‘Love, class and politics’ – The Marriage of Figaro

Last weekend musicians in Sydney put on a display of talent and camaraderie that delighted patrons. On Friday evening, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra opened its Celestial Vivaldi series with works by Rebel, Corrette, Dell’abaca and Vivaldi.  One of the most notable aspects of this evening was the alto section that was made up entirely of counter-tenors!…

It’s been a quiet week with the Easter break, but Sydney’s concert scene is getting busy again. In the meantime, here’s a retrospective on Opera on Sydney Harbour, and  review of Reneee Fleming’s latest CD Poemes: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/opera-on-the-water-floats-high/story-fn9d2mxu-1226327245185 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/poemes-renee-fleming/story-fn9sulvf-1226323885741

The board of the Birgit Nilsson foundation has announced that the 2014 Birgit Nilsson Prize has been awarded to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The tri-ennial prize which is being awarded for only the third time in history, is a purse of $1 million for outstanding achievement in opera, concert, Lieder or oratorio. Previous winners are Placido…

English director Oliver Mears is to succeed Kasper Holten as Director of Opera at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden from March 2017. It’s an important appointment for fans of Opera Australia given the close collaboration between the two companies. Mears has been Artistic Director of Northern Ireland Opera since it was established in 2010. He…