Opera Australia - Opera Australia, Since 1996

Opera Australia, Since 1996

Opera Australia (OA) was formed by the merger of the Australian Opera and the Victoria State Opera (VSO) companies in 1996, following the financial collapse of the Melbourne based VSO. Adrian Collette was appointed General Manager of the new company, and evolved a three year plan to restructure the company involving twice yearly seasons in both Sydney and Melbourne, integrating the OA and VSO staff and planning a viable financial structure so as to manage the inherited debt.

The first few years of the present century saw the retirement of Moffatt Oxenbould, Opera Australia's Artistic Director for 15 years, and the appointment of Simone Young as Musical Director. To honour the retiring director, the Young Artists' Program was renamed the "Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artists' Development Program". Immediately on taking up her position in 2001, Simone Young appointed the Australian director Stuart Maunder to the position of Artistic Director. Young proceeded to develop the company's core repertoire, including more German operas in the repertoire and diversifying the types of productions mounted and the standards of international and local artists employed. By late 2002 however, the OA Board, faced with mounting deficits, announced that Young's future visions for the company were 'unsustainable' and decided not to renew her contract after the end of 2003.

At the end of 2003, Richard Hickox was named Music Director-designate of Opera Australia, and took up the post full-time from January 2005. During his tenure, Hickox diversified the repertoire with the addition of more 20th century works such as The Love for Three Oranges, The Makropulos Affair, Rusalka and Arabella, recording live performances of many of these works for Chandos Records. The company's 50th anniversary was celebrated in 2006 with a Gala Concert in which tributes were paid to Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge, the principal artists, the chorus, production staff and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra (the AOBO) for their 'artistry and talent' and the 'ensemble nature' of the company. In mid-2008, Hickox and Opera Australia were criticised for what was perceived as a decline in artistic standards since the start of Hickox's tenure. On returning to the UK in November 2008 following the Sydney Winter Season, Hickox died suddenly from a heart attack after conducting a rehearsal in Swansea. On 30 June 2009, Lyndon Terracini was announced as the new Artistic Director.