Opera Australia (OA) today announced its 2024 Sydney Summer Season with guest Creative Director Lindy Hume presenting five Sydney Opera House productions to pencil in your diary.
The extraordinary season will highlight some of the best artists working in opera anywhere in the world – the vast majority of them Australian – to play at the Sydney Opera House from January to March 2024.
Lindy Hume’s curation of this program has been highly collaborative and it includes a number of milestone partnerships for OA including those with Victorian Opera, Pinchgut Opera, Circa and Opera Queensland, and will see OA make a welcome return to the Sydney Festival program.
“This is a celebration of opera in Australia right now. Each of the directors has placed a uniquely Australian stamp on each of these operas and this Sydney Summer season captures how versatile and dynamic the artform can be,” says Ms Hume.
Verdi’s La Traviata
- Sydney Opera House
- 2 January–14 March 2024
“What should I do? Plunge into the vortex of pleasure and drown there?” – Violetta
Violetta is a coveted courtesan, the toast of Paris, desired by many. When she meets the ardent Alfredo, her life changes forever and she longs to break free of her past. But can she? Who is this woman beyond the sparkling salon? This fresh production of an opera classic invites new questions.
From the vivacious chorus of the famous ‘Brindisi’ to Violetta’s soaring ‘Sempre libera’ and the breathless notes at the opera’s tragic end, Verdi’s music for La Traviata is a thrilling, emotional experience.
Gluck’s Orpheus & Eurydice
- Sydney Opera House
- 12-31 January 2024
Fall into an ecstatic dream…or is it a nightmare?
Journey to the underworld and back. Gluck’s heartbreaking opera follows the grieving Orpheus into the jaws of Hades to rescue his beloved Eurydice. He must complete his quest without looking back, or lose Eurydice forever.
Awe-inspiring acrobatics meet Gluck’s exquisite music in a genre-busting production, making this a highlight of Sydney Festival. Projections seamlessly integrate surtitles into the action on stage, as brilliant singers come together with the trailblazing circus artists of Circa, one of Australia’s most successful cultural exports.
Mozart’s The Magic Flute
- Sydney Opera House
- 1 February – 16 March 2024
Can a little magic make you see the world differently?
Escape into the enchanted world of The Magic Flute for a fabulous adventure. A noble hero and his loveable sidekick must rescue a princess in mortal danger. You’ll meet surprises at every turn, and with the Queen of the Night pulling the strings, not everything is as it seems.
Mozart wrote The Magic Flute for people from all walks of life to enjoy. A masterpiece of humanity and musical delight, this work has been globally popular from the Enlightenment era into the digital age. This summer, The Magic Flute will delight you with its big heart, adventurous spirit and unforgettable music.
Mozart’s Idomeneo
- Sydney Opera House
- 20 February – 15 March 2024
“Far from the sea, a storm rages within me, fiercer and far more painful.” – Idomeneo
Drowning at sea in a vicious storm, the King of Crete makes a terrible vow to Neptune. To save his ship and his men, he will sacrifice the first human life he encounters on land. Bound by his rash promise, Idomeneo comes ashore and meets his own son. The choice he makes next sets the vengeance of the gods upon the people of Crete.
Rooted in the ancient mythology of the Trojan War’s aftermath, Mozart’s epic opera remains a story for our time. It explores human themes we recognise today: the fallout of war, natural catastrophe, grief, love and human frailty.
Handel’s Theodora in Concert
- Sydney Opera House
- 8 & 9 February 2024
How strange their ends, and yet how glorious!
The Messiah might be Handel’s most famous work, but the composer himself held Theodora in higher esteem.
Judge for yourself which oratorio deserves the title of Handel’s greatest masterpiece when Pinchgut Opera and Opera Australia join forces to present Theodora in concert.
A series of sublime arias and powerful choruses, Theodora is a heavenly musical experience. Set in ancient Rome, it follows the plight of a courageous woman and bold young soldier who risk everything in the face of a tyrannical power.
View the Opera Australia Summer Season 2024 program here.