Pacific Opera

Pacific Opera is an opera training company based in Sydney, Australia.

Founded in 2003 by Sylvie Renaud-Calmel and Christine Douglas, the first Artistic Director, the company has an annual Young Artist Program for emerging opera singers aged 18 to 35, which integrates coaching, rehearsals and stage craft with numerous public and private performance opportunities. Annual opera productions offer role practice to the young artists and employment for young industry professionals including designers, orchestral musicians, repetiteurs, conductors and directors.

Simon Kenway was artistic director from 2015 to 2019,^[1] followed by co-directors Peter Coleman-Wright and Cheryl Barker.^[2] Coleman-Wright introduced the staging of "pocket operas" in 2021, works reduced to about an hour and tailored to young singers.^[3]

Productions

2003: The Magic Flute, The Independent Theatre, North Sydney
2004: Hansel and Gretel, The Independent Theatre, North Sydney
2005: Così fan tutte, The Independent Theatre, North Sydney, and Riverside Theatres, Parramatta
2006: Pacific Opera in Concert 2006, The Independent Theatre, North Sydney
2007: The Barber of Seville; Pacific Opera in Concert 2007 The Independent Theatre, North Sydney, and Riverside Theatres, Parramatta
2008: Offenbach's Daphnis and Chloe (Australian premiere)^[4] and Gorgeous Galatea, The Independent Theatre, North Sydney
2009: La sonnambula, Glen Street Theatre, Belrose
2010: Hänsel und Gretel. Glen Street Theatre, Belrose
2011: The Magic Flute, Llewelynn Hall Canberra with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Glen Street Theatre, Belrose, and Riverside Theatres, Parramatta
2012: "Opera at the Forum", The Italian Cultural Forum, Leichhardt
2013: The Marriage of Figaro, Riverside Theatres, Parramatta, and Young Town Hall, Young
2014: The Gondoliers Dream Getaway, Riverside Theatres, Parramatta
2015: The Cunning Little Vixen with Alexandra Flood, New Hall, Sydney Grammar School, Sydney^[5]
March 2021: The Marriage of Figaro, pocket opera with Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, Concert Hall, The Concourse, Chatswood
June 2021: Fidelio and Der Rosenkavalier double bill pocket operas
June 2021: The Rape of Lucretia, pocket opera
2022: The Magic Flute, pocket opera
May 2022: Suor Angelica, pocket opera
May 2022: Albert Herring, pocket opera
October 2022: Evening of Oratorio, excerpts from Handel's L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas (full)
November 2022: L'elisir d'amore, followed by Madama Butterfly, pocket operas
June 2023: Don Giovanni, pocket opera
July 2023: Paul Carr's Requiem for an Angel (Australian premiere) and Ubi Caritas
August 2023: The Barber of Seville, pocket opera

References

^ "Pacific Opera farewells artistic director Simon Kenway" by David Kary, Sydney Arts Guide, 18 December 2019
^ "Our creative team", Pacific Opera
^ "The Marriage of Figaro, pocket opera with WSO", Pacific Opera
^ "Michaela Lieske", Aust Global Entertainment
^ Eleanor Pearson (4 September 2015). "Foxy Role Lures Alexandra back to Oz". alltheatre.com.au. Retrieved 22 June 2023.