), David Armstrong, Philip Bacon AM, Michael Bartlett, Jane Brodribb, Jennifer Brukner,
Jane Clarke and David Newby, Ken Coles AM, Rowena Danziger AM, Ashley Dawson-Damer AM, Gretchen Dechert,
Mark Dimmitt, Lady (Mary) Fairfax AC OBE, Leonard Groat, Craig Hassall, Iphy Kallinikos, Judith Kinnear,
The Hon Justice François Kunc, Phil and Helen Meddings, David Mortimer AO, Rupert and Annabel Myer,
Roslyn Packer AO, Hamish Parker, Gary Payne, Kenneth R Reed AM, John Reid AO, Barbara van Ernst AM, Ray Wilson OAM
The Council of Governors comprises Directors of the Trustee Company; Donor Members who have either
contributed a significant donation or pledged a specific bequest; and Special Members who actively participate
in the Capital Fund's fundraising efforts.
The Capital Fund continues to grow and makes an annual distribution to Opera Australia. This significant
achievement has been made possible through the generosity of the following donors as well as the Australian
Government and the State Governments of New South Wales and Victoria through the Reserves Incentive
Funding Scheme.
Russell and Lucinda Aboud
Antoinette Albert
Robert Albert AO RFD RD
and Elizabeth Albert
Betty Amsden AO
Philip Bacon AM
(Mrs) Carole Bailey
Jim and Janette Bain
Ballandry (Peter Griffin Family) Fund
Mim and Michael Bartlett
Alasdair Beck
Lewis and Sally Bell
Berg Family Foundation
Alan and Christine Bishop
Allan and Jane Blaikie
Jan Bowen
Alix Bradfield
Dr and Mrs P Breidahl
In memory of Lennox Brewer
Dr Roderick Brooks
Jennifer Brukner
Carolyn Cameron
Louise Christie
Mr David Clarke AO and
Mrs Jane Clarke
Tony and Hellen Clarke
Adrian Collette AM and
Victoria Watson
Prof Malcolm Coppleson AO
and Mrs Patricia Coppleson
Mr Bruce Corlett AM and
Mrs Ann Corlett
Alan and Elisabeth Cornell
Robin and Judy Crawford
Michael and Shanny Crouch
Crowe Horwath
Cruise Brokers Australia Pty Ltd
Mr Charles P Curran AC and
Mrs Eva Curran
Win Danby
Elizabeth Dangar
Mrs Rowena Danziger AM
and Mr K G Coles AM
Mrs David Darling
The Hon Mrs John Dawson-Damer AM
Mrs R Dechert
Matthew Delasey
Ian Dickson
Martin Dickson AM and
Susie Dickson
Francis Douglas
Mrs Gordon Douglass AM and
the late Mr Gordon Douglass
Dr William Downey
Marie Dreux
Jane and David Duncan
Suellen and Ron Enestrom
James Fairfax AO
Lady (Mary) Fairfax AC OBE
Pip and Gordon Fell
Jenny Ferguson
The Hon W K and Mrs M Fisher
Mr Bill Fleming
Chris and Judy Fullerton
Mrs Peter Geddes
Donald and Rosita Gibson
The Goodman Family
Alexander Gosling AM and
Wirat Sukprem
Ian and Ruth Gough
Grant Family Charitable Trust
Robert and Beatrice Gray
Deirdre Hall and
David Greatorex AO
Peter Griffin AM
John and Jo Grigg
Leonard Groat
Mr and Mrs Ian Harper
Dr John Harvey AO and
Mrs Yvonne Harvey
In memory of the late
Philip Hemstritch
Hans and Petra Henkell
Jennifer Hershon
Hershon Family
Neroli Hobbins
Miss Jennifer Hole
Mrs Cynthia Jackson AM and
the late Dr Edward Jackson AM
Major General Michael
and Mrs Marlena Jeffery
Reg and Marie Jewell
Mrs Diana Jones AM DSJ and
Mr David Jones AM OBE
H Kallinikos Pty Ltd
Kloeden Foundation
Noelene Keen-Ward and
David Whitfield
Dr Judith Kinnear
Mrs Jean E Kirk
Aron and Helen Kleinlehrer
The Hon Justice François Kunc
and Felicity Rourke
John Lamble AO
Dr Joan M Lawrence AM
Liangrove Foundation Pty Ltd
Juliet Lockhart
Drs Kathryn Lovric and Roger Allan
Mr Kevin McCann
Tim and Caroline McFarlane
Peter and Pamela McKee
Judy Mackinnon
Mrs Barbara McNulty OBE
Dr Penelope McNulty
Macquarie Group Foundation
David Malouf AO
Maple-Brown Family
Charitable Trust
Peter and Kate Mason
Don and Angela Mercer
Robert Morgan
The Dame Elisabeth Murdoch
Charitable Distribution Account
Rupert and Annabel Myer
Dr and Mrs Ken Neale
Mark and Louise Nelson
David Newby
Jim and Shirley Nield
Michael and Helen Nugent
Justin and Sally O'Day
Conrad and Alice Oppen
Richard Owens OAM
Roslyn Packer AO
Pages Event Equipment
Hamish Parker
peckvonhartel architects
John and Moya Phillips
Valmai Pidgeon AM
Robin Potter OAM
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Greeba Pritchard
Kenneth R Reed AM
Andrew Thyne Reid Charitable Trust
Thyne Reid Trust No 1
John B Reid AO and
Lynn Rainbow Reid
Patricia H Reid Endowment Pty Ltd
Renaissance Tours
In memory of Lilian Renard
Michael Rennie
David and Gillian Ritchie
Juliana Schaeffer
In memory of Clare Scott-Mitchell
Eddie Scuderi
Penelope Seidler AM
Servcorp
The Hon Warwick L Smith AM
and Mrs Kathryn Joy Smith
Suzanne and Peter Steigrad
James and Jeanne-Claude Strong
John and Jo Strutt
Antony and Josephine Sukkar
Simon Swaney and Carolyn Kay
Dr Hugh and Mrs Elfie Taylor
Jill Thorpe
Robert Tobias OAM
Michael Traill AM and
Jenny Gage Traill
Kevin Troy
Michael Troy
Professor Barbara van Ernst AM
Isaac and Susie Wakil
A D White
Lyn Williams AM
C R Wilshire
Ray Wilson OAM and the
late James Agapitos OAM
Jill Wran
Dr Anna Ziegler
Anonymous (19)
Bequests
You can make a lasting contribution to the future of opera in Australia by making a bequest to the Opera Australia Capital
Fund. Your bequest will provide financial security to enhance Opera Australia’s artistic achievements and outreach
programs. The Company is enormously grateful for the support it has received through bequests from the estates of:-
Mrs Diana Chapman
David Clarke AO
Ruth Davidson
Dame Joyce Margaretta Daws DBE
Mrs Leslie Feather
Ms Wendy Fenson
Mr Jonathon Greening
Mrs Nola J Hassall
Mrs Elise Herrman
Irwin Imhof
Mr G H Johnson for the
George and Nerissa Johnson
Memorial Scholarship
Mr Stefan Kruger
Miss Patricia Lance
Barbara McNulty OBE
Ivy Marshall
Mr Will Noble
Dimiter Kanev Stantchev
Dr Dawn Thew
Mrs Nancy Williamson
Dr Donald Wilson
Betty Wright
Mr Gerald Sidney Wronker
If you wish to discuss either a donation to the Capital Fund or your bequest hopes, please contact Neroli Hobbins
in Sydney on 02 9318 8386 or Sally Percival in Melbourne on 03 9685 3761.
39
Opera Australia Activities
Attendances and Box Office 2014
41
Opera Australia Activities
continued
Performances
Venues
Admissions
2014
2013
Box office ($)
2014
2013
43
Opera Australia Activities
continued
Students from Toongabbie West Public School's Hearing
Support Unit enjoy The Barber of Seville
45
Opera Australia Thanks Its 2014 Partners
Principal Partner
Official Car Sponsor
Hero Partners
Gold Partners
Silver Partners
Supporting Partners
Opera Australia Wine
Partner
ab
Corporate Circle
Dress Circle Membership
Australian Opera Auditions Committee
Gilbert + Tobin
Jardine Lloyd Thompson
Executive Membership
iSentia
Park Hyatt Sydney
The Deck Restaurant
Vini
Performance Partners
John Longmuir as Ernesto, Rachelle Durkin as Norina,
Conal Coad as Don Pasquale and Samuel Dundas as Dr Malatesta
Don Pasquale
47
Management
Opera Australia
Craig Hassall
Chief Executive
ACN 000 755 153
ABN 26 000 755 153
The liability of the members
of Opera Australia is limited.
Incorporated in New South Wales in
1970, Opera Australia is an authority
holder under the Charitable
Fundraising Act 1991.
Lyndon Terracini AM
Artistic Director
Narelle Beattie
Chief Operating Officer
Board of Directors
David Mortimer AO
Chairman
Lesley Alway
Anson Austin OAM
Philip Bacon AM
Virginia Braden OAM
David Epstein
Tim McFarlane
Judith Stewart
Josephine Sukkar
Mary Waldron
Anthony Legge
Associate Music Director
Alex Budd
General Manager, Melbourne and
Enterprises
Loretta Busby
Artistic Administrator
Anton Dolk
Director - Human Resources
Helen Hall
Director Corporate Partnerships and
Events
Liz Nield
Executive Director, Philanthropy
Sydney Office:
The Opera Centre
480 Elizabeth Street
Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Sydney Postal Address: PO Box 291,
Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012
Telephone: (02) 9699 1099
Fax: (02) 9699 3184
Melbourne Office:
Corner Fawkner and Fanning
Streets, Southbank 3006
Melbourne Postal Address: PO Box 389,
South Melbourne, Vic 3205
Telephone: (03) 9685 3777
Fax: (03) 9686 1441
Sue Olden
Business Planning Manager
Gérard Patacca
General Manager, Orchestra
John Rayment
Technical Director
Georgia Rivers
Sales and Marketing Director
Louisa Robertson
Executive Producer,
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
Simone Twiss
Finance Director
Sandra Willis
Executive Producer,
Touring and Outreach
Government Partners
Opera Australia is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and by the
NSW Government through Arts NSW. Opera Australia is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.
Principal Partner