Opera Queensland is an opera company based in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
. The company was founded with funding from the
Queensland State Government
The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was formed in 1859 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended fr ...
in 1981 under the name ''Lyric Opera of Queensland'' after the Queensland Opera Company was closed in December 1980.
Opera Queensland is the state’s major creator of opera and music theatre, and delivers opera productions and related projects including three mainstage productions annually at the
Queensland Performing Arts Centre
The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (also known as QPAC) is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in Brisbane's South Bank, Queensland, South Bank precinct. Opened in 1985, it ...
(QPAC).
Based in Brisbane the company presents works throughout the state.
History
For the first two years of operation (1982–1983) the ''Lyric Opera of Queensland'' performed at Her Majesty's Theatre in Brisbane. The first production,
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...
's ''
Iolanthe
''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...
'', opened on 31 July 1982. In 1985, the Lyric Opera moved its productions to the newly opened
Queensland Performing Arts Centre
The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (also known as QPAC) is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in Brisbane's South Bank, Queensland, South Bank precinct. Opened in 1985, it ...
, where it continues to present its main stage productions each year.
In 1996 the company changed its name to Opera Queensland and moved its offices and rehearsal studio into new, purpose-built premises in South Bank that it shares with
Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University
Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (formerly the Queensland Conservatorium of Music) is a selective, audition based music school located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and is part of Griffith University.
History
The Conservatori ...
.
Funding
Opera Queensland is funded by the
Queensland Government
The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was formed in 1859 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended fr ...
, the Federal Government through
Australia Council for the Arts
The Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Austra ...
, corporate sponsors, major philanthropists and private donors.
References
External links
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Musical groups established in 1981
Australian opera companies
Culture of Brisbane
Companies based in Brisbane
1981 establishments in Australia