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About
Opera Australia is the nation’s leading opera company and one of its most important cultural institutions. Each year, it presents acclaimed operas, musicals, and concerts to hundreds of thousands of people at the Sydney Opera House, Arts Centre Melbourne, and venues across Australia.
With bases in Sydney and Melbourne, the company collaborates with major international opera houses and musical theatre producers. It is the largest performing arts employer in the country, bringing together singers, conductors, musicians, directors, designers, and technical experts. Its Orchestra also performs for The Australian Ballet, while the Chorus is regarded among the best in the world.
Opera Australia is strongly committed to developing the next generation of talent. Programs such as the Young Artist Program, the Patricia H. Reid Orchestral Fellowship, and dedicated scholarships provide world-class training for emerging singers and musicians. Many artists who began their careers here now perform regularly with the company.
Founded in 1956, the company gained global recognition when its singers performed with Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti. Since the opening of the Sydney Opera House in 1973, it has staged milestone productions, from Richard Meale’s Voss to Baz Luhrmann’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and two acclaimed Ring Cycles. In 2012, it launched Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, now an annual cultural highlight with spectacular outdoor productions such as La Traviata, Carmen, and The Phantom of the Opera. Its musical theatre seasons, including South Pacific and My Fair Lady directed by Dame Julie Andrews, have broken box office records.
As it approaches its 70th anniversary in 2026, Opera Australia continues to celebrate artistic excellence, expand audiences, and share extraordinary stories through music and performance.