Verdi’s Aida did it for me - fabulous production and heaps of fun. Of course he also writes beautiful parts for mezzos, too!🎶🥰🥰

I worked as halbadeer in DON CARLOS IN 1966 SAW MARIE COLLIER IN TOSCA WIT TITO GOBI AND DONALD SMITH HOOKED LOVE OPERA.

Les Hugenots in Sydney in the 1980s. It’s a wonder I ever attended another opera. But I did and continue to do so.

As a Supernumerary in Lucretia Borgia with Joan Sutherland 1977..

I'd performed in two, Handel's Agrippina led to her death, a staged cantata, and the festival production of Pygmalion by Rameau, semichorus, before I saw one for the first time. AO's Rosenkavalier in HMT 1972, with Liz Osman. growing up I heard lots of opera on the BBC, and must have seen some. I bought the score of Rosenkavalier a few years ago to work out how the trio does what it does. none the wiser I'm happy to say.

Australian Opera toured Fliegender Holländer and Tannhäuser to Adelaide in the 1960s. Brian Coghlan took his German students along. Lifetime addiction!

2006 State Opera production of a Nabucco for me. The sound of the artists and orchestra blew me away. Not to mention the exploding walls and blood drop from the fly gallery- had me hooked!!

A late bloomer I saw Saul in the Adelaide Festival with the State Opera Chorus and have never stopped searching for that same thrill. We’re so lucky to have such brilliant musicians and artists in South Australia!

I was a 17 year old exchange student in the Netherlands. My host family took me on holidays to Italy and I saw Aida at the Arena di Verona, complete with elephants! 🐘🐘

Just hearing “The Pearl Fishers”

State Opera of SA Countess Maritza...and then 1986/7? SWEENEY TODD!!!! Nancye Hayes as Mrs Lovett...that was IT! I was hooked...

Manon with my mum on a holiday in Belgian while i still lived in the Netherlands in the 70s, listening to her singing areas from Faust and La Traviata while doing dishes and movie of Porgy and Bess with Sydney Poitier. Lots of operettas which were my dad's favourites.