West Australian Opera (WAO) is the principal opera company of
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...
and is a resident company at
His Majesty's Theatre, Perth
His Majesty's Theatre is an Edwardian Baroque theatre in Perth, Western Australia. Constructed from 1902 to 1904 during a period of great growth for the town, the theatre is located on the corner of Hay Street and King Street in Perth's cen ...
.
The company formed in 1967 and works in close association with the
West Australian Symphony Orchestra
The West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO) is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Perth, Western Australia. Its principal concert venue is the Perth Concert Hall. WASO also gives concerts at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. , WA ...
. It presents three main stage productions each year as well as the annual free event, City of Perth's Opera in the Park. The company draws from the principal canon of operatic repertoire and increasingly is involved in the commissioning and development of new operas. It has a strong education program and is involved with many concerts and community events in metropolitan and regional Western Australia. In July 2012
Joseph Colaneri was appointed Artistic Director and succeeded
Richard Mills, who had previously held the post since 1997. The current chairman is Terry Bowen and the principal partner of the company is
Wesfarmers
Wesfarmers Limited is an Australian conglomerate, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia. It has interests predominantly in Australia and New Zealand, operating in retail, chemical, fertiliser, industrial and safety products. With revenue o ...
Arts.
History
The company was founded in 1967 by
James Penberthy and Giuseppe Bertinazzo.
In 1997 Richard Mills was appointed artistic director of the company. In 2007, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the company, Mills composed ''
The Love of the Nightingale'' and its world premiere was staged by the West Australian Opera.
In October 2014, the company and its general manager, Carolyn Chard, attracted controversy in the media in Australia and abroad for its decision to embargo ''
Carmen'' from its program for the next two years because of a $400,000 sponsorship over two years by Healthway,
["Politicians speak out on WA Opera 'censorship'"]
by Maxim Boon, ''Limelight
Limelight (also known as Drummond light or calcium light)James R. Smith (2004). ''San Francisco's Lost Landmarks'', Quill Driver Books. is a type of stage lighting once used in theatres and music halls. An intense illumination is created whe ...
'', 15 October 2014 a West Australian government body established to reduce smoking and to work towards a
smoke-free Western Australia. It is Healthway's policy that "smoking is not to be portrayed during any performances under the control of the sponsored organisation e.g. theatre, film and other performing arts." Australia's prime minister
Tony Abbott
Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Abbott was born in Londo ...
, state premier
Colin Barnett
Colin James Barnett (born 15 July 1950) is a former Australian politician who was the 29th Premier of Western Australia. He concurrently served as the state's Treasurer at several points during his tenure and had previously held various other po ...
and state health minister
Kim Hames criticised the decision as "
political correctness
''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...
gone crazy".
In 2015, WAO held the world premiere of
Kate Miller-Heidke
Kate Melina Miller-Heidke (; born 16 November 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Although classically trained, she has generally followed a career in alternative pop music. She signed to Sony Australia, Epic in the US and RCA in t ...
's opera ''
The Rabbits'', after
John Marsden's and
Shaun Tan
Shaun Tan (born 1973) is an Australian artist, writer and film maker. He won an Academy Award for '' The Lost Thing'', a 2011 animated film adaptation of a 2000 picture book he wrote and illustrated. Other books he has written and illustrated inc ...
's picture book.
In 2017, WAO and the
UWA School of Music signed a Memorandum of Understanding that explores Masterclasses, workshops and performance opportunities for the professional development of musicians, as well as the development of postgraduate qualifications to be offered jointly.
References
External links
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Australian opera companies
Culture in Perth, Western Australia
Musical groups established in 1967
1967 establishments in Australia