Skip to main content

Due to the hard border closure between South Australia and Victoria, commencing on 11 February and the 5-day lockdown in Victoria commencing 13 February, State Opera has made the decision to postpone the inaugural Summer Academy. We have a number of students and faculty members residing in Melbourne who would not be able to attend, thus to avoid excluding a significant number of our cohort we will be postponing to later in the year. We will update the website and social media with new dates when we have them.

For those that have purchased tickets to any of the events, your tickets will be automatically refunded in the next 7 days.

 

As part of a commitment to providing career pathways for Australian operatic talent, State Opera has established the Summer Opera Academy. The inaugural academy will run 15-26 February 2021, and will provide a dedicated opportunity for emerging artists from across the country to experience an intensive professional development with some of Australia’s finest coaches and educators, culminating in a series of intimate public performances.

Over 60 applicants came forward to be considered, of which 9 singers were successful in making the cut.

Introducing the 2021 cohort:

Cameron Sibly – Tenor (VIC)
Gabrielle Penney – Soprano (NSW)
Kim Worley – Tenor (SA)
Stella Hannock – Mezzo (NSW)
Kiran Rajasingam – Baritone (VIC)
Esther Counsel – Soprano (VIC)
Kristin Astouroghlian – Mezzo (VIC)
Zachary McCulloch – Tenor (VIC)
Sara Donnelly – Soprano (QLD)

Further we welcome trainee repetiteurs Kyle Fraser and Haowei Yang from South Australia who will accompany our singers. They are both supported by scholarships provided by the generosity of the Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia, Inc.

The Academy is led by an exceptional faculty from around Australia, brought together for the very first time.

Anthony Hunt – Head of Music, State Opera South Australia
Stuart Maunder – Artistic Director, State Opera South Australia
Nicholas Cannon – Director (SA)
Jennifer Marten-Smith – Coach (TAS)
Sharolyn Kimmorley – Coach (NSW)
Donna Balson – Coach (NSW)
Teresa Desmarchelier – Language Coach (QLD)
Tahu Matheson – Head of Music, Opera Australia

The Summer Opera Academy is possible due to the support of the James and Diana Ramsay Foundation, individual donors, The Friends of State Opera and the Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia.