Eugene Onegin Program 2026

Eugene Onegin

West Australian Opera

A Northern Ireland Opera production premiered Belfast 14 September 2024

6 - 15 August 2026, His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth

Composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Conductor Christopher van Tuinen

Director Cameron Menzies

Movement Director Jennifer Rooney

Set Designer Niall McKeever

Costume Designer Gillian Lennox

Lighting Designer Kevin Treacy

Projection Designer Neil O’Driscoll

Repetiteur Tommaso Pollio

Eugene Onegin Samuel Dundas

Tatyana Eleanor Lyons

Lensky Paul O’Neill

Olga Ashlyn Tymms

Prince Gremin Teddy Tahu Rhodes

Madame Larina Brigitte Heuser

Filipyevna Nicole Youl

Older Tatyana Lis Hoffmann

Zaretski Devon Lake

A Captain David Dockery

Guillot Keaton Staszewski-Hose

Peasant Vin Trikeriotis

West Australian Opera Chorus

West Australian Symphony Orchestra

Production Manager Mandy Farmer

Stage Manager Karen Farmer

Assistant Stage Managers Josh Marsland, Ella Thompson

Head of Wardrobe Nora Stelter

Wardrobe Assistants Trish David, Rose Finlay, Mei Thompson, Nicole Marrington

Dressers Laura Hill, Holly Sansalone, Amy Webb

Head of Make Up Sharon Kyrwood

Head of Wigs Virginia Vona

Wig Assistants Christopher Lyons, Delia Stanley

Head Mechanist Ian Studham

Senior Technician Aidan Massie-Taylor

Props Erryn Hanson

Surtitle Operator Allison Fyfe

Surtitles provided by Northern Ireland Operra

West Australian Opera acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. Kalyakoorl, ngalak warangka (forever we sing).

HIS EXCELLENCY THE HONOURABLE CHRIS DAWSON AC APM

Governor ’s Message

I am proud to be the Vice-Regal Patron of West Australian Opera, the state opera company.

With its ongoing connection to the people of Western Australia, the commissioning and development of indigenous works, and commitment to education, West Australian Opera strives to enable people from all ages, regions and backgrounds to access the artform of opera.

In 2026 it is great to see many Western Australians featuring in roles on stage at His Majesty’s Theatre and in other performances throughout the state.

West Australian Opera continues to enrich the performing arts in the State alongside the state orchestra, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra whom I acknowledge and thank as performance partner for opera seasons.

I encourage you to support your state opera company as we approach the milestone 60th year in 2027.

West Australian Opera strives to enable people from all ages, regions and backgrounds to access the artform of opera

CHARD AM

Executive Director’s Message

West Australian Opera is proud to present Eugene Onegin, in the beautiful His Majesty’s Theatre, on the lands of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation. Kalyakoorl, ngalak warangka (forever we sing).

This is a Northern Ireland Opera production directed by Cameron Menzies, with Set Designer and Video Director Niall McKeever, Costume Designer Gillian Lennox, Lighting Designer Kevin Treacy, Video Designer Neil O’Driscoll, Movement Director Jennifer Rooney.

I am grateful to the creative team who designed the production and to the singers and musicians who have brought it all to life. Thank you to Conductor Christopher van Tuinen with the West Australian Opera Chorus and West Australian Symphony Orchestra, to repetiteur Tommaso Pollio, to stage management, crew, and backstage teams.

Thank you to the cast Samuel Dundas (Eugene Onegin), Eleanor Lyons (Tatyana), Paul O’Neill (Lensky), Ashlyn Tymms (Olga), Teddy Tahu Rhodes (Prince Gremin), Brigitte Heuser (Madame Larina), Nicole Youl (Filipyevna).

At West Australian Opera, our dream is to speak to the heart through the human voice and to unite people through the joy of music. The excitement of taking your seat for a performance, the anticipation of the curtain rising, and the drama that is set to unfold on stage make live performances such a special experience. We are proud to be your state opera company. Thank you for being here with us.

DARREN LEWSEN

Chair’s Message

West Australian Opera is grateful for the continued support of the Federal Government through Creative Australia, the WA Government and Lotterywest.

We appreciate and acknowledge the generosity of valued Principal Partner, Wesfarmers Arts. We thank major partners City of Perth, Lotterywest, Healthway, MM Electrical, Feilman Foundation and JCDecaux. We recognise the significant contribution of the Wesfarmers Arts Young Artists Program, together with the Bendat Scholarships and the Roberts Emerging Artist support which assist in developing talent in Western Australia.

Thank you to all sponsors, partners, patrons, trusts, foundations, donors, and government funders. On behalf of the Board and management team, we express our deep appreciation to you, our opera family – the supporters and audience members who continue to enjoy and support the power of music and the artistic vibrancy of Western Australia.

Your contributions ensure that the West Australian Opera will continue to share the magic that is music, through opera and the power of the human voice.

Thank you to you, our audience, and to our opera family of supporters for enabling us to continue sharing the power of music.

CHRISTOPHER VAN TUINEN

Conductor’s Notes

In Australia at least, the work of Tchaikovsky is largely heard only through his enormously popular symphonies and music for ballet. A live performance of one if his ten operas for the stage is rare, and for this there are several theories, maybe that the stories have little modern relevance to western audiences, or maybe that singing and performing in Russian presents too high a challenge for western companies. But whatever the reason, the music is superb, the themes powerful, and the character relationships beautifully drawn.

So much so, that in recent years, the opera Eugene Onegin has become more popular, there’s been a rush of new productions, and celebrated singers have added it to their repertoire, engaging the public in characters and music that sit at the top of 19th Century Romantic expression.

Based on a poem by Pushkin, the opera plays with themes of young love, friendship, cynicism, status, and the shifting of relationships through time.

How does one express romantic love for the first time? What should you do when presented with that declaration? How much empathy and understanding sits within friendships? How can you avert disaster created by pride and ego? And what rights do you have when you tell someone you’ve made a mistake and ask them to turn back time?

Cameron and his team at Northern Ireland Opera have brought us a production that is rightly celebrated, that looks to the notion of memory and how a long life, well lived, gives drama and stories worthy of great music. That time and our understanding of it changes what we see, hear and remember.

Of course, in the present world, any celebration of Russian culture can seem problematic, yet we should still cherish the world of Onegin, the musical and dramatic genius of this opera and its place in the canon.

CAMERON MENZIES

Director’s Notes

I approach Eugene Onegin as a work of emotional precision rather than grand gesture. For me, it is about drawing the audience into an intimate psychological landscape, where every action carries consequence. In earlier iterations of this production, critics noted the clarity of storytelling and emotional truth, with The Observer recognising the work as “punching far above its weight” in this “perfect opera”.

At the heart of my interpretation is Tatyana’s journey. I see it not simply as a coming-of-age story, but as a profound awakening to the cost of choice and the permanence of regret. Working closely with set designer Niall McKeever, we frame the opera through the perspective of an older Tatyana, now in a nursing home on her birthday, looking back as the memories of her youth come vividly to life before her eyes. This device allows us to explore the opera not just as a sequence of events, but as an act of remembrance, shaped by time, reflection, and loss.

My aim is to strip away excess and focus on human connection, allowing Tchaikovsky’s score the space to breathe and reveal its full emotional depth.

Visually, I am interested in a world where memory and reality coexist. Movement, design, and space are carefully shaped to reflect the inner lives of the characters, creating an environment that shifts between intimacy and isolation.

For West Australian Opera, I hope this production offers a contemporary lens on a classic, inviting audiences to recognise themselves in its timeless questions of love, pride, and missed opportunity.

English Synopsis

Tableau 1: We open in the garden of Madame Larina’s country estate. They are making preserves and she is being assisted by the family’s nursemaid Filipevna. In the distance Madame’s daughters Tatyana and Olga can be heard singing. The two older women listen and reminisce of their younger days and of younger loves. The serfs come in from the fields after a long day and they have been reaping the wheat, they come to present Madame Larina with a decorated sheaf, and they sing and dance for her. Tatyana hears their singing, and it reminds her of faraway places and her sister Olga only wants to dance around.

Tableau 2: In Tatyana’s bedroom we find her restless and unable to sleep. The nurse worries that the young lady is ill. She professes to the nurse that she is in fact totally in love with the young Onégin. The nurse promises to keep her secret and when she leaves, Tatyana starts to write how she feels into a letter for Onégin. Can she love anyone ever, other than Onégin … No! Her letter is complete, in the morning Filipevna comes in and she is given the letter to have delivered to Onégin.

Tableau 3: In another part of the Larina Garden, the girls gather berries as they sing. Tatyana eagerly awaits a reply from Onégin. He arrives and coldly delivers a serious blow… Onégin does not see Tatyana in any romantic way but loves her as a brother would. He has humiliated Tatyana, and they leave. The girls continue to sing as they make the jam.

Tableau 4: We are inside the Larina house at Tatyana’s Birthday Ball. Everyone is dancing and Onégin and Tatyana are waltzing all through the party as the older guests watch on and gossip. Onégin who is not popular with the guests makes no attempt to hide his boredom at such an event. He takes his boredom out on his best friend Lensky who had made Onégin attend the ball. Out of spite and Onégin flirtatiously steals Olga away at the party and they dance. Onégin goads Lensky about why he is not dancing which turns the situation into a nasty exchange where the two men threaten each other with a duel. Onégin regrets this foolish challenge, but it is too late, it is impossible to turn back and the two men are separated by the guests at the party.

Tableau 5: At the side of a riverbank, Lensky discusses the duel with his second Zaretsky. He then takes a private moment to remember his youth and the present horror in front of him. Onégin arrives at the duel and both men regret arriving at this moment. Lensky is shot and killed.

Tableau 6: St Petersburg, six years have passed. Onégin is present at a ball, he has spent his time travelling and trying to get over Lensky’s death. Prince Gremin and his wife Tatyana enter the ball. Her beauty enthrals everyone. Tatyana sees her husband talking with a man and asks who he is speaking with and Onégin is asking the prince who the enchanting lady is, he explains it is his wife of two years. Once Tatyana and Onégin are introduced to each other at the ball Tatyana excuses herself from the event which agitates Onégin greatly.

Tableau 7: In another room, Onégin has written a letter telling Tatyana of his great passion for her. He throws himself literally at Tatyana’ feet. She remembers the time he so cruelly rejected her and wonders if her new position in the world has made her more attractive to him. Onégin protests this and finally realises in his pleas that she cannot restrain her true love for him. They imagine what their lives might have been like and Onégin urges her to run away with him and find true happiness and true love. Tatyana refuses, she will be true to her marriage vows and heartbroken she leaves. Onégin is left alone with his grief and despair.

Biographies CONDUCTOR

Christopher van Tuinen

Christopher graduated with a B-Mus from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2001. In 2005 he completed a Masters in Conducting at the VCA. He also holds a B.A. from the University of Queensland, an LLB from Q.U.T. and an AMusA from the AMEB. He won the Best Conductor category in the WA Performing Arts Awards and has been nominated by the Musical Theatre Guild and Green Room Awards in the ‘Best Conductor’ category.

During 2008 and 2009 he was a member of the Young Artists Program with Opera Australia. In 2007 Chris was appointed as the inaugural Conducting Fellowship at the Australian Ballet. He has worked with the WASO, Orchestra Victoria, AOBO and the QSO. Previous roles include Perth Festival, WASO, Musica Viva and Lost and Found Opera.

Previous opera credits include, Rusalka, Dido & Aeneas, Otello, La bohème, La traviata, Le nozze di Figaro, Cav/Pag, Cosi fan Tutte, Iolanta, Elijah, Madama Butterfly, Hansel und Gretel, Don Procopio, Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Medeé, La voix Humaine amongst others. He has recorded and been broadcast by the ABC.

Chris is currently the Artistic Director of West Australian Opera.

DIRECTOR

Cameron Menzies

Cameron Menzies is an award-winning director known for creating visually striking, emotionally immediate opera and music theatre. He is the Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Northern Ireland Opera, where he has led a bold programme of critically acclaimed productions, expanding both audience reach and artistic ambition.

Internationally in demand, he has worked with leading companies/venues including Carnegie Hall, Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Australia, Victorian Opera, and Short Black Opera.

His work is characterised by a cinematic visual language, inventive use of space, and a commitment to placing storytelling at the heart of performance. Recent highlights include major productions of Sondheim’s Follies, Tosca, Into the Woods, La Boheme and La Traviata, alongside innovative site-specific and chamber works.

In 2026, he will direct a new production of Carmen, bringing fresh perspective to Bizet’s iconic score and is working on a new commission called Coda for Darren.

MOVEMENT DIRECTOR

Jennifer is a choreographer and movement director with over 25 years experience.

TV and Film: Walk the Blue Fields, Derry Girls (series 2 and 3), How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (series 1), World on Fire (series 2), Old Friends and Other Days (Northern Ireland Opera), Flight (BBC & One Dance Uk), Lark (NI Screen)

Musical Theatre: Follies (Northern Ireland Opera), Murder for Two (Bruiser Theatre Company), Fun Home & Piaf (The Gate Dublin), Good Vibrations (Lyric Belfast & IAC New York), Into the Woods (West Australian Opera & Northern Ireland Opera)

Opera: Eugene Onegin, The Juniper Tree & La Boheme (Northern Ireland Opera), La Traviata, Rigoletto & L’elisir d’amore (Diva Opera)

Associate movement Director: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace Theatre London), Once (Coex Theatre Seoul), Truth (Helen Chadwick Company, UK Tour), Once (The Olympia Theatre, Dublin & Charlotte Theatre, Seoul)

Resident Movement Director: Once (Phoenix Theatre, London), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace Theatre, London)

SET DESIGNER

Jennifer Rooney Niall McKeever

Niall is an Irish scenographer and visual artist based in London, working across performance, film, painting and collage. He made his West End debut as Associate Set Designer for Waiting for Godot at Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Upcoming theatre includes Lourdes! The Musical (Xnthony Ltd); The Fifth Sun (Dublin Dance Festival); Carmen (N.I. Opera, Grand Opera House Belfast).

Recent theatre credits include Donbas (Theatre 503);The Brightening Air (The Old Vic), Follies (N.I. Opera, Grand Opera House Belfast); Oedipus (The Old Vic); Waiting for Godot (West End); The Tragedy of Richard III (Lyric Theatre, Belfast); Eugene Onegin, Tosca, La Traviata and Into the Woods - winner of Irish Times Irish Theatre Award for Best Production (N.I. Opera, Belfast); Translations (National Theatre); Peter Pan (Gate Theatre, Dublin); Statements after an Arrest under the Immorality Act - won the JMK Award - and Yellowman (Orange Tree); The Dry House (Marylebone Theatre); Under the Kunde Tree (Southwark Playhouse); This Beautiful Future (Jermyn Street Theatre); and Into the Woods (His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth).

Television and film work includes Game of Thrones season V – VII (HBO); In The Earth, In Fabric, (Rook Films); LOVE, (Cuba Pictures/National Theatre); Dungarees, (BBC/BFI).

Niall was awarded the Max Rayne Production Design residency at the National Theatre in 2018.

Biographies

COSTUME DESIGNER

Gillian Lennox

Gillian Lennox has worked in Costume and Fashion for over two decades.

Her work took her overseas to Paris, Syria, and Morocco where she gained insight into the entire process of textile design, garment, and pattern construction.

Gillian was Head of Costume for The Lyric Theatre Belfast for 6.5 Years, supervising all producing shows along with designing the costumes for multiple productions.

Gillian has also been a costume maker for screen and stage, and most recently supervisor & maker for Luail Ireland’s National Dance Company

Gillian’s recent design credits include, Good Vibrations - New York/ Irish Arts Centre (Broadway Ireland winner for best Costume Design 2023) Tosca - NI Opera, Little Women - Lyric Theatre (Broadway Ireland winner for best Costume Design 2024), Short film - The Hand, Little Amal - Belfast 2024, Onegin - NI Opera, The Adventures of Red Riding Hood - The Mac Theatre, Murder for Two – Bruiser Theatre, Follies – NI Opera & Tea In China Cup – Lyric Theatre.

LIGHTING DESIGNER

Kevin Treacy

Kevin is an international lighting designer in opera, theatre and dance.

Opera credits include: The Flying Dutchman (Opera North); The Merry Widow (RCM); Aida (Opera Orchestre National Montpellier at Opera Berlioz, Montpelier); La Traviata, La Bohéme, The Flying Dutchman, Tosca, Into the Woods, Salome (Northern Ireland Opera); L’Elisir d’Amore (Norwegian National Opera); Carmen, La Cenerentola,, La Bohéme (Nevill Holt Opera); The Turn of The Screw (Kolobov Novaya, Moscow); Macbeth (Welsh National Opera); Die Fledermaus (Wermland Opera, Sweden); Cunning Little Vixen, The Magic Flute (Royal Academy of Music); Albert Herring, The Abduction from the Seraglio (Grange Festival); L’Enfant et Les Sortilèges, Orango (Philharmonia Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall); Faramondo (Handel Festspiele, Göttingen); Orpheus in the Underworld (Scottish Opera).

Theatre credits include – The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Chichester Festival Theatre & Lyric Hammersmith); The Seafarer (Lyric Theatre, Belfast); Killology (Royal Court); The Government Inspector, Come on Home (Abbey Theatre); The Cherry Orchard, The Weir, The Wind in the Willows (Sherman Theatre, Cardiff); Macbeth, Blithe Spirit (Perth Theatre, Scotland); The Shawshank Redemption (West End); Unfaithful (Traverse Theatre); A Doll’s House, The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Lyric Hammersmith).

PROJECTION DESIGNER

Neil O’Driscoll

Neil O’Driscoll designs video for stage whilst maintaining a practice as an illustrator and filmmaker. His recent theatre work includes ‘Fun Home’ at the Gate, Dublin, ‘Burnt Out’ at the Lyric, Belfast, ‘Palimpsest’ at the Complex, Dublin and ‘The Summer I Robbed A Bank’ at the Everyman, Cork.

Having completed a degree in Film and TV at Edinburgh College of Art in 2008, following certificates in animation and crafts, Neil worked as a freelance illustrator whilst writing and directing independent films. Following a request to design set and video for Happy End (dir Jimmy Fay) in 2012, he moved into video design, often integrating drawing and other handmade elements into his theatre work

EUGENE ONEGIN

Samuel Dundas

Samuel Dundas, formerly a member of both Victorian Opera’s Artist Development Program and Opera Australia’s Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program, now performs leading roles with Australia and New Zealand’s leading opera companies, symphony orchestras and choral societies.

His most recent and upcoming engagements include Sharpless (Madama Butterfly) for West Australian Opera and Opera Australia; Dandini (Cenerentola) for Opera Queensland; Marcello (La Boheme) for New Zealand Opera and Opera Queensland; title role in The Barber of Seville for Opera Australia; Nerone (Coronation of Poppea) for Victorian Opera; Falke (Die Fledermaus) with West Australian Symphony, Asher Fisch conducting; Gunther (Götterdämmerung) and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Sydney Symphony, Simone Young conducting; and title role Elijah with Brisbane Chamber Choir.

Further recent engagements include the title role in Richard Mills’ Galileo for Perth Festival and Victorian Opera; Enrico (Lucia di Lammermoor) for Opera Queensland; Horatio (Hamlet), Wolfram (Tannhäuser), and Marcello for Opera Australia; Beethoven’s 9th symphony for Auckland Philharmonia, WASO and QSO; Haydn Harmony Mass, and Mozart and Fauré Requiem for Tasmanian Symphony.

Biographies

TATYANA

Eleanor Lyons

Australian soprano Eleanor Lyons has established herself as a Beethoven and Mahler specialist, with extensive performances and recordings of their works central to her artistic profile. Admired for the breadth of her musicianship and expressive clarity in lyric-dramatic repertoire, Lyons studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before continuing her training in Russia and the UK.

Eleanor’s operatic work includes her Semperoper Dresden debut as Leonore in Beethoven’s Fidelio, a role to which she returns in the Beethoven Year 2027, and appearances in Australia as Dvořák’s Rusalka and Tatyana in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Other roles include Anne Truelove in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress and Mimì in Puccini’s La bohème at the Hungarian State Opera, Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni for Opera Australia, and Mimì and Gretchen in a staged adaptation of Schumann’s Szenen aus Goethes Faust with Flemish Opera.

On the concert platform Lyons’ close association with Beethoven and Mahler is particularly prominent, alongside major vocal repertoire including Britten’s War Requiem, Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, Bruckner’s Te Deum and Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem. She has collaborated with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Tonkünstler Orchestra, RSO Wien, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic and Concertgebouw Orchestra.

LENSKY

Paul O’Neill

Most recently, Australian tenor Paul O’Neill sang Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) and Alfredo (La traviata) for Opera Australia; Macduff (Macbeth) for State Opera South Australia; and Pinkerton, the Prince (Rusalka), Manrico (Il trovatore), Don José (Carmen), Cavaradossi (Tosca), Alfredo, Rodolfo (La bohème), Turiddu (Cavalleria rusticana), Canio (Pagliacci), and the title role in Otello for West Australian Opera.

He also appeared as Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) and Siegmund (Die Walküre) with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and was tenor soloist for Britten’s War Requiem with WASO and the Düsseldorf Symphony.

International appearances include Don José at the Glyndebourne Festival; the Duke (Rigoletto) with Opera Holland Park; Laca (Jenůfa) for Opéra de Lille; the title role in Faust at Theater Hagen and the Mainz State Theatre; Radamès (Aida) at the St Margarethen Opera Festival; Jason in Médée for both Theater Bielefeld and the Mainz State Theatre; and Pinkerton in a touring production throughout China.

Ensemble Artist supported by MM Electrical

Ashlyn Tymms OLGA

Mezzo-soprano Ashlyn Tymms has established herself as one of Australia’s most exciting young artists, winning the top prize at the 2025 Opera Awards. She made her Opera Australia mainstage debut as Dorothée (Cinderella), returned to sing Ježibaba (Rusalka), and appeared as the Stewardess in Jonathan Dove’s Flight for State Opera South Australia.

Recently, she sang Ježibaba, Dido (Dido and Aeneas), the title role in Carmen, Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Flora (La traviata) and Emilia (Otello) for West Australian Opera, and Fanny Price (Mansfield Park) for New Zealand Opera.

Ashlyn took the alto solos in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 for the Melbourne, West Australian, Queensland, Canberra, and Christchurch Symphony Orchestras; Mozart’s Requiem and Mahler’s Symphonies No. 8 and No. 3 with WASO; and Bach’s St. John Passion and Handel’s Messiah with the MSO. She has also performed Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music at Buckingham Palace.

Ensemble Artist supported by MM Electrical

PRINCE GREMIN

Teddy Tahu Rhodes

New Zealand–born international bass baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes has performed with many of the world’s leading opera companies, including Deutsche Oper Munich, Ham-burg State Opera, Theater an der Wien, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, Théâtre du Châtelet, the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera and New York City Opera. His repertoire includes major world and Australian premieres such as Bendrix (The End of the Affair), Joe (Dead Man Walking) and The Pilot (The Little Prince by Rachel Portman), later filmed for the BBC.

Rhodes is particularly acclaimed for roles including Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Don Gio-vanni, Escamillo (Carmen) and Mephistopheles (Faust), combining dramatic authority with rich vocal depth. A frequent concert performer, he appears with leading Australasian orchestras, has toured nationally with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, performed at the BBC Proms and debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2009.

An award-winning recording artist, Rhodes remains one of New Zealand’s most distinguished classical singers, continuing to captivate audiences worldwide.

Biographies

Brigitte Heuser is a New Zealand and German Mezzo-soprano. She began vocal studies at the New Zealand School of Music (BMus, Hons) and furthered her operatic training at the Australian Opera Studio before gaining a Master of Arts at the Wales International Academy of Voice.

Brigitte has performed opera, concert, and cabaret across Europe and Australasia. Appearances include New Zealand Opera, Auckland Philharmonia, Opernloft Hamburg, Freeze Frame Opera, Australian Baroque and the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Now based in Perth with her family, she appears regularly for West Australian Opera. Highlights include Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana and Mercédès in Carmen

Other operatic roles include Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Annio, La Clemenza di Tito, Idamante in Idomeneo, Flora in La Traviata, Jenny Diver in Threepenny Opera, Stepmother in Into the Woods, Martha in Iolanta and Zita in Gianni Schicchi

Brigitte Heuser Nicole

Winner of many awards including; Herald Sun Aria, Rome Opera Award, ASC Opera Award, and finalist in Placido Domingo’s World Operalia in Mexico City.

Nicole’s roles include; title role in Madama Butterfly (OA), Mimi - La bohème (OA/OQ/Guatemala), Tosca (OA/VSO), Liu - Turandot (OA), Giorgetta - Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, Lauretta - Gianni Schicchi (OA), Amelia - Un ballo in maschera (OA), Elsa - Lohengrin (OA), Leonore - Fidelio (OA/SOSA), Santuzza - Cavalleria Rusticana (OA/WAO), Micaela - Carmen (OA/OQ/WAO), Donna Elvira - Don Giovanni (VSO), Grimgerde - Die walküre (OA), Die Vertraute and Die Vierte Mägd - Elektra (Rome Opera).

Recent roles include; Mamma Lucia - Cavalleria Rusticana, Marcellina - Le nozze di Figaro, Jack’s Mother - Into the Woods (WAO) and Zia Principessa - Suor Angelica, Princess de Bouillon - Adriana Lecouvreur (FFO).

Performances in 2026 include; Opera Gala in Karratha (WAO/REAF), Tippett’s Child of Our Time and Filipyevna - Eugene Onegin.

“ Your words evoke my deep respect for your emotion, your trusting soul and sweet devotion.”

West Australian Opera

Chorus

Sopranos

Mezzo Sopranos

* Celebrating over 10 years

** Celebrating over 20 years

^ Supported by the Roberts Emerging Artist Program

Tenors

Basses

West Australian Opera

Dancers and Actor

West Australian Symphony Orchestra

Conductor:

Christopher van Tuinen

Violin 1

Laurence Jackson

Semra Lee

Alexandra Isted

Stephanie Dean

Christina Katsimbardis

Cerys Tooby

Samantha Wickramasinghe

Luisa Theis

William Huxtable

Susannah Williams

Violin 2

Zak Rowntree

Sarah Blackman

Melanie Pearn

Amy Furfaro

Emma Hunt

Louise Sandercock

Jane Serrangeli

Principal Associate Principal

Viola

Alex Brogan

Kierstan Arkleysmith

Nik Babic

Alison Hall

Helen Tuckey

Katherine Potter

Cello

Rod McGrath

Jeremy Garside

Oliver McAslan

Nick Metcalfe

Fotis Skordas

Double Bass

Andrew Sinclair

Robin Brawley

Mark Tooby

Giovanni Vinci

Flute

Mary-Anne Blades

Sonia Croucher

Megan Barbetti

Oboe

Liz Chee

Stephanie Nicholls

Clarinet

Som Howie

Alexander Millier

Bassoon

Jane Kircher-Lindner

Adam Mikulicz

Horn

Eve McEwe

Robert Gladstones

Julia Brooke

Francesco Lo Surdo

Trumpet

Jenna Smith

Peter Miller

Trombone

Joshua Davis

Liam O’Malley

Peter Younghusband

Timpani

Francois Combemorel

Harp

Kira Leigh

His Majesty’s Theatre

Arts and Culture Trust

Chief Executive Officer

Mark Crees

Chairperson

Morgan Solomon

Board

Zoë Atkinson

Ashok Desai

Kylie Groves

Veronica Jeffery

Lisa Montgomery

Robert Taylor

Tim Urquhart

Melvin Yeo

Governance and Executive Services

Melissa Mandy

Administration

Executive Support Officers

Ange Humphries

Denise Fairs

Corporate Communications Advisor

Hayley Longman

Strategy and Partnerships

Courtney Fiddian

Simone Woodard (acting)

Marketing Manager

Yvette Canét-Gibson

Marketing Coordinator

Haylee Whisson

Marketing Officers

Tara Baxter

Christian Forster

Graphic Designer

Kate Higson

Programming Manager

Kate Bell

Bookings Officers

Rachel Doulton

Lilly Lee

Planning, Research and Reporting Manager

Marc Mondelo

CMS Manager

Andrew Chew

CRM Systems

Support Officer

Jeffery Chan

Event Services

Director Event Services

Glenn Hall

Venue and Customer

Experience Manager

Madeline Joll

Operations and Events Manager

Fiona Moore

Event Coordinator

Genevieve Scott

Stage Door Keepers

Angela Scaturro

Karl Galin

Box Office Supervisor

Jenny Franklin

Hospitality Manager

Matt Payne

Presentation Supervisor

Gurvinder Singh

Technical

Technical Services

Matthew Nankivell

Deputy Director

Technical Services

Kerrie Wilshusen

Production Manager

Levi Caddy

Head of Audio & AV

Dylan Crosbie

Head of Lighting

Sam Elbery

Head of Staging

Harry Dunbar

Audio Supervisor

Madison Warnes

Audio Visual Supervisor

Yoann Derunes

Head Flyman

Steve DeVries

Lighting Supervisor

Claire Lansom

Major Contracts and Projects

Helen Stewart

Major Projects Manager

Jo Vinci

Contracts and Leases Manager

Angela Lemon

Procurement Manager

Peter Nagy

Contracts Support Officer

Peter Stevenson

Business Services

Vicky-Lea Munro

Chief Financial Officer

Tony De Nobrega

Asset & Facilities Manager

Brad Matthews

People & Culture Manager

David Goyder

Senior Digital Systems Lead

Chelsea Baker

Senior Work Health & Safety Advisor

Laura Redman

West Australian Opera

Vice Regal Patron

The Honourable Chris Dawson AC APM

Governor of Western Australia

Board

Darren Lewsen (Chair)

Anthony Gianotti (Deputy Chair)

Emma Cundale

Alison Gaines

Christiaan Heyning

Adam Santa Maria

Jan Stewart

Gina Williams-Ghouse AM

Honorary Life Members

Dario Amara

Richard Bonynge AC CBE

The Hon. Julie Bishop

Terry Bowen

Frank Cooper AO

Catherine Ferrari

Erich Fraunschiel

Colin Goddard

Warwick Hemsley AO

Francis Landels

Bruce Martin AM

Margaret McManus

Dr Richard Mills AO

Andrew Pascoe

Annie Patrick

Marilyn Phillips OAM

Wesfarmers Arts

Patron, Wesfarmers Arts Young Artist Program

Emma Matthews AM

2026 Wesfarmers Arts Young Artists

Michelle Pryor

Belinda Butler

Vin Trikeriotis

Devon Lake

Bayden Adams

WAO Staff

Executive Director

Carolyn Chard AM

Artistic Director

Christopher van Tuinen

Production Manager

Mandy Farmer

Accountant

Debbie Byrnes

Artistic Administrator

Kate Larkins

Partnerships Manager

Terasa Letizia

Philanthropy Manager

Jane Campbell

Head of Marketing

Danielle Barlow

Marketing Manager

James Pratt

Media Consultant

Daniele Foti-Cuzzola

Education Manager

Helen Dwyer

Choral Director, WAO Sings

Emma Jayakumar

CRM Coordinator

Rachel Sait

Financial Consultant

Kris Adrian

Stage Manager

Karen Farmer

Production Coordinator

Joshua Marsland

Music Librarian

Allison Fyfe

Thank you to our donors

Visionary Circle

The Roberts Emerging Artist Program

Artistic Director Circle ($25,000+)

Bruce & Charmaine Cameron

Leadership Circle ($10,000+)

Jock & Kate Clough

Lorraine Ellard

Margaret & Rod Marston

Thurston & Sande Saulsman

Dr Peter Simpson OAM

Leanne & Sam Walsh AO

Anonymous (1)

Principal Patron ($5,000+)

Stewart Candlish & Bianca Panizza

Thomas Gerner

Warwick Hemsley AO

The Estate of Robert Kimpton

Wally & Beverley Knezevic

Francis Landels

John S Paterson

Annie & Neil Patrick

Clare Thompson SC in Memory of Brad Power

Helen & Michael Tuite

Reto Vogel

Yannis Vrodos

Anonymous (2)

Benefactor ($2,500+)

Gaysie Atkinson

Neil Archibald & Alan R Dodge AM

Cathy Bardon & Bob Cassie*

Prof Colin Binns AO & Dr Mi Kyung Lee OAM

Christine Burson

Dr Glenda Campbell-Evans & Dr Ken Evans AM*

Marie & Anthony Crocker

Peter & Christene Dalla Riva

Catherine Ferrari

The Goodlad Family

Hanrahan Fleming Family

Peter Ingram

Eleanor John

Dr Maria Kailis

Ross & Fran Ledger

Patrick Lilburne

Andreas W Merk

Mark & Fiona Newman

Petrus & Christine Oosthuizen

Leeanda Paino

Bill & Barbara Reid

Kerry Sanderson

Anne Seghezzi

Ruth Stratton*

Ruth Thorn

Joy Wearne

Dr Chris & Mrs Vimala Whitaker*

Anonymous (3)

*Supporting the Masterclass Fund

Supporter ($1,000+)

Dr Carol Anderson

David & Lois Black

Terry Budge & Anne Fraser

In Memory of Lynne Burford

Joan Carney

Robert Clifton

David Cooke

Frank Cooper AO

Tim & Wendy Davis

John & Ann Dawson

Brian Lindberg & Graham Douglas

Michelle & Bill Edwards

Robyn Edwards

Bruno Fiannaca & Julie Grbavac

Alison Gaines

Dr Barry Green

Steven Heath & Andrée Horrigan

Dr Penny Herbert

The Rev’d Luke Hoare

Kathryn Hogan & Graham Droppert

Enid Hopps

Dr Susan M Joubert

Ulrich & Gloria Kunzmann

Jeannine Millsteed

Kay Lee & Richard Murphy

John & Beth McKechnie

Allan Miles & Steven Shadwell

Kerry Monick

Dr Roger Paterson

Mary Petrie

Jennifer Rankin

Bill Repard & Jane Prendiville

Wayne Robinson

Kim & Keith Spence

Gail Spiers

Jan & Alan Stewart

Warren & Katharina Surtees

Robyn Tamke

Tessa Tieleman

Agatha van der Schaaf

Peter & Hilary Winterton

Peter Wreford

Anonymous (16)

Friend ($500+)

David Ambrose

Zelinda Bafile

Ron & Sue Bates

Dr Sue Boyd AM

Dianne Brennan OAM

Carolyn Chard AM

Adrian & Fiona Charles

M & K Chester

Douglas Clifford

Prudence Cowan

Janina Ivy Cusack

Kevin Della Bosca

In Memory of Dennis Dwyer

Peter Eadington

Judy Evans

Peter Farr

Peter Flanigan & Rosemary Grigg

Lee Goddard-Williams

Dr Rosalind Hampton

David Hanly

V Harvey

Catherine & Will Henwood

Professor Lynne Hunt

Jessica Iannello

Diane Johnson

Samuel Joyce

Lorraine Kousins

Warren & Gillian Lilleyman

Allison Low

Gaye & John McMath

Rhonda Miller

Anthony Munro

Suzanne Petty

Jerry Pinnow

Steve & Jane Sherwood

Lindsay & Suzanne Silbert

Jon & Jayne Smeulders

Fr Richard Smith

Margaret Stockton

Richard Tarala & Lyn Beazley AO

WA Opera Lovers Society

Leonard Walker

Diana Warnock & the late Bill Warnock

Robyn & Loren White

Janet Williams

Vernon Wombwell

Alison Woodman

Anonymous (12)

Foundations

Listing correct at time of publication.

Join our cast of supporters by donating online at waopera.asn.au.

All donations over $2 are tax-deductible.

Bendat Family Foundation

supporting Bayden Adams, Belinda Butler, Devon Lake, Michelle Pryor & Vin Trikeriotis

The James Galvin Foundation

Stan Perron Charitable Foundation

Wright Burt Foundation

Donors ($200+)

Thank you to all our donors who support us and help us create and present the highest quality of opera in Western Australia.

Lifetime Recognition Donors

Neil Archibald & Alan R Dodge AM

Bruce & Charmaine Cameron

Warwick Hemsley AO

The Kimpton Family

The Kailis Family

Dr Robert Larbalestier AO

Annie & Neil Patrick

Dr Peter Simpson OAM

Helen & Michael Tuite

The Roberts Emerging Artist Program

Leanne & Sam Walsh AO

Anonymous (1)

Andrew Forrest AO

Nicola Forrest AO

The generous gift of FMG shares supports a strong and vibrant arts sector in Western Australia.

Bel Canto Fund

Thanks to the leadership donors of the Bel Canto Fund.

Bequest Circle

Cassandra Charlick & Stepan Libricky

Anita & James Clayton

Lorraine Ellard

Shane Pavlinovich

Agatha van der Schaaf

Ailsa West

Anonymous (4)

Estates

The Estate of Wendy Scanlon

The Estate of Clive Wannell

The Estate of Joyce E Young

The Estate of Noreen Riordan

Anonymous (1)

WESFARMERS ARTS & WEST AUSTRALIAN OPERA

Through our long-term support for West Australian Opera’s world-class productions, new commissions and the Wesfarmers Arts Young Artist program, we are proud to help bring the joy of opera to everyone in Western Australia. Giving voice to the stories that move us.

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

MAJOR PARTNERS

CIVIC PARTNERS

OPERA PARTNERS