Chorus

Michael Black - Chorusmaster

For the first 13 years of Opera Australia (1956 to 1969), the singers of the Chorus were recruited season to season. In 1969, a permanent chorus ensemble of 32 was established and was increased with the opening of the Sydney Opera House in 1973.

The Opera Australia Chorus comprises 48 full-time members. Augmenting this permanent ensemble on a casual basis are some 200 Sydney and Melbourne singers.

Notable performances have included the Australian premiere of War and Peace for the opening of the Sydney Opera House, Aida in the SOH Concert Hall in 1974; the Bicentennial season of The Mastersingers of Nuremberg and Richard Meale's Voss in the same year.

Recent highlights include new productions of Otello directed by Harry Kupfer and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk directed by Francesca Zambello; the premiere of the Dennis Watkins/Alan John opera The Eighth Wonder; the Graeme Murphy production of Turandot; Peter Grimes, produced by John Copley  and many seasons of Fiddler on the Roof.

Those who have played important roles in the development of the ensemble include the initial chorusmaster Geoffrey Arnold, and his successors, including Peter Seymour, Richard Gill and Simon Kenway.

In addition to its full schedule of operatic performances, the Opera Australia Chorus appears in concert. Recent programs include Verdi's Requiem conducted by Simone Young, Brahms' Requiem, Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and Great Opera Choruses in conjunction with the Art Gallery of NSW.

Television appearances include 'Mornings with Kerri-Anne Kennerley' in 2003. The Opera Australia Chorus has been integral to the success of the Company's many simulcasts, from Die Fledermaus in 1982 to Madama Butterfly in 1997.

The work of the Chorus is featured on many videos and CDs including important historical video recordings featuring Dame Joan Sutherland, and the CD Voss, conducted by Stuart Challender. Chorus, a recent release on ABC Classics video and CD, contains highlights from Aida, Nabucco, Il trovatore, Tosca and Turandot.

The Chorus can also be heard on ABC Classics' CD of the Verdi Requiem, in a performance recorded under Simone Young's direction during the Verdi centenary year of 2001 and an ABC recording with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, also released in 2001.

The Opera Australia Chorus is sponsored by ExxonMobil Australia