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Joanna McWaters Headshot

Joanna McWaters

SOPRANO

Joanna McWaters has been singing with State Opera for 25 years, working her way up from chorus to principal artist. Her roles with the company include the title role in “Madama Butterfly”, Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute), Mrs. Hargreaves (Boojum), Lily Brayton (At the Dome Room at 2 o’clock – World Premiere), Cupid (Orpheus in the Underworld), Rose (At the Statue of Venus – Australian Premiere), Nedda (I Pagliacci), Owl/Forester’s Wife (Cunning Little Vixen) and Dolly Pickles in the World Premiere season of “Cloudstreet” to high acclaim.

In the 2019 Adelaide Fringe Festival, she performed the title role in “Tosca” for Mopoke Productions. She was due to reprise this role in a new Co-Opera touring production before the COVID-19 lockdown. Other roles with Co-Opera include Adele & Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus), Nedda (I Pagliacci), Rosina (Il Barbiere di Sivilglia), Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance), Gianetta (The Gondoliers) and Mimi in a national tour of “La Bohème”.

Roles with other companies include Eileen o da Freya (Daughter of the Sea), Alma (Stari Most), Mother/Witch (Hansel & Gretel), Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute) and Maria (West Side Story).

Joanna has been the recipient of scholarships to undertake post-graduate studies in both Taiwan and Luxembourg. She was a James & Diana Ramsay Foundation Emerging Artist (State Opera of South Australia) and is an inaugural graduate of the Lisa Gasteen National Opera Programme. Joanna was recently awarded a grant from the National Assistance Program for the Arts Grants awarded by the Philanthropy Australia’s Arts Funders supporting artists during the current pandemic. She is also in demand as a concert soloist and for corporate functions and dinners.

Future engagements include the role of The Beggar Woman in State Opera’s “Sweeney Todd” later this year.

Performances with state opera south australia