Opera Australia’s 2025 program announcement was made this morning, revealing the line-up for Melbourne and Sydney. While not all of the operas may be in French, there are strong French connections through the program from French origin stories, to operas set in France and French and Francophone creatives involved in the productions.
For Sydney, 2025 will start with Massenet’s Cendrillon (Cinderella) in association with Sydney Festival 2025. The production will be performed in English. Based on Charles Perrault’s French story, this production features a heavily French creative team including director and costume designer Laurent Pelly, costume associate Thomaz Le Gouès, and rehearsal director and choreographer Karine Girard. They are joined by Brussels-born set designer Barbara de Limburg.
Rossini’s Italian-language opera The Barber of Seville is of course based on Pierre Beaumarchais’ Le Barbier de Seville from 1775. The production will be staged in both Sydney and Melbourne. Also based on a Beaumarchais play is Mozart’s Italian opera The Marriage of Figaro. That one based on La folle journée ou le Mariage de Figaro. It will only be performed in Sydney.
Verdi’s La Traviata is of course set in Paris and the 2025 performances are a co-production by Opera Queensland, State Opera South Australia and West Australian Opera. One of the cast members, Australian born Catherine Bouchier made her debut with Diva Opera in 2009 in the role of Mimì from La Bohème, appearing at the Vezere Festival and Azuriales Festival in France. It is part of Opera Australia’s 2025 program for Sydney.
Also set in Paris is Puccini’s La Bohème, which is being performed in Sydney as well as touring throughout Victoria, Queensland and Northern Territory in 2025, commencing with performances at Geelong Arts Centre in July.
Candide was presented in 2024 in separate productions by Victorian Opera and a joint production between State Theatre Company of South Australia and State Opera of South Australia (read our review of that production here). Opera Australia is presenting Victorian Opera’s production of Candide in Sydney in 2025.
Bizet’s Carmen makes a return in a new Opera Australia production. Among the cast is Tunisian-Canadian mezzo Rihab Chaieb for the Sydney season. She will not be in the Melbourne run.
Opera Australia’s Sydney production of Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas will feature Australian tenor Nicholas Jones, who is currently a principal artist with Opéra national de Paris. The show is not going to Melbourne.
In a Melbourne exclusive Opera Australia will present two special concerts from opera stars Australian Nicole Car and her Canadian husband Étienne Dupuis leading a tribute to Giuseppe Verdi.
There you have it, as 2024 speeds towards its conclusion, it’s time to plan your 205 cultural calendar. Which of Opera Australia’s 2025 program are you keen to see?
You can view Opera Australia’s 2025 program for Sydney here and for Melbourne here.
