Gertrude Opera is an award-winning, not-for-profit contemporary opera company, based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The company was established in 2008 primarily as a training repertory company for aspiring opera singers, and répétiteurs, directors and designers. It was first named "The Opera School Melbourne" and then "The Opera Studio Melbourne".[1] Its creative staff include Linda Thompson (Artistic Director, former head of voice at Monash University),[2] Brian Castles-Onion AM (Board Member and Guest Conductor). Creative teams have included Gale Edwards AM (Artist in Residence 2019), costume designer Tim Chappel, Geraldine Turner AM, Luke Leonard (Monk Parrots USA) Conductors Brian Castles-Onion AM, Tianyi Lu, Patrick Burns, Benjamin Northey, Dr David Kram. Staff: Andrea Katz (Inaugural Head of Music 2009-2011), and Cameron Menzies (Head of Stage Direction 2010-2013).[3][4] In 2013 the Studio named its performing company Gertrude Opera, after Gertrude Johnson[5] incorporating the Studio stage performance program.
Productions
In 2018, and again in 2019, Gertrude Opera won OperaChaser’s Outstanding Production by an Independent Company Award for the Australian premieres of The Handmaid’s Tale (Ruders) and The Enchanted Pig (Dove). Gertrude Opera runs an annual international Studio Young Artist program, building bridges to new audiences and a platform for professional growth. Repertoire spans Australian premieres, contemporary productions of new works, and children’s/family opera. ,[6][7] "mini-festivals"[8] and major productions. In later years, the company has become known for Australian premieres and staging of contemporary works and treatments. In 2015, founded Australia’s only international opera festival (Nagambie 2015, 2016, Yarra Valley 2018, 2019) International collaborators include Monk Parrots (USA) and Glyndebourne (Glyndebourne Opera Cup).
Selective list of productions
Australian premiere*
- As One* (Kiminsky/Campbell/Reed) 2020
- The Enchanted Pig* (Dove/Middleton) 2019
- The Coronation of Poppea (Monteverdi) 2019
- Macbeth Verdi/Stopschinski 2019 (Yarra Valley/New York)
- The Handmaid’s Tale* (Ruders) 2018
- Cosi fan tutte (Mozart) 2018
- The Elixir of Love (Donizetti) 2018
- To Hell and Back* (Heggie) 2018, 2016
Alcina (Handel) 2017
- The Magic Flute 2017
- Doctor Miracle (Bizet) 2017
- The Consul (Menotti) 2017
- The Telephone (Menotti) 2017
- First Music, then Words (Salieri) 2017
- Thespis (2016)
- the difficulty of crossing a field*(Lang) 2015
- Tuesdays with pictures* (Williams) 2015
- Bon appetit* (Hoiby) 2015
- Coffee Cantata (2015)
- Trial by Jury (2015)
- The Magic Flute (Mozart) 2014
- The Marriage of Figaro (abr.) 2014
- Cinderella (Massenet) 2013
- The Juniper Tree* (Glass/Moran) 2011, 2013
- The Magic Flute, 2009[9]
- The Old Maid and the Thief, 2009
- Hansel and Gretel, 2009[10]
- Acis and Galatea, 2009
- Don Giovanni, 2010[11]
- Orpheus in the Underworld - 2011
- Mini Opera Festival: Orpheus returns - 2011
- The Juniper Tree - 2011 - Australian Premiere
- Loves Luggage Lost - 2011
Studio - Young Artists (2009 - 2019)
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hadleigh Adams (NZ) | Stacey Alleaume (VIC) | Ashlyn Tymms (WA) | Blake Bowden (NSW) |
| Stacey Alleaume (VIC) | Sophie Yelland (SA) | Nathan Lay (VIC) | Eric Ferrer (FLP) |
| Kari Lyon (WA) | Cameron Lukey (NSW) | Nicholas Dinopoulos (VIC) | Li Yang (CHN) |
| Alison Lemoh (NSW) | Greg Eldridge (VIC) | Daniel Sinfield (WA) | Samantha Chong (HK |
| Mandy Lyn Brook (VIC) | Nathan Lay (VIC) | Hannah Dahlenburg (VIC) | Caitlin McNab (VIC) |
| Kristan Gregory (VIC) | Nicholas Dinopoulos (VIC) | Rhiannon Stevens (VIC) | Rhiannon Stephens (VIC) |
| Tim Jaques (VIC) | Daniel Sinfield (WA) | Joachin Quilez-Marin (ESP) | Bernard Leon (NSW) |
| Laura Parkes (VIC) | David Costello (WA) | Kristain Gregory (VIC) | Raphael Wong (VIC) |
| Jane Matheson (VIC) | Diipti Firmstone (QLD) | Caitlin McNab (VIC) | Juel Flemming (VIC) |
| Amy Spruce (VIC) | Rosel Labone (NZ) | Jessica Kinsella (ACT) | Alyssa Peacock (ACT) |
| Timothy Jaques (VIC) | Eric Ferrer (FLP) | Emma Wheeler (UK) | |
| Kristain Gregory (VIC_ | Li Yang (CHN) | Na'ama Goldman (ISR) | |
| Caitlin McNab (VIC) | Samantha Chong (HK) | ||
| Stephanie Falkiner (VIC) | Adam Bryce (VIC) | ||
| Bethany McAleer (SA) | Emma Wheeler (UK) | ||
| Yana Georgiou (NSW) |
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blake Bowden (NSW) | Alexandra Ioan (NZ/ROM) | Agathe de Courcy (FR) | Alexandra Ioan (NZ/ROM) |
| Raphael Wong (VIC) | Eugene Raggio (NSW) | Alexandra Ioan (NZ/ROM) | Allegra Giagu (NSW) |
| Rada Tochalna (UKR) | Alyssa Andraski (USA) | Patrick MacDevitt (USA) | Spencer Chapman (QLD) |
| James Penn (VIC) | Alexandra Lidgerwood (VIC) | Michelle McCarthy (VIC) | Alexandra Lidgerwood (VIC) |
| Yasmin Ismail (VIC) | Damien Noyce (NSW) | Alexandra Lidgerwood (VIC) | Elizabeth Chennell (UK) |
| Catherine Hoffman (VIC) | Rada Tochalna (UKR) | Tamzyn Alexander (VIC) | Lisa Parker (VIC) |
| Tamzyn Alexander (VIC) | Tamzyn Alexander (VIC) | Eugene Raggio (NSW) | Joshua Erdelyi-Götz (VIC) |
| Stephanie Whyte (VIC) | Blake Bowden (NSW) | Khary Wilson (USA) | Evita Pehlaka (LVA) |
| Heidi Lupprian (VIC) | Megan Steller (VIC) | Lisa Parker (VIC) | Samuel Thomas-Holland (QLD) |
| Bianca Andrew (NZ) | PIera Dennerstein (VIC) | ||
| Samuel Thomas-Holland (QLD) | |||
| Owain Browne (UK) |
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Brigette de Poi (VIC) | Georgia Wilkinson (VIC) | Georgia Wilkinson (VIC) |
| Juliet Dufour (FR) | Louise Keast (ACT) | Naomi Flatman (QLD) |
| Joshua Erdelyi-Götz (VIC) | Yu Lin (VIC) | Morgan Carter (SA) |
| Darcy Carroll (VIC) | Ella Broome (VIC) | NuoLin OuYang (CHN) |
| Lisa Parker (VIC) | Zachary McCulloch (NZ) | Sheridan Hughes (VIC) |
| Shir Rozzen (ISR) | Naomi Flatman (QLD) | Joshua Oxley (NSW) |
| Bethany Hill (SA) | Chloe Wood (VIC) | Victoria Thomasch (USA) |
| Allegra Giagu (NSW) | Juan-David Guzman (COL) | Frances Kruske (USA) |
| Elizabeth Chennell (UK) | Hannah Peel (UK) | |
| Alexandra Amerides (VIC) | ||
| Nigel Huckle (VIC) | ||
| Harry Grigg (NZ) | ||
| Leo Williams (USA) |
See also
References
- ^ Zwartz, Barney (4 September 2010), "Don Giovanni", The Age, retrieved 20 October 2010
- ^ Zwartz, Barney (3 August 2010), "Class of their own", The Age, retrieved 20 October 2010
- ^ Parris, Simon (16 August 2010). "Inside The Opera School Melbourne". Theatre People Australia. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
- ^ Ford, Graham (4 September 2010). "Don Giovanni by Mozart". Stage Whispers. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
- ^ https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/opera/music-review-gertrude-operas-the-consul-20140519-zrh8g.html
- ^ Sinnott, Alex (2009), Goats, kids and opera, Citysearch Canberra, retrieved 20 October 2010
- ^ Kilian, David (10 October 2009). "The Opera School". The Standard. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
- ^ "Opera School Weekend at Abbotsford Convent". artsHub. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
- ^ Zwartz, Barney (19 December 2009), "Long wait rewarded with near-perfect production", The Age, retrieved 20 October 2010
- ^ "Opera School Melbourne Joins Christmas Tradition". OnlyMelbourne. Ripe Fruit Media. 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
- ^ Zwartz, Barney (4 September 2010), "Don Giovanni", The Age, retrieved 20 October 2010