Victorian Opera is an opera company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company was founded in 2005 by the Victorian Government as a replacement for the Victoria State Opera. It commenced operations in January 2006 with Richard Gill as Artistic Director. Richard Mills is the current Artistic Director. The company is supported through government funding, patron contributions and corporate sponsorship.
Seasons
2006 (inaugural) season
Victorian Opera's first production was Britten's Noye's Fludde, performed by the Victorian Youth Opera from 30 June to 2 July 2006. It was a collaboration with the Victorian College of the Arts' School of Production, whose students designed and crewed the show. This was followed by an Opera Gala Concert on 15 July 2006, at Melbourne's Hamer Hall, accompanied by Orchestra Victoria under the baton of Richard Gill.
The company's inaugural mainstage production was Mozart's Così fan tutte, directed by Jean-Pierre Mignon and presented at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne between 19 and 26 August 2006. The principals were Gary Rowley (Don Alfonso), Christopher Saunders (Ferrando), Christopher Tonkin (Guglielmo), Antoinette Halloran (Fiordiligi), Jacqueline Dark (Dorabella) and Tiffany Speight (Despina).
Bach's St John Passion was performed on 8 September, at St Michael's Uniting Church, Collins Street, Melbourne, and a concert version of Brian Howard's Metamorphosis was performed on 3 November, at Melba Hall, Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne completed the Victorian Opera's first season.
2007 season
The historic Horti Hall in Victoria Street, Melbourne, became the company's permanent headquarters in 2007.
The company's second season commenced on 17 February 2007, with a concert presentation at Hamer Hall of a double bill of Stravinsky's Les noces and Oedipus Rex, with Richard Gill conducting Orchestra Victoria, and a cast which included most of the coming season's principals and the Victorian Opera Chorus.
Between 1–3 June, the Victorian Youth Opera, again in collaboration with the Victorian College of the Arts School of Production, presented an interpretation of Andersen's story The Snow Queen, by Grahame Dudley and Nick Enright.
A new production of The Love of the Nightingale by Richard Mills and Timberlake Wertenbaker, directed by Lindy Hume, premiered at Her Majesty's Theatre on 27 and 29 July. Based on the 3000-year-old legend of Philomele and Procne, it featured Leanne Kenneally (Philomele), Elizabeth Campbell (Niobe), James Egglestone (Captain/Hippolytus), Adrian McEniery (First Soldier/Pandion), Samuel Dundas (Second Soldier), Sarah Crane (Hero), Sarah Cole (Iris) and Roxanne Hislop (Juno). Once again Richard Gill conducted Orchestra Victoria.
Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice was performed at Her Majesty's Theatre between 6–13 August in the Berlioz version, directed by Stephen Page, with mezzo-soprano Dimity Shepherd as Orphée, Alison Rae Jones (Eurydice) and Jacqueline Porter (L'Amour). The Victorian Opera Chorus and Orchestra Victoria were conducted by Matthew Coorey.
The previous season's production of Così fan tutte toured metropolitan and regional Victoria during October and November. Sung in English, with a chamber ensemble drawn from Orchestra Victoria, and conducted by Nicholas Carter, only Gary Rowley (Don Alfonso) and Jacqueline Dark (Dorabella) remained from the original cast, with James Egglestone as Ferrando, Samuel Dundas (Guglielmo), Mylinda Joyce (Fiordiligi) and Jacqueline Porter (Despina).
2008 season
The opening performance of the year was a Gala Concert on 16 February at Hamer Hall. Entitled Puccini ~ The Sacred and Profane, it consisted of Puccini's Messa di Gloria, several well-known arias from his operas, and the complete Act II of La bohème.
The season's new contemporary production was the chamber opera Through the Looking Glass by Alan John and Andrew Upton, directed by Michael Kantor, and performed at the Merlyn Theatre, CUB Malthouse, South Melbourne, 17–31 May. The small cast of David Hobson, Dimity Shepherd, Suzanne Johnston, Margaret Haggard, Gary Rowley and Kanen Breen, sang multiple roles, and a small on-stage ensemble was conducted by Richard Gill. (Won 2008 Green Room Award for Best New Opera.)