2009 Annual Report 3.8MB - Opera Australia

Opera Australia Annual Report 2009

Contents
Vision, Mission, Corporate Governance 5
Chairman's Report 7
Chief Executive's Report 15
Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra 33
Sponsorship and Development Report 41
Patron Program 44
Capital Fund Chairman's Report 47
Capital Fund 49
Opera Australia Activities 50
Our People 52
Opera Australia Salutes its Partners 53
Financial Report
Separate document
Photographs
Jeff Busby, Bridget Elliot, Branco Gaica and Keith Saunders

Opera Australia
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ziggy Switkowski
Chairman
Lesley Alway
Anson Austin OAM
Philip Bacon AM
Virginia Braden
Julia King AM
Tim McFarlane
Robert Morgan
Richard Owens OAM
MANAGEMENT
Adrian Collette AM
Chief Executive
Lyndon Terracini
Artistic Director
Tony Legge
Assistant Music Director
Narelle Beattie
Finance Director and
Company Secretary
Alex Budd
General Manager, Melbourne and
Enterprises
Anton Dolk
Director - Human Resources
Ed Hossack
General Manager, Orchestra
Ian McCahon
Artistic Administrator
Liz Nield
Marketing and
Communications Director
Sue Olden
Technical Operations and
Projects Manager
Nicholas Selman
Director of Development
Chris Yates
Director - Technical Administration
OPERA AUSTRALIA
ACN 000 755 153
ABN 26 000 755 153
The liability of the members of Opera
Australia is limited. Incorporated in
New South Wales in 1970, Opera
Australia is an authority holder under
the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991.
Sydney Office:
The Opera Centre
480 Elizabeth Street
Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Sydney Postal Address: PO Box 291,
Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012
Telephone: (02) 9699 1099
Fax: (02) 9699 3184
Melbourne Office:
Corner Fawkner and Fanning Streets,
Southbank 3006
Melbourne Postal Address: PO Box
389, South Melbourne, Vic 3205
Telephone: (03) 9685 3777
Fax: (03) 9686 1441
Auditors
Ernst & Young
Bankers
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Solicitors
Gilbert + Tobin
GOVERNMENT PARTNERS
Opera Australia is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory
body, and by the NSW Government through Arts NSW. Opera Australia is supported by the Victorian Government
through Arts Victoria.
Vision
Enriching Australia’s cultural life with exceptional opera.
Mission
To present opera that excites audiences and sustains and
develops the art form.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Opera Australia is a Company Limited by Guarantee. Its governance is the
responsibility of its Board of Directors, who are elected by its Members. The
Board is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the Company and its
ongoing viability. The Company’s direction and activities are underpinned by
its agreed Values:
• Pursuit of excellence in everything we do
• Respect for knowledge, imagination and creative ambition
• Honesty and integrity in all our dealings
• Fairness
• Sustainability
• Encouragement of professional development
• Respect and compassion for people
• Safe working environment
The Board of Directors of Opera
Australia is also the Board of
Directors of the Australian Opera
and Ballet Orchestra Limited, a
wholly-owned subsidiary company
of Opera Australia.
The Board of Directors delegates to
the Chief Executive, and through
him to the executive team, authority
to manage, within the parameters set
by the Board, the Company’s activities.
The work of the Board is supported by:
• The Audit and Risk Committee,
which comprises all Directors.
The Chief Executive and Finance
Director attend its meetings, and
the Company’s Auditors meet with
it regularly to report on their processes
and findings. The Audit and Risk
Committee meets before each Board
meeting, and otherwise as required, and
is responsible for closely scrutinising
the Company’s management systems,
financial processes, risk management
practices and the financial prudence of
its strategies.
• The Remuneration Sub-Committee,
which consists of the Chairman of
the Board, the Chairman of the Audit
and Risk Committee and one other
Director. The Human Resources Director
attends its meetings when required.
The Remuneration Sub-Committee
meets as necessary, and is responsible
for overseeing the Company’s
remuneration policy, including the
remuneration of the Chief Executive
and the executive team.
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
5

Chairman's Report
Dr Ziggy Switkowski
The story of Opera Australia’s 2009 year is one of two halves.
The year began in a difficult economic environment which, together with
softer tourist numbers during the important Sydney summer season,
saw our box office figures sag. As well, audience response to a program
with fewer familiar productions was mixed as were critical reviews. We
foresaw a very difficult outlook for high end, premium priced cultural
offerings. Yet as the year progressed the numbers recovered. Productions
of Aida, The Mikado and Manon Lescaut achieved great box office success,
the support of our audiences remained steadfast throughout, and the
interest of Australians in all art forms remained solid despite the real
distractions of the external environment.
Still, after five years of operating surpluses, the Company returned a loss for
the 2009 year of $907,677. Better than expected, but a loss nevertheless.
Good cost management, always a feature of chief executive Adrian
Collette’s leadership, has kept the operating deficit in check, and we have
the expectation of reducing the number further in our 2010 financial
year. An encouraging commercial outcome, in a measure that is managed
very carefully, is the movement in net borrowing from $937,000 at the
end of 2008 to $448,000 at 2009 year end. As the balance sheets of arts
Daniel Sumegi as Sarastro, members of
the Opera Australia Chorus and
members of Legs on the Wall
The Magic Flute
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
7

companies rarely have the capacity to sustain operating losses for long,
Opera Australia’s position is reassuring at this point.
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT CONTINUED
Following a wide-ranging consultative process and the recommendation
of a review committee of eminent arts people, Lyndon Terracini was
appointed Artistic Director of the Company in October 2009. Lyndon’s
appointment has been well received by all stakeholders and his influence
and vision will be increasingly evident in programming and casting
decisions from 2011.
As foreshadowed in last year’s Annual Report, the year was one of
continuing reflection and analyses of the Company’s mission, its
operating processes, and listening to the regular feedback from patrons,
supporters and the wider arts community.
With the encouragement of our company, the agencies responsible
for our government funding commissioned L.E.K. Consulting to review
our operations and benchmark our performance against national and
international arts organisations. The report painted a picture of a hard
working, productive opera company while offering options for ticket
pricing, yield management and programming.
L.E.K.’s findings are being incorporated into the Company’s strategic plans
and will help shape our priorities in the years ahead.
Long serving board members Rowena Danziger and Harold Mitchell stepped
down at the 2009 Annual General Meeting and David Malouf at year end.
Rowena Danziger served on the Opera Australia Board for nearly 20 years,
helped lead the Company through a number of glorious periods as well as
some upheavals, and constructively supported management throughout.
Her contributions were of the highest quality. Harold Mitchell retired at
the end of 12 years. A legend in many areas of endeavour, the Company
was grateful to have his interest and contribution for so long. David
Malouf stepped down after eight years on the board, a period where his
deep knowledge of the arts and quiet authority informed so many of our
debates and decisions. We also welcome two new board members who
have joined us: Lesley Alway and Virginia Braden. Both strengthen our
arts industry connections and understanding and will ensure our work is
well grounded in the interests of our various communities.
Above: Yvonne Kenny as Dido and
Luke Gabbedy as Aeneas
Dido and Aeneas
Opposite: Peter Coleman-Wright as
Don Pizarro, Julian Gavin as Florestan,
Nicole Youl as Leonore, Warwick Fyfe as
Don Fernando and Conal Coad as Rocco
Fidelio
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
9

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT CONTINUED
The Opera Australia Capital Fund reflected more positive investment
markets and the continuing generosity of our patrons and returned to
growth in its assets. The Fund’s total value stood at $9.5 million at year end,
a growth of 22% on the previous year. The year saw a continuation of the
$400,000 dividend paid to the Company, a much appreciated and welcome
contribution. I thank the Opera Australia Capital Fund chairman, David
Clarke, and acting Chairman, Michael Traill, plus Fund Board members for
their expertise and vigilance in overseeing these critical investments.
The Company remains deeply grateful for the support of Australian
taxpayers, represented by the Federal, New South Wales and Victorian
Governments. Our vibrancy and reach would simply not be possible
without this funding and the close collaboration with three main
government agencies: the Major Performing Arts Board of the Australia
Council, Arts NSW, and Arts Victoria, as well as Playing Australia and the
Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
The support Opera Australia receives from its loyal sponsors and donors
cannot be underestimated. In a pressured year for many, our illustrious
partners demonstrated steadfast leadership and continued an admirable
and important tradition. The tangible difference made by their financial
contribution and public endorsement is seen on stage night after night.
Our corporate partnerships and individual donors set the standard for
arts support in this country and we are immensely grateful to them for
their generosity which inspires us all.
The challenge of satisfying the interests of all our audiences while
attempting to set new standards in quality and creativity places
considerable demands upon all our team members – singers, orchestral
players, chorus, technicians, administrators and our many contractors
and partners. The complexity and scale of the task, and the industry
skill-building it requires, defines this opera company whose staff
continue to earn our admiration and affection. The Board takes pride in
the accomplishments of Opera Australia while not underestimating the
work ahead.
I would like to thank my fellow Board members for their steady
and enthusiastic guidance of the past year. Together with them, I
congratulate the chief executive, Adrian Collette and his team for
their leadership in traversing a tough year and arriving at a place that
promises much in the future.
Taryn Fiebig as Galatea
Acis and Galatea
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
11

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE COMPONENTS
INCOME
65% ($45.0 m) Box office, earned income and contributions
35% ($23.9 m) Government grants
EXPENDITURE
63% ($44.2 m) Staff and employment expenses
14% ($9.8 m) Venue, transport and travel costs
14% ($9.7 m) Depreciation, other production and overhead costs
9% ($6.3 m) Marketing and promotion
Opposite above: Stephen Bennett as
Le Bailli, Michèle Losier as Charlotte with
members of the Children's Chorus
Werther
Opposite: Antoinette Halloran as Mimì
La bohème
Australia Post Opera in the Bowl
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
13

Chief Executive's Report
Adrian Collette AM
Opera Australia closed calendar year 2009 with its first operating
deficit in five years. The financials detailed in this annual report give
explanation for this result, which members will appreciate was neither
unheralded nor unexpected in an arduous year.
It’s promising to see improvement in the Opera Australia Group’s overall
reserves, thanks to an improvement in the investments of the Opera
Australia Capital Fund under very difficult trading conditions, particularly
in the first half of the year.
Our 2009 operating environment presented us with sometimes
unprecedented challenges. With a sharp decline in tourist numbers
throughout the Sydney summer and pressure on discretionary incomes,
the Company pulled together to limit the size of the operating loss
and to exert the tightest possible control over costs, at the same
time meeting each of our obligations in presenting a full program of
mainstage, regional touring, education and access activity.
Kirstin Chávez as Carmen with
members of the Taipei chorus
Carmen
Against this backdrop of financial pressures, consulting firm L.E.K.
was retained by The Australia Council, Arts NSW and Arts Victoria to
undertake a comprehensive review of Opera Australia’s activities. L.E.K.
made a number of recommendations for increased revenue generation
through box office and development, which we will evaluate carefully
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
15

as we build and revise our business plan for the next three to five years.
L.E.K was very clear about the Company’s current efficiency, recording:
CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT CONTINUED
Opera Australia’s operations appear highly efficient relative to the
Company’s international peers: Opera Australia delivers a large volume
of opera for substantially lower costs per performance… In a nutshell,
Opera Australia punches squarely above its weight in terms of output
per dollar spent.
Whatever the money invested in us by Government, philanthropists
or sponsors, we pride ourselves on returning the best possible value on
that investment.
Opera Australia’s 2009 program demonstrated three fundamental
principles at the heart of our national opera company. First, our national
company has a curatorial responsibility to opera, just as our finest
galleries, say, might have a responsibility to represent the world of
painting or sculpture. We must ensure that current and future audiences
have access to the best works of the operatic repertoire. Of course in our
case, each opera, each of our ‘exhibits’ if you like, has to be recreated
and reinterpreted for live performance, to ensure current access and
appreciation. To this end, our program in 2009 showed great variety.
Our six new productions alone spanned a period from the baroque through
to 20th century work. (As I write this report, I am exquisitely conscious
that we have begun rehearsals for our presentation of a brand new 21st
century Australian opera, Bliss, which forms part of our 2010 season.)
Above: Cheryl Barker as Manon Lescaut
and Jorge Lopez-Yanez as Des Grieux
Manon Lescaut
In 2009, Patrick Nolan created a stimulating double bill, adding a
controversial interpretation of Handel’s Acis and Galatea to his past
work on Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Irish director, Orpha Phelan, in an
Australia première of Bellini’s opera I Capuleti e i Montecchi, gave us
an interpretation through utterly contemporary eyes. Stuart Maunder
captured the charm and whimsical melancholy of Stephen Sondheim’s
A Little Night Music; Graeme Murphy's Aida thrilled audiences in Sydney
and Melbourne and generated record box office over 30 performances;
Jim Sharman returned to Opera Australia with his vigorous, eclectic
and contemporarily charged Così fan tutte; and Neil Armfield created
a production of Britten’s Peter Grimes that was deeply moving
and ecstatically received. These great works were brought to life:
contemporary audiences had the chance to see them, hear them, think
about them, perhaps be moved by them.
Opposite: Susan Bullock as
Katerina Ismailova and Jacqueline Dark
as the Woman Convict
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
17

CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT CONTINUED
At the same time we were able to revive some of opera’s more esoteric
repertoire: Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Massenet’s Werther,
a less performed Puccini opera, Manon Lescaut, and André Previn’s A
Streetcar Named Desire. Again these suggest a wonderful sweep of
repertoire, especially when combined with the better known works that
so often attract first time audiences to opera: The Magic Flute, Madama
Butterfly, Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci, Fidelio and The Mikado. All
played a vital part in our ‘gallery’ of mainstage work for 2009; and we
did our best to curate them with integrity – from the most excoriatingly
dramatic to the most humanely comic, from the most classical to the
most controversial.
Another major purpose of our national company is to nurture, develop
and showcase the very best Australian talent. Our various programs
throughout 2009 did so in abundance. This begins with our commitment
to The Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program, which in 2009 further
developed the talents of Christopher van Tuinen, Amy Wilkinson, David
Corcoran, Stephen Smith and Andrew Moran. Throughout the year we
also employed 26 principal singers as part of our regular ensemble.
And we were able to invite back some of Australia’s most important
freelance singers: some make their homes in Australia – Cheryl Barker
(Manon Lescaut and Madama Butterfly), Emma Matthews (Pamina and
Giulietta) and Anthony Warlow (KoKo); and some reside overseas –
Yvonne Kenny (Dido and Blanche), Aldo Di Toro (Werther), Teddy Tahu
Rhodes (Stanley) and Stuart Skelton (Peter Grimes and Harold Mitchell)
– to name but a very few!
We also enjoyed numerous debuts with us: Susan Bullock in Lady
Macbeth of Mtsensk was joined by Simon O’Neill as Sergei in Sydney, and
Richard Berkeley-Steele in the Melbourne performances. Tamara Wilson,
Claire Rutter and Jennifer Wilson all gave exceptional performances of
Aida over two seasons; and Susan Gritton earned high praise for her Ellen
Orford in Peter Grimes. Other important debuts included Sigrid Thornton
as Désirée Armfeldt in A Little Night Music, a role she will perform in
Sydney in our 2010 season. With inspiring guest artists, with our great
Australian artists brought back from various corners of the globe, and
with our formidable roster of resident singers, 2009 offered individual
performances of great variety and depth.
Henry Choo as Ferrando and
Shane Lowrencev as Guglielmo
Così fan tutte
Our conducting roster was as strong as ever. Musical leadership was
provided by Shao-Chia Lü, Andrea Licata, Sir Richard Armstrong,
Emmanuel Plasson, Alexander Polianichko, Mark Wigglesworth and
Jonathan Darlington, all of whom conducted the formidable Australian
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
19

Opera and Ballet Orchestra. They were joined by a strong roster of
Australian conductors: Richard Bonynge, Tom Woods, Ollivier-Philippe
Cunéo, Antony Walker, Simon Hewett, Brian Castles-Onion and Stephen
Mould. For our Melbourne performances, Orchestra Victoria proved a
fine performance partner, led by Jari Hämäläinen, Sir Richard Armstrong,
Brad Cohen, Simon Hewett, Ollivier-Philippe Cunéo, Andrew Greene and
Tom Woods.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT CONTINUED
The third principle that determines our programming and our operations
is our desire that the work of Opera Australia engages as broad an
audience as possible. As well as presenting 227 performances in the
Sydney Opera House and the Arts Centre, Melbourne, there are many
other programs we undertake to reach out to the community.
Oz Opera
The Oz Opera regional touring production of Madame Butterfly, directed
by John Bell and conducted by Simon Kenway and subsequently by
Christopher van Tuinen, toured 21 locations across Victoria, Canberra,
Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, concluding
the production’s national tour that commenced in 2008. Twenty-nine
performances were given in some of Australia’s most remote areas,
including Tennant Creek (Northern Territory), the Daintree Rainforest
(Far North Queensland) and Newman (Western Australia). In 2010
we look forward to sharing another great opera with all Australians,
wherever they live, with a new national touring production of La traviata,
directed by Rachel McDonald.
The other important program delivered by Oz Opera is the Schools
Company tour, which in 2009 saw nearly 79,000 primary-aged children
in metropolitan and regional New South Wales and Victoria introduced
to the magic of opera – many for the first time – in classrooms as far
afield as Toormina, Dubbo, Dunkeld, Boisdale, Warrnambool and Yinnar.
Our sincere thanks to the NSW Government for the support received
through Arts NSW which extends the reach of the tour in that State, and
for the funding under the ConnectEd Arts initiative which made possible
the performances in Central NSW.
Education
Beyond those students reached by the Oz Opera Schools Company, our
education area engaged even more young Australians in purpose-built,
innovative learning programs. Opera for Students stimulated some 1,000
mainstage attendances at the Sydney Opera House and the Arts Centre,
Above: Yvonne Kenny as Blanche DuBois
and Stuart Skelton as Mitch
A Streetcar Named Desire
Opposite: Catherine Carby as Romeo and
Aldo Di Toro as Tebaldo
I Capuleti e i Montecchi
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
21

CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT CONTINUED
Melbourne. This program is sponsored by the Commonwealth Bank and
goes beyond a substantially subsidised ticket to include a comprehensive
resource kit for teachers, with a CD and curriculum-focussed extension
activities, all aimed at stimulating classroom learning.
OperaEd celebrated its 10th year, opening up the world of opera to high
school students otherwise unlikely to have this kind of opportunity. This
intensive program involves workshops and sessions in-school, at The
Opera Centre and at the Sydney Opera House. It includes unparalleled
behind the scenes access. OperaEd culminates in a mainstage evening
performance at the Sydney Opera House and is a life changing
experience for many. We greatly appreciate the visionary support of Fred
Street AM, who is fundamental to the very existence of OperaEd, and of
Barclays Capital, who joined as an OperaEd supporter in 2009.
WotOpera extended further into regional Australia, building on the
successful pilot in 2008 and relationships formed through the Oz
Opera Regional Tour. Projects in Western Sydney and Rockhampton
saw another first for the Company with the involvement of a school of
distance education and delivery via “school-of-the-air” arrangements.
Distance education students are isolated due to geographical or health
considerations and it was truly heartwarming to include them in this
inspirational project. We salute the bravery of the WotOpera students
as they move from page to stage in just 16 hours, and salute the
enlightened support by Principal Sponsor Graeme Wood, the Queensland
Government Department of Education and Training, Connellan Airways
Trust, and the Isolated Children’s Parents Association of Australia.
Mazda Opera in the Domain
Each year Opera Australia creates very special free events that allow us
to reach a large number of opera lovers and, importantly, many opera
newcomers. Generously supported by Mazda, Opera in the Domain has
become a firm favourite for thousands of Sydneysiders. On a balmy
summer evening in January we presented the popular opera double
bill Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci. Some 70,000 people packed the
Domain, sprawled on rugs with their picnic baskets, and enjoyed Italian
opera at its melodramatic best.
Australia Post Opera in the Bowl
In Melbourne we performed Puccini's La bohème to a packed Sidney
Myer Music Bowl. Thanks to Australia Post, we were able to present a
Byron Watson as Frid, Erica Lovell as
Fredrika, Nancye Hayes as Mme Armfeldt
and Sigrid Thornton as Désirée Armfeldt
A Little Night Music
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
23

magical Opera in the Bowl and enjoy a memorable night of romance and
heartbreak as the young bohemians enthralled our audience.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT CONTINUED
Occasions like Mazda Opera in the Domain and Australia Post Opera in
the Bowl help us deliver on our commitment to taking our work to as
wide an audience as possible, bringing opera out of the theatres and into
settings that add another dimension to our opera-going experience.
ABC relationship
This is a vital relationship that encourages greater access to the work
of our national opera company. Highlights of our collaboration with the
ABC in 2009 included a live telecast of Così fan tutte on ABC2; and Aida,
Peter Grimes, Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci live on ABC Classic FM. A
full list of activities will be found on page 51.
Opera Australia on the national stage
Our national company plays a critical role in supporting the
performances of our State Companies. In 2009 alone, Opera Australia's
productions of La traviata and Rigoletto were seen in Queensland; The
Tales of Hoffmann in South Australia; and The Marriage of Figaro and The
Pearlfishers in Western Australia.
The individual relationships with our fellow professional companies
in Australia are further extended through The Opera Conference. This
national partnership is a model for the mutual benefits which can accrue
through collaboration, and provides an important contribution to the
vibrancy of the art form in the country. The Company's presentation
of Aida in 2009, for example, is an Opera Conference coproduction. In
2009 Opera Australia manufactured the costumes for a new Opera
Conference coproduction of La fanciulla del West which went on to
première in Adelaide and Perth to critical acclaim.
Opera Australia on the world stage
Opera Australia's international reputation extended into Asia this
year through an invitation from the National Symphony Orchestra
and the National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center in Taipei, Taiwan to
collaborate on a joint venture to present Opera Australia’s production
of Carmen for four performances in July 2009. The project combined 23
personnel from Opera Australia – principal artists, dancers, production
and technical staff – along with more than 250 staff (comprising
international guest artists, local chorus, children’s chorus, actors,
guest conductor, orchestra, artistic support staff, staging, lighting and
props staff, dressers, wig and makeup staff, venue co-ordination staff,
horse handler and a pyrotechnician as well as the administration staff)
contracted by our local partners to complete the productions needs.
Above: Angela Edwards as Cinderella with
students from Darlinghurst Public School
Oz Opera's Cinderella
Our partners in Taipei were determined this collaborative project would
provide a first-rate performance experience for the audience, as well as
an opportunity to broaden the skills and experience of local artists and
Taryn Fiebig as Eliza Doolittle and
Richard E. Grant as Henry Higgins
My Fair Lady
Opposite: Henry Choo as Ferrando,
Rachelle Durkin as Fiordiligi, José Carbó
as Don Alfonso, Sian Pendry as Dorabella
and Shane Lowrencev as Guglielmo
Così fan tutte
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
25

staff throughout the preparation, planning, rehearsal and staging of an
opera production of this scale.
The response was tremendous and the season sold out a month in
advance, confirming the interest and curiosity of the Taipei community
in this joint venture. Opera Australia is enormously proud of this venture,
a multi-cultural challenge to stage an Australian production, set in Spain,
rehearsed in English, translated in Mandarin and sung in French.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Australian
Commonwealth through the Australia International Cultural Council and
the Australia-China Council, initiatives of the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade, and also sincerely thank the commitment of our
copresentation partners in Taipei in pioneering this partnership.
Our coproduction of Lakmé with Opéra de Montréal continues to be seen in
North America with a season staged at Florida Grand Opera in early 2009.
In summary, I believe that such a range of programs, together with our
core main stage performances and our development of Australian talent,
deliver an immense return on the funding invested in us.
Occupational Health and Safety
We continue to be watchful about health and safety at work. The
production of opera is a physically demanding activity, and we are only
too aware of the critical risks associated with any mishap. I am pleased
CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT CONTINUED
to report that our health and safety performance has improved with the
further development of our management system, better procedures,
general vigilance, prompt incident reporting and follow up, early injury
intervention and timely return to work. As a consequence, we have
reduced the incidence of significant injury, lost time due to injury, and
our workers compensation costs.
Our Chairman, in his report, has thanked the governments that show
confidence in Opera Australia and continue to invest in us and our art form.
I would also like to thank all our Sponsors and philanthropic Patrons who
help sustain our activity.
Above all, I wish to thank my colleagues; not only the wonderful singers
and orchestral players who work with us, but also the resident directors,
music staff, the hundreds of designers, craftsmen and women, technical
crews, stage managers and my administrative colleagues, who display
such dedication to the Company and the future of opera. Last year I
wrote at length about what constitutes our ensemble, from our regular
principal singers to colleagues who help me raise funds for Opera
Australia. Together they represent a valuable and creative resource for
our community, Australia-wide.
I would also like to thank Opera Australia’s Board of Directors, and
particularly its Chairman, Dr Ziggy Switkowski, for providing consistent
stability and wise counsel as our Company navigated the very
challenging waters of 2009.
Opera Australia welcomes a new Artistic Director
In October 2009 Opera Australia was delighted to announce the
appointment of Lyndon Terracini as Artistic Director. Lyndon brings to
the Company long experience as a principal artist, both in Australia and
overseas, and additional experience as one of Australia’s most successful
Festival Directors. He has a deep knowledge of operatic repertoire and an
imaginative grasp of the Australian cultural environment.
Lyndon has thrown himself into the life of the Company and is already
forging wonderful plans for the future. Everything in the planning of opera
takes time, but I don’t think it will be too long before both artists and
audiences alike will be able to take pleasure from Lyndon’s rewarding
ideas about specific programs and the future of the art form itself.
Students from North Rockhampton State
High School participating in WotOpera
I very much look forward to working with Lyndon as we plan a
continuing and bigger future for our national opera company.
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
27

Peter Coleman-Wright as Captain Balstrode
Stuart Skelton as Peter Grimes
Susan Gritton as Ellen Orford and
Peter Coleman-Wright as Captain Balstrode
Peter Grimes
The Nieces, Taryn Fiebig and Lorina Gore,
with Stuart Skelton as Peter Grimes and
Peter Coleman-Wright as Captain Balstrode
Stuart Skelton as Peter Grimes and
Nicholas Bakopoulos-Cooke as John
Peter Grimes

OPERA AUSTRALIA
Adrian Collette AM, Chief Executive
Lyndon Terracini, Artistic Director
Tony Legge, Assistant Music Director
Artists 2009
Cheryl Barker
Catriona Barr
Georgia Bassingthwaighte
Sue Braatvedt
Angela Brewer
Susan Bullock
Danielle Calder
Elizabeth Campbell
Catherine Carby
Sarah Crane
Rachael Cunningham
Jacqueline Dark
Rachelle Durkin
Amelia Farrugia
Taryn Fiebig
Lisa Gasteen AO
Lorina Gore
Susan Gritton
Antoinette Halloran
Nancye Hayes
Kate Maree Hoolihan
Anke Höppner
Chorus
Chloris Bath
Helen Borthwick
Annabelle Chaffey
Caroline Clack
Lisa Cooper
Jane Dunstan
Deirdre Elliott
Elizabeth Ellis
Clarissa Foulcher
Mary-Ann Fraser
Vanessa Lewis
Conductors
Sir Richard Armstrong CBE
Richard Bonynge AO CBE
Brian Castles-Onion
Brad Cohen
Music Staff
Chorus Master
Assistant Chorus Master
Repetiteurs
Phoebe Briggs
Brian Castles-Onion
Italian Language Coach
German Language Coaches
French Language Coach
Czech Language Coach
Rosamund Illing
Adele Johnston
Yvonne Kenny AM
Hye Seoung Kwon
Victoria Lambourn
Teresa La Rocca
Michèle Losier
Erica Lovell
Saira Luther
Julia Malczewski
Dominica Matthews
Emma Matthews
Milijana Nikolic
Emma Pearson
Sian Pendry
Katrina Retallick
Claire Rutter
Jane Sheldon
Tiffany Speight
Elizabeth Stannard
Sigrid Thornton
Yolanda Lorenzato
Claire Lyon
Jodie McGuren
Marjory McKay
Ke-Lu Ma
Lynette Murray
Sandra Oldis
Sharon Olde
Jane Parkin
Margaret Plummer
Ollivier-Philippe Cunéo
Jonathan Darlington
Sian Edwards
Andrew Greene
Michael Black
Anthony Hunt
Kate Golla
John Haddock
Renato Fresia-Verdino
Tanja Binggeli, Horst Hoffmann
Katharine Tier
Amy Wilkinson
Elisa Wilson
Jennifer Wilson
Tamara Wilson
Nicole Youl
Richard Alexander
Jamie Allen
Richard Anderson
Jud Arthur
Carlo Barricelli
Stephen Bennett
Richard Berkeley-Steele
Jonathan Bode
John Bolton Wood AM
Kanen Breen
Andrew Brunsdon
José Carbó
Henry Choo
Nick Christo
Conal Coad
Emma Pratt
Sarah Sweeting
Leah Thomas
Victoria Wallace
Katherine Wiles
Dean Bassett
Christopher Bath
Gregory Brown
Martin Buckingham
Edmond Choo
Jari Hämäläinen
Simon Hewett
Simon Kenway
Andrea Licata
Jennifer Marten-Smith
Tahu Matheson
Marie-Claire Ch.Légion d’Honneur, Ch. Arts et Lettres
Adriana Hanic
Peter Coleman-Wright
David Corcoran
Bradley Daley
Christopher Dawes
Fernando del Valle
Aldo Di Toro
Gennadi Dubinsky
Warren Fisher
Warwick Fyfe
Luke Gabbedy
Julian Gavin
Andrew Goodwin
Robert Grubb
Horst Hoffmann
Bernard Hull
Rosario La Spina
Ben Lewis
Michael Lewis OAM
Jorge Lopez-Yanez
Shane Lowrencev
Graeme Macfarlane
Matthew Davine
Malcolm Ede
Thomas Hamilton
Scott Hannigan
Christopher Hillier
Andrew Jones
Charlie Kedmenec
Jin Tea Kim
Nara Lee
David Lewis
Shao-Chia Lü
Stephen Mould
Emmanuel Plasson
Alexander Polianichko
Stephen Walter
Paul McMahon
Murray Mayday
Andrew Moran
Dennis O’Neill
Simon O'Neill
David Parkin
Benjamin Rasheed
Teddy Tahu Rhodes
Matthew Robinson
Barry Ryan
Andrew Schroeder
Dongwon Shin
Stuart Skelton
Stephen Smith
Daniel Sumegi
Jonathan Summers
David Thelander
Anthony Warlow
Jason Wasley
Byron Watson
John Wegner
Jeffrey Lock
Jonathan McCauley
Kent McIntosh
Robert Mitchell
Trevor Pichanick
Adam Player
Clifford Plumpton
James Roser
Sam Sakker
Adrian Tamburini
Christopher van Tuinen
Antony Walker
Mark Wigglesworth
Tom Woods
Directors
Neil Armfield AO
Matthew Barclay
John Bell AO
Bruce Beresford
Cathy Dadd
Christopher Dawes
Gale Edwards
David Freeman
Michael Hampe
Elizabeth Hill
Michael Imielski
Tama Matheson
Stuart Maunder
Cameron Menzies
Elijah Moshinsky
Graeme Murphy AM
Luise Napier
Elke Neidhardt
Patrick Nolan
Moffatt Oxenbould AM
Orpha Phelan
Simon Phillips
Shane Placentino
Christopher Renshaw
Jim Sharman
Andrew Sinclair
Janet Vernon
Francesca Zambello
Designers
Hildegard Bechtler
The Brothers Gruchy
Russell Cohen
Stephen Curtis
Peter J Davison
Peter England
Tim Goodchild
Mic Gruchy
Tim Gruchy
John Gunter
Shaun Gurton
Roger Kirk
Ralph Myers
John O'Donnell
Dan Potra
Victoria Rowell
Tess Schofield
John Stoddard
Leslie Travers
Gabriela Tylesova
Michael Yeargan
Michael Warby as Prince Charming in Oz Opera's Primary Schools
production of Cinderella with students from Darlinghurst Public School
Lighting Designers
Robert Bryan
Donn Byrnes
Choreographers
Anton
Debra Batton
Damien Cooper
Derek Coutts
Tim Claydon
Joshua Consandine
Chris Davey
Trudy Dalgleish
Lucy Guerin
Elizabeth Hill
Jean Kalman
Nigel Levings
Denni Sayers
Simon Tye
Oz Opera
Robert Beasley
Nicole Car
Pam Christie
David Corcoran
Ian Cousins
Angela Edwards
Tania Ferris
Stephen Fitzgerald
Ashley Giles
Kerry Gill
Sue Goessling
Tom Griffiths
Tom Gutteridge
Elizabeth Hill
Laura Holian
Sarah Jones
Victoria Lambourn
Julie Lynch
Eddie Muliaumaseali'i
Jane Parkin
James Payne
Ben Rasheed
Ingrid Sakurovs
Heinz Schweers
Matt Scott
Clarissa Spata
Randall Stewart
Sachiko Tange
Jennie Tate
Rohan Thatcher
Karen van Spall
Christopher van Tuinen
Daryl Wallis
Michael Warby
Jason Wasley
Elisa Wilson
Barbara Zavros
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
31

Australian Opera
and Ballet Orchestra
The Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra (AOBO) is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Opera Australia. The Orchestra performs for Opera
Australia and The Australian Ballet during their respective Sydney
seasons. To support these full-time and specialised activities, and the
central role that orchestral music has in the performance of both
opera and ballet, the Orchestra receives substantial funding from the
Australian and NSW governments.
The Orchestra gives in the region of 250 performances per annum, the
busiest of all Australian orchestras. A world-class orchestra, the AOBO
continues to build on the Orchestra’s extensive knowledge of the opera
and ballet repertoire after almost forty years of performance history.
Among the AOBO’s strengths is the commitment and experience
of individual musicians and sections of the Orchestra, led by
Concertmaster Aubrey Murphy and Associate Concertmaster
Huy-Nguyen Bui.
The Orchestra has a core strength of 69 permanent musicians,
supplemented throughout the year by around 150 seasonal and
casual musicians as required by the repertoire.
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
33

The central issue confronting the Orchestra is the challenge of
performing in the confined space of the orchestra pit. The resulting
occupational health and safety issues, mainly high noise levels, make
it necessary to employ seasonal and casual musicians to provide
respite for the permanent musicians of the Orchestra.
AUSTRALIAN OPERA AND BALLET ORCHESTRA CONTINUED
In addition to performances for the opera and ballet, the AOBO
also performs mainstage concerts throughout the year, including
Mazda Opera in the Domain, Christmas at the House and the famous
and celebrated New Year’s Eve concert at the Sydney Opera House.
Highlights in 2009 included seasons of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and
Peter Grimes at the Sydney Opera House, and The Nutcracker and
The Sleeping Beauty for The Australian Ballet. In addition in March
2009, the Orchestra performed a concert in the Sydney Opera House
concert hall in memory of Richard Hickox, Opera Australia’s late
Music Director.
ACTIVITIES 2009
For Opera Australia
Performances
For The Australian Ballet
Performances
Summer Season of Opera
Autumn Season
Madama Butterfly 23 Firebird 21
Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci 10 The Nutcracker 22
The Magic Flute 17 43
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk 7
Werther 6 Spring Season
63 Concord 20
The Sleeping Beauty 21
41
Winter Season of Opera
Aida 20 Total for The Australian Ballet 84
Manon Lescaut 8
Fidelio 10
I Capuleti e i Montecchi 8
The Mikado 27
Così fan tutte 14
Peter Grimes 6
93
Concerts/other performances
Mazda Opera in the Domain – Cav/Pag 1
Summer Concert – Radiance 1
Christmas at the House 8
New Year's Eve Gala 1
11
Total for Opera Australia 167 Total performances 251
Nicole Youl as Santuzza
Cavalleria rusticana
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
35

AUSTRALIAN OPERA AND BALLET ORCHESTRA
Concertmaster
Associate Concertmaster
Acting Deputy Concertmaster
Aubrey Murphy
Huy-Nguyen Bui
Catalin Ungureanu
Michael Black, Chorus Master
David Parkin, Jud Arthur and members of
the Opera Australia Chorus Aida
VIOLIN
Adrian Keating +
Tony Gault +
Mark Fitzpatrick (Principal 2nd)
Yu-Qing Rebecca Irwin*
Virginia Blunt
Rachel Easton
Marek Kruszynski
Airena Nakamura
Samuel Podjarski
Daniel Rosenbaum
Robert Sek
Jaroslaw Talar
Rachel Westwood
Patrick Wong
Kerry Martin
Jennifer Taylor
Stephanie Zarka
Wen Zhu
DOUBLE BASS
Brett Berthold
Andrew Meisel*
Edmund Bastian
Jennifer Penno
David Cooper
FLUTE
Elizabeth Pring
Amanda Hollins*
Alistair Howlett
PICCOLO
Diane Berger
OBOE
Conall McClure
Matthew Tighe*
Mark Bruwel
HORN
Michelle Perry
Anton Schroeder*
Saul Lewis
Victoria Chatterley
Lisa Wynne-Allen
TRUMPET
Joshua Clarke
Craig Ross*
Bruce Hellmers
CORNET
Brian Evans
TROMBONE
Gregory van der Struik
Brett Favell*
William Farmer
Lorina Gore and Conal Coad
Backstage at Fidelio
VIOLA
Yoko Okayasu
Virginia Comerford*
David Dixon
Magda Kruszynska
Amanda Murphy
Marilyn Wilson
CELLO
Zoltan Szabo
Eszter Mikes-Liu*
Henry Urbanavicius**
Pierre Emery
Andrew Hines
Margaret Iddison
Janine Ryan
Andrew Wilson
COR ANGLAIS
Andrew Malec
CLARINET
Peter Jenkin
Richard Rourke
BASS CLARINET
Euan Huggett
BASSOON
Douglas Eyre
Matthew Ockenden*
Gillian Hansen
BASS TROMBONE
Brett Page
TUBA
Ed Diefes
PERCUSSION
Bruce Cotterill
Troy Greatz*
TIMPANI
David Clarence
Allan Watson*
HARP
Jane Rosenson
Orchestra Management
Italics Principal
+
Principal 1st Violin
* Associate Principal
** Deputy Principal
General Manager, Orchestra
Orchestra Manager
Orchestral Operations Manager
Assistant Orchestra Manager
Orchestral Administration Coordinator
Staging Assistant
Ed Hossack
Gérard Patacca
Simon Thew
Ella Howard
Emma In der Maur
Scott Moon
Simon Thomas and Cheryl Barker
Backstage
Dancers in Aida
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
37

Rosario La Spina as Radamès, Jud Arthur as Ramfis,
Shane Lowrencev as the King of Egypt, Milijana Nikolic as Amneris,
Barry Ryan as Amonasro, Jennifer Wilson as Aida and
members of the Opera Australia Chorus
Aida

Sponsorship and Development Report
In 2009’s tightening economy Opera Australia was very fortunate
to receive the crucial support of its loyal donors and sponsors. Their
generosity directly contributes to the national opera company’s mission
of presenting opera that excites audiences and sustains and develops the
art form. By investing in our work they become an integral part of the
fabric of Opera Australia and make a direct contribution to our success.
Two corporations continue to demonstrate far-sighted leadership
through their key sponsorships. Australia Post and Mazda are known
as our Hero Partners for an important reason. Their support helps
unlock the door to opera to those who are experiencing it for the first
time. Large scale free opera events such as Mazda Opera in the Domain
and Australia Post Opera in the Bowl are not possible without their
enlightened sponsorship. Add to this Mazda’s support of the Introduction
to Opera Subscription Series and Australia Post’s support of the nationwide
Oz Opera touring operas, more and more people each year gain
access to this extraordinary art form. Our Hero Partners inspire us to
strive for excellence and breadth of appeal and we take this opportunity
to thank them for the visionary role they play.
Emma Matthews as Giulietta and
Catherine Carby as Romeo
I Capuleti e i Montecchi
We are fortunate to be aligned with a number of other leading
organisations with whom we enjoy mutual values and a shared
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
41

commitment to the cultural life of the nation. And in 2009 we celebrated
an important milestone with one in particular. Our Silver Partner IBM has
now supported Opera Australia for 20 consecutive years and this farsighted
example of corporate partnership makes an important statement about the
mutual benefits a strategic alliance can provide. To each of our renewing
sponsors we extend our enormous gratitude for the tangible difference
their support and expertise makes to so many areas of our operations.
SPONSORSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT REPORT
CONTINUED
In a year of some uncertainty for the business community we were
grateful to welcome new partners to Opera Australia. Leona Edmiston,
Farage, Get Wines Direct, Arab Bank Australia, The Langham Melbourne,
Russell Reynolds Associates and The Royal Automobile Club of Australia
all joined us and supported our work in important ways.
Just as our audiences comprise passionate individuals, we are proud to
recognise the many devoted individual donors who belong to Opera
Australia’s Patron Program. Every single Patron plays a role as important
as any opera star in sustaining our work year round and delivering the
best opera to each state and territory. The investment our Patrons make
ensure the Company’s future and the future of our specialist Australian
artists and artisans.
For our Patrons, 2009 was a landmark year. Together we celebrated the
30th anniversary of the Patron Program and raised our voices in praise
of all those who have made and continue to make vital contributions
to our success. We honour their commitment by taking enormous care
with their donations, investing responsibly and directly in the musical life
of the Company. To acknowledge the remarkable achievements of the
Patron Program in its 30th year we were delighted to announce Yvonne
Kenny AM as the Company’s Patron-in-Chief. Yvonne represents every
singer in the Company when she celebrates and thanks our Patrons for
their unique part in the Opera Australia family.
Our Patrons continue to make a significant statement of support and
this was demonstrated in an extraordinary way by the success of a new
fund-raising activity in the Program’s 30th anniversary year. Syndicate
30 was named to recognise the anniversary and to provide much needed
support to a new production each year. We chose Bliss as the first
production for Syndicate 30 and invited our Patrons to contribute an
additional donation that would go directly toward the costs of this major
new production. We welcome our Syndicate members into the rehearsal
room, the scenery workshop, the design room. We allow them exclusive
access to the artists and the directorial team and we thank them for
their support by providing a rare and privileged insight into the creative
process. The response was overwhelming and our Syndicate 30 members
have now become an important part of our Opera family. Across the
Company their participation is welcomed and enjoyed.
Daniel Sumegi as Boris Ismailov and
Susan Bullock as Katerina Ismailova
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
fortunate ones, supported as we are by an illustrious group of generous
Patrons. We thank those who joined Syndicate 30 in its inaugural year
and we congratulate and thank all our Patrons on the occasion of their
30th anniversary.
Opera Australia knows how to put on a show, but not all the shows take
place on the stage. Each year we present a series of Special Events that
raises money specifically for our young artists, education work, regional
touring and schools performances. In 2009 we presented a glamorous
Gala in Melbourne in the Regent Plaza Ballroom rich in decoration
and atmosphere. In Sydney our Gala took place in the opera scenery
warehouse, surrounded by ghosts of operas past. And our celebrated
‘Dinner on the Dock’ in the paint workshop of the Sydney Opera Centre
brought together the very best in gourmet food, wine and song. All three
events raised significant funds for our access and training programs in a
convivial and unique way. To those who donated auction prizes, room gifts,
décor, technical support and expertise, we extend our sincere thanks.
Opera Australia’s ongoing need for private support is urgent. 70% of our
income is earned through our own activities. We are immensely proud of
the endorsement we receive from our sponsors and donors and we renew
our commitment to returning their investment with care and dedication.
As a non-profit company we will continue to ask for support so that we
can maintain our level of performances for both audiences and artists.
We cannot do this without our sponsors, our donors, our Board, and our
staff, all of whom unite for a shared purpose of excellence and creativity.
Opera Australia thanks you.
As one Patron wrote to us in 2009, “It is a privilege and a pleasure to be
involved in the life of the Company.” But we consider ourselves to be the
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
43

THE PATRON PROGRAM
Opera Australia’s Patron
Program is the largest and
most successful in the history
of this nation’s performing
arts. Patrons are individuals
who support the company
through annual, tax deductible
donations of $1500 and
above. Tax deductibility is
also available for donations
made from the United States
of America and the United
Kingdom. Opera Australia
is grateful to the following
private citizens, whose
generous patronage is deeply
appreciated.
SPONSOR PATRONS
Antoinette Albert
Robert Albert AO RFD RD
and Elizabeth Albert
Yvonne and
John Almgren AM
Philip Bacon AM
Mrs Amina Belgiorno-Nettis
The Board of
Opera Australia
Jennifer Brukner
Neil Burns
Mrs Rowena Danziger AM
and Mr K G Coles AM
Ian Dickson and
Reg Holloway
Martin Dickson AM and
Susie Dickson
Mrs Peter Duncan
Lady (Mary) Fairfax AC OBE
Annette Freeman
Hans and Petra Henkell
Dr I J Hunter§
Irwin Imhof, in memory
of Herta Imhof
Rex Irwin, Esq.
H Kallinikos Pty. Ltd.
Mr and Mrs
Aron Kleinlehrer
Mrs Barbara McNulty OBE
Mabs Melville
Nick and
Caroline Minogue
Dr Douglas and
Monica Mitchell
Dame Elisabeth
Murdoch AC DBE
Dr Margaret Olley AC
Richard Owens OAM
Kenneth R Reed
Dr David and
Dr Gillian Ritchie
Laurence Scofield
Fred and Dorothy Street
Alden Toevs
Professor
Barbara van Ernst AM
Maureen Wheeler
Graeme Wood and
Annette Olle
Anonymous (5)
GOVERNOR PATRONS
Nance Atkinson Trust
Peter Bartholomew and
Donna Pelka
Her Excellency Professor
Marie Bashir AC
Alasdair Beck
The Hon
Bronwyn Bishop MP
Russell and Leanne Bowie
Mr and Mrs Robert Bryan
Mr David Clarke AO and
Mrs Jane Clarke
Beryl Crusi and the late
Henry Crusi
Mary Davidson and
Frederick Davidson
Mrs R Dechert
The Decor Corporation
Chris and Judy Fullerton
Dr Nicholas S Girdis CBE
and Mrs Marina Girdis
Em Green, in remembrance
of her father Josef Tardy Dick and
Fella Harbig
Mrs Jane Hemstritch
Peter and Jenny Hordern
Mrs Cynthia Jackson AM
and the late
Dr Edward Jackson AM
Sheila and Harry Johnston
John Lamble AO
Peter Lovell
Peter and
Pamela McKee (SA)
Macquarie Group
Foundation
Dr and Mrs Meddings
Tom and Ruth O'Dea
Carol Sisson
Peter and Leonie Szabo
Mr Kevin Troy
Keith Walkerden
Alex and Claire Weis
Lyn Williams AM
Elizabeth Windschuttle
Imelda and
Geok Wong Foundation
Dr Anna Ziegler
Anonymous (3)
BENEFACTOR PATRONS
Jeannette Abrahams
David and
Elizabeth Adams
Betty Amsden OAM
Janette and Jim Bain AM
Michael Ball
Margaret and
James Beattie
Dr Simon Bell§ and
Dr Jennifer Coghlan-Bell
Judge A D and Mrs C Bishop*
Graeme Black
Rosemary and
Julian Block*
Ms Judith Brinsmead
Jannie Brown
Dr Andrew Buchanan
Pam Caldwell
Paul Carter
J C Conde AO
The Hon Justice
Dennis Cowdroy OAM
Michael and
Shanny Crouch
Ian and Diana Daly
Rod and Marie Dalziel§
Mrs Joan Darling
Suvan and
Shamistha de Soysa
Sandy and Phil Dudgeon
Juliet Dunworth
Lee MacCormick
Edwards Ph.D
Suellen and Ron Enestrom
James Fairfax AO
Dr Helen M Ferguson§
Diana and Richard Fisher
Dr William R Fleming
Eric and Tonia Gale
John Gale OBE
Neilma Gantner
Peter George and
Diana Wang
Rachel and
Alan Goldberg AO
Leon and Judy Goldman
Peter Griffin AM
Deirdre Hall and
David Greatorex AO
Nereda and
Michael Hanlon AM
Nora Hinchen and
John Flint
Robin Hutcherson
Mr and Mrs Jeffrey Jago
Mrs Erika Jumikis
Erwin and Judith Katz
Dr J F Kinnear
Anna-Lisa Klettenberg
Kloeden Foundation
Dr Joan M Lawrence AM
Ann and David Levitan
Solomon and Rosie Lew
Alex and
Halina Lewenberg*
Vicki and Adam Liberman
Drs Kathryn Lovric and
Roger Allan
Hon Ian and
Mrs Julie Macphee
Peter and Kate Mason
Dr and Mrs P J Meddings
Dr Mark and
Dr Alla Medownick§
Dr Bryan and
Mrs Debora Mendelson§
Graham Miller
Ethel Mitchell OAM
Dr Jane Munro
Thomas Timothy Murphy
Mrs Judith Myers
Dr Paul Nisselle AM and
Mrs Sue Nisselle
The Hon Mr Justice
Barry O'Keefe AM and
Mrs Jan O'Keefe
Benard Olde and
Miss Murphy
Mrs Roslyn Packer AO
George and Jillian Pappas
John and Moya Phillips
Robin Potter
Mr Peter Charles Prior CLJ
Mark Renehan§
Bruce Rosenberg
Nigel Sabine
Mr and
Mrs Mark Sampson
Graeme Samuel AO and
Jill Davies
Penelope Seidler AM
Mrs H Showniruk
Rod Sims and Alison Pert
Mr K G Smith
Margot Smith
Mr Sam Smorgon AO and
Mrs Minnie Smorgon
Val Smorgon OBE and
Jack Smorgon AO
John and Jo Strutt
Dr and
Mrs David Sugerman
Mrs Graham Thorp
Mrs Alma Toohey
Peter Tremewen
Mrs Dawn Troy
Mr and Mrs Peter Turner*
Isaac and Susie Wakil
Mrs Margaret Whitlam AO
Cameron Williams
Chris and Judi Wilson
Geoffrey and
Karen Wilson
Ray Wilson OAM and the late James
Agapitos OAM
Sue and Bill Wood
Donna Woodhill
Jocelyn Woodhouse§
R and G Woodward
Anonymous (8)
INTERNATIONAL PATRONS
Victor K Atkins in
memory of Leslie Pritchard
Mrs Roxane Clayton
Roderick and
Gillian Deane
Professor J R Heckenlively
Hamish O. Parker
PATRONS
Anthony Adair
Dr and Mrs Mario Adamo
Zenon Alexander
Noel and Sylvia Alpins
The Hon Richard Alston
Sidney and
Lynn Anderson
Dr Patricia
Armstrong-Grant OBE
Jenny Barnes
Ross and Ann Barnetson
Tony Barnett
Laurie Bebbington and
Elizabeth O’Keeffe
Tom Begg
Nicole Berger
Charles and
Annarosa Berman
Tom Best
Minnie Biggs
Allan Blaikie and
Jane Stackpool*
Kevin Bleasel AO§
Betty Blomfield
Mrs Jan Bowen
Mrs Rose Boyd and
Miss Rhonda Boyd
Roslynne Bracher
Alix Bradfield
Ms Judy Bretherton*
Ms Jane Brodribb
Dr Roderick Brooks§
Beth and Tom Bruce AM*
Malcolm and
Wendy Broun
Dr Peter Brukner OAM and
Diana Tapsall§
Professor David Bryant
Mr and
Mrs R J Burbidge QC*
Diana Burleigh
Dr Andrew Byrne§
David Byrne*
Hugh and Hilary Cairns
Carolyn Cameron
Mrs Naomi Carrick
Mr and Mrs M H Carriol
Mr J A Carroll
Judy and Howard Carter
Emily Chang
Roger Cherry
Greg and Terry Chesher
Margaret, Timothy and
Angus Clarke
Maxwell J Connery OAM
and Joan R Connery OAM
Miss Renata Conrad
Mrs Mary Coulton
Tim and Bryony Cox
P F and M J Crane
Greg and Kate Crone
M and M Cranitch
I F Crawford
Mr Charles P Curran AC and
Mrs Eva Curran
Joanne Daniels
J Danks
Mrs Jeanette Davies
Ernest Dawes OBE and
Nola Dawes
The Hon Mrs Ashley
Dawson-Damer
Baron and
Baroness de Boyd
Matthew Delasey
Kathy and
George Deutsch
Mr Michael
Diamond AM MBE
Jennifer and
Robert Dickerson
Mr J T Dominguez CBE AM
and Mrs Dominguez
Mrs Gordon Douglass
The Hon.
John Dowd AO QC*
Andrew and
Barbara Dowe§
Dr William Downey
Margaret Dunstan
Margaret Easton
Charles Edmonds
Bill and Margaret Fisher
Mrs M Ford
Vivienne Fried and
the late Ruben Friend
Dr J A Frew and
Mrs D M Frew
Sabina and David Full
Justin and Anne Gardener
John Garnsey QC*
Mrs David Gibbs
Minnie Gibbs
Dr Donald and
Dr Rosita Gibson
The Hon. Justice
E W Gillard*
The Hon. Justice and
Mrs G Giudice*
George H Golvan QC*
George and Kay Gordon
Wirat Sukprem and
Alexander Gosling
Beatrice Gray
Sharon and
Stephen Green
James and Sarah Guest
The Hon Justice Ian V Gzell
Jean Hadges
Mrs Pamela Hall
Louis Hamon
Louise Hamshere
Mr and Mrs Ian Harper*
Pat and Frank Harvey§
Judy and John Hastings
Alan Hauserman and
Janet Nash
Peter Hennings
W J Heriot and
M R Levinson§
Jennifer Hershon
Derrick and
Shirley Heywood
Dr and Mrs R F Hicks§
John David Hobbs
Geoff and Anthea Hone*
Ms A Hooper
Dr Ron Houghton and
Mrs Nanette Houghton
Mr Ian Hunt
Michael and Penny Hunter
Dr Victor Hurley§ and
Maria Leoni
Phillip Isaacs OAM
Dr Alastair Jackson§
Patricia Jackson
Stuart Jennings and
Diana Mummé
John S Jessup
Dr Michael Joel AM and
Mrs Anna Joel
Dr Garry Joslin and
Prof Dimity Reed AM
Anne and Bruce Judd
John Kaldor AM and
Naomi Milgrom Kaldor
Mr Laurence Kalnin
Mrs Mathilde
Kearny-Kibble
Mr Kevin Kelleher*
Dr Susan M Kelly
James and Diana Kimpton
Julia King AM
Drs E and S Korbel§
Drs Marjorie and
George Kossoff AO
George Krawat
Mr F Kunc SC and
Ms F Rourke*
Ms Eugenia
Janina Langley JP
Margaret Lederman
Catherine and
Yick Him Lee
Stephanie Lee
Barbara and Bernard Leser
Dorothy Leviston AM
G D Levy and J M Hockey
Christine M Liddy AO and
David B Liddy
Dr David Ling
Richard and
Elizabeth Longes
Jill and Brian Loton
Mr Howard Lowe
Peter Lowry OAM and
Carolyn Lowry OAM
Susan McCarthy
Mrs Marie McCann OAM
A S Macansh
Avril and Peter McGrath
George and
Patricia McGregor
Mr and Mrs Robert McKay
Mimie MacLaren
Geoffrey Magney
David Malouf AO
Jenny Manton
Professor Bernard and
Mrs Joyce Marks
Jennifer K Marshall
Alexandra Martin in
memory of
Lloyd Martin AM
Justice Jane Mathews AO*
Rohan Mead
Mr and
Mrs Richard H Melzak
Desmond B Misso, Esq.
The Monarch Investment
Group of Companies
John and Isobel Morgan
Ted and Brenda Mouritz
Dr Stephen Mulligan§
Mr and Mrs A S Murdoch
Rupert and Annabel Myer
Irena Nebenzahl
New Vision Clinics
Leon Nicholas and
Robert Furley
Professor G C O'Brien and
Dr I E O'Brien
David and Lynne Olsson*
Dr Robert and
Mrs Joan Osborn
Timothy and Eva Pascoe
G Pearson
Dr Kevin Pedemont§
Fred Peisah
Professor
David Penington AC
Phillip and Jennifer Perry*
Anne Phillips
Valmai Pidgeon AM
Mr Ian Plater
Mrs Anna Playfair and
Mrs Gay Voss
Dave Poddar and
Angela Flannery
Thomas D Preston
Railx Aluminium Products
Judith and Ernest Rapee
Angela Raymond
Mr and Mrs A R Rayward
Ken and Margaret Robbie
Frank A Robertson
Mr Geoffrey Robertson QC
Mr Graeme Robertson
Michael and Angela Rodd
Colin and Carolyn Royse
Mr Jeremy Ruskin QC and
Ms Roz Zalewski*
Janis Salisbury
Margaret Sammut
Mrs Rosmarie Samuelson
A J and S M Sasse
The Satir Centre
of Australia§
Mrs M Saunders
Garry E Scarf
Aubrey G Schrader
Mr T K Schrecker
Edward and Susan Schutz
Nicholas Selman
Mr and
Mrs W A C Service
Mrs Vivienne Sharpe
David Shavin QC*
Paul Sheehan
Dr John E Sheehy OAM and
Mrs Jean Sheehy OAM§
Professor Gillian
Shenfield AM
Helene Shepherd
Dr Peter Shepherd
Tim and Lynne Sherwood
Dr R J Simmie§
Michael and
Melissa Slattery*
Dr Michael Slaytor
Michelle Smart
Alison Somerville*
Assoc. Prof. Ross Steele AM
In memory of Beryl Stephens
Mr Nigel Stoke
Anthony Stolarek
Mrs Joan Tayler
Victoria Taylor
Sandy and Anna Todd
Isolde Tornya
Dr H M Tran
Richard and
Caroline Travers
Michael Troy§
Alan J Truett
Mrs Kathleen Tutton
Suzanne and
Ross Tzannes AM
Dr Janette Vincent§
John S Walton AM
Neville Ward and
Sylvia Payten
Mrs Suzanne
A R Waterhouse
Derek Watt and
Cathy Brown-Watt
Arthur and Topsy Webster
The Honourable
Justice Anthony Whealy
Professor and
Mrs Chris Whitaker
Dr Heinz Wicki
Evan Williams AM and
Janet Williams
Jill Wran
Mr Kerry Wright
Dr Kun-Gay Yap &
Dr Kuldip Kaur§
Anonymous (31)
SYNDICATE 30
Opera Australia salutes
those Patrons who have
joined Syndicate 30 for
2010. Members of each
year's Syndicate support
a new production and
participate directly
in the work of Opera
Australia. We thank our
Syndicate 30 Patrons for
their generosity.
Anthony Adair and
Karen McLeod Adair
Ms Jan Bowen
Ros Bracher AM
Jennifer Brukner
Emily Chang
Greg and Terri Chesher
The late Mr Henry Crusi
and Mrs Beryl Crusi
Mr Ken Coles AM and
Mrs Rowena Danziger AM
Brian M Davis
Mr Martin Dickson AM and
Mrs Susie Dickson
Annette Freeman
Dr J A and Mrs D M Frew
Em Green
Louis Hamon
Nereda Hanlon and
Michael Hanlon AM
Hans and Petra Henkell
Jennifer Hershon
Dr I J Hunter
John S Jessup
D & I Kallinikos
Francois Kunc SC and
Felicity Rourke
John Lamble OA
Martin Family in memory
of Lloyd Martin AM
Peter Lovell and Michael Jan
Dr Roger and
Dr Kathryn Lovric
Mrs Barbara McNulty OBE
Hon Ian and
Mrs Julie Macphee
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch
AC DBE
Mrs Judith Myers
Hamish O Parker
Valmai Pidgeon AM
Robin Potter
Kenneth R Reed
Dr David and
Dr Gillian Ritchie
Professor Gillian Shenfield
R Sims & A Pert
Fred and Dorothy Street
Victoria Taylor
Alden Toevs and Judi Wolf
Peter Tremewen
Professor
Barbara van Ernst AM
Maureen Wheeler
Ian and Hannah Wilkey
Lyn Williams AM
Ray Wilson OAM and the
late James Agapitos OAM
Mrs Jill Wran
Anonymous (3)
ARTISTS' SPONSORSHIPS
• Michael Black, Chorus Master, is
sponsored by Sterling Mail
Order Pty. Ltd.
• Henry Choo is sponsored by
Martin Dickson AM and
Susie Dickson
• Cathy Dadd is Opera Australia's
ambassador for the Asthma
Foundation of NSW
• Taryn Fiebig is sponsored by
Maureen Wheeler
• Lorina Gore is sponsored by
Mrs Rowena Danziger AM and
Mr Kenneth Coles AM
• Rosario La Spina is sponsored by
Maersk Line
• Dominica Matthews is sponsored
by Professor Barbara van Ernst AM
• Emma Matthews is sponsored by
Jennifer Brukner
• Sian Pendry is sponsored by
Ms Annette Freeman
• Teddy Tahu Rhodes is sponsored
by Rex Irwin, Esq.
• John Wegner is sponsored by
Hans and Petra Henkell
• The Opera Australia Chorus is
proudly sponsored by ExxonMobil
• The Children's Chorus is proudly
sponsored by
Commonwealth Bank
FRIENDS OF
OPERA AUSTRALIA
Opera Friends in Sydney and
Melbourne are membership
organisations that provide fundraising
support for Opera Australia.
Through our wide range of activities
and events, including access to
dress rehearsals, our members
will become closer to this vibrant
company. For further information
please contact Jocelyn Tallis in Sydney
(02) 9318 8330 and Sally Percival in
Melbourne (03) 9685 3772.
OPERA SOCIETY INC
Opera Society Inc is a Melbournebased
organisation which supports
Opera Australia through its fundraising
activities and provides its
members with informative and
entertaining events throughout
the year. The Society offers access
to dress rehearsals, insights, film
nights, lunches, brunches, concerts
and recitals. Information about
the Society is available from the
Administrator on (03) 9685 3757.
§ Medical Chapter of Opera Australia
* Legal Chapter of Opera Australia
For information about the Patron
Program please contact Greeba
Pritchard in Sydney on
(02) 9318 8333 or Sally Percival in
Melbourne on (03) 9685 3772

Opera Australia Capital Fund
Chairman's Report
David S Clarke AO
Since March last year, the much stronger performance by equities
markets has been reflected in significant growth in the market value
of investments. With this improved performance, the Opera Australia
Capital Fund’s decision not to change its investment strategy in response
to the dramatic market downturn evident early in 2009 has resulted in a
healthy increase in the market value of its investments. At the end of the
year the total equity of the Capital Fund was $9.5million.
The Capital Fund’s objective to ensure a consistent income stream
to Opera Australia was realised again in 2009 with another $400,000
distribution in support of the activities of the Company. A further
$400,000 will be distributed in 2010.
The fifth annual dinner of the Council of Governors was held in October
at The Opera Centre. The Council of Governors comprises Directors of
the Opera Australia Capital Fund, Donor Members who have contributed
at least $250,000 or pledged a bequest of at least $500,000, and
Special Members who actively fundraise on behalf of the Fund. The
annual dinner gives us the opportunity to brief Members on the state
of the Company and to thank them for the commitment they have
demonstrated in support of a secure financial future for Opera Australia.
Sigrid Thornton as Désirée Armfeldt
A Little Night Music
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
47

OPERA AUSTRALIA CAPITAL FUND
PATRON: DAME JOAN SUTHERLAND OM AC DBE
Guests arrive for the Capital Fund's
annual fundraising event at
Robin and Judy Crawford's home
During the year we were delighted to welcome both Jennifer Brukner and
Kenneth Reed to the Council of Governors and in doing so recognised
their extraordinary generosity.
In November, Robin and Judy Crawford kindly made available their
harbourside home for our annual fundraising event. We are indebted
to them and to Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Taryn Fiebig, Michael Black and our
loyal guests. The combination of exciting performances by such talented,
popular artists and the stunning surroundings ensured a unique experience.
Our sponsors once again gave generously, enabling us to maximise every
dollar raised.
At both the Council of Governors’ dinner and the fundraising event we were
able to introduce our supporters to Lyndon Terracini, Opera Australia’s new
Artistic Director. The Board of Directors of the Capital Fund wishes him well
in fulfilling his vision for the Company.
We are grateful to those benefactors who continue to contribute to the
Capital Fund through donations and bequests. In the current financial
climate their support is even more crucial and allows us to assist Opera
Australia in a significant way.
The Opera Australia Capital Fund was
established to build capital reserves
to help ensure the ongoing financial
viability of Opera Australia.
COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS
David Clarke AO (Chairman)
Philip Bacon AM
Michael Bartlett
Jennifer Brukner
Ken Coles AM
Adrian Collette AM
Alan Cornell
Rowena Danziger AM
Ashley Dawson-Damer
Gretchen Dechert
Lady (Mary) Fairfax AC OBE
François Kunc SC
Barbara McNulty OBE
Phil and Helen Meddings
Kenneth R Reed
John Reid AO
Dr Ziggy Switkowski
Michael Traill
The Council of Governors comprises
Directors of the Trustee Company;
Donor Members who have either
contributed a significant donation
or pledged a specific bequest; and
Special Members who actively
participate in the Capital Fund's
fundraising efforts.
CAPITAL APPEAL
The Capital Fund continues to grow and
makes an annual distribution to Opera
Australia. This significant achievement
has been made possible through the
generosity of the following donors as
well as the Australian Government and
the State Governments of New South
Wales and Victoria through the Reserves
Incentive Funding Scheme.
Russell and Lucinda Aboud
Antoinette Albert
Robert Albert AO RFD RD
and Elizabeth Albert
Philip Bacon AM
(Mrs) Carole Bailey
Jim and Janette Bain
Mim and Michael Bartlett
Alasdair Beck
Lewis and Sally Bell
Alan and Christine Bishop
Allan and Jane Blaikie
Jan Bowen
Alix Bradfield
Dr and Mrs P Breidahl
In memory of Lennox Brewer
Louise Christie
Mr David Clarke AO
and Mrs Jane Clarke
Adrian Collette AM and Victoria Watson
Prof Malcolm Coppleson AO
and Mrs Patricia Coppleson
Ann and Bruce Corlett
Alan and Elisabeth Cornell
Cruise Brokers Australia Pty Ltd
Mr Charles P Curran AC and
Mrs Eva Curran
Win Danby
Elizabeth Dangar
Mrs Rowena Danziger AM and
Mr K G Coles AM
The Hon Mrs John Dawson-Damer
Mrs R Dechert
Matthew Delasey
Ian Dickson
Martin Dickson AM and Susie Dickson
Francis Douglas
Gordon Douglass
Marie Dreux
Jane and David Duncan
James Fairfax AO
Lady (Mary) Fairfax AC OBE
Pip and Gordon Fell
Jenny Ferguson
The Hon W K and Mrs M Fisher
Chris and Judy Fullerton
Mrs Peter Geddes
Donald and Rosita Gibson
The Goodman Family
Robert and Beatrice Gray
Deirdre Hall and David Greatorex AO
Peter Griffin AM
John and Jo Grigg
Mr and Mrs Ian Harper
John and Yvonne Harvey
Hershon Family
Neroli Hobbins
Mrs Cynthia Jackson AM and
the late Dr Edward Jackson AM
Major General Michael and
Mrs Marlena Jeffery
Reg and Marie Jewell
Mrs Diana Jones AM DSJ and
Mr David Jones AM OBE
H Kallinikos Pty Ltd
Mrs Jean E Kirk
François Kunc SC and Felicity Rourke
John Lamble Foundation
Mr Kevin McCann
Judy Mackinnon
Mrs Barbara McNulty OBE
Macquarie Group Foundation
David Malouf AO
Maple-Brown Family Charitable Trust
Peter and Kate Mason
Don and Angela Mercer
Robert Morgan
Dr and Mrs Ken Neale
Mark and Louise Nelson
Jim and Shirley Nield
Michael and Helen Nugent
Oakvale Wines Pty Ltd
Conrad and Alice Oppen
Pages Event Equipment
Hamish O Parker
peckvonhartel architects
John and Moya Phillips
Robin Potter OAM
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Greeba Pritchard
Kenneth R Reed
Andrew Thyne Reid Charitable Trust
Thyne Reid Trust No 1
Patricia H Reid
In memory of Lilian Renard
Michael Rennie
Juliana Schaeffer
In memory of Clare Scott-Mitchell
Penelope Seidler AM
Servcorp
Suzanne and Peter Steigrad
James and Jeanne-Claude Strong
John and Jo Strutt
Dr Hugh and Mrs Elfie Taylor
Michael Traill and Jenny Gage Traill
Kevin Troy
Isaac and Susie Wakil
A D White
WHK Horwath
Lyn Williams AM
C R Wilshire
Ray Wilson OAM and the late
James Agapitos OAM
Jill Wran
Dr Anna Ziegler
Anonymous (13)
BEQUESTS
You can make a lasting contribution to
the future of opera in Australia by making
a bequest to the Opera Australia Capital
Fund. Your bequest will provide financial
security to enhance Opera Australia’s
artistic achievements and outreach
programs. The Company is enormously
grateful for the support it has received
through bequests from the estates of:
Mrs Diana Chapman
Dame Joyce Margaretta Daws DBE
Mrs Leslie Feather
Mr Jonathon Greening
Mrs Nola J Hassall
Mrs Elise Herrman
Mr G H Johnson for the George
Johnson and Nerissa Johnson
Memorial Scholarship
Mr Stefan Kruger
Miss Patricia Lance
Ivy Marshall
Mr Will Noble
Dimiter Kanev Stantchev
Dr Donald Wilson
Betty Wright
If you wish to discuss either a
donation to the Capital Fund
or your bequest hopes, please
contact Neroli Hobbins, General
Manager of the Opera Australia
Capital Fund, on 02 9318 8386 or
Sally Percival, Melbourne Patrons and
Friends Manager, on 03 9685 3752.

OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
51

SUPPORT FOR OPERA AUSTRALIA
OUR PEOPLE
EMPLOYEE NUMBERS, DECEMBER, 2009
Opera Australia employs a total of about 1,300 people each year – around 360 permanent and seasonal staff
and up to 1,000 more on a casual basis. This staff includes singers, instrumentalists, repetiteurs, language
coaches, directors, conductors, designers, electricians, mechanists, props technicians, dressers, make-up
technicians and other production staff, stage managers, stores-persons, carpenters, welders, architects, tailors,
sewers, wig-makers, painters, writers, ticket sellers and administrators.
In addition to its own staff, Opera Australia’s activities depend on the work of significant numbers of staff at
its performance venues. In particular, the Company’s arrangements with the Sydney Opera House and the Arts
Centre involve its venue partners in dedicating specific staff to support Opera Australia’s activities for each
season. These include technical and backstage staff, ticket sellers, ushers, catering and facilities management
staff. Smaller venues, such as those used for Oz Opera regional touring performances, also supply staff to
support the Company’s activities.
Full Time Equivalents
Ongoing Seasonal Casual Total
Principal singers 31 10 0 41
Choristers 45 3 12 60
Orchestral players 64 9 15 88
Other performers 7 3 13 23
Music staff 13 1 1 15
Artistic and Orchestra administration 12 0 2 14
Oz Opera and tours administration 2 2 0 4
Artistic 174 28 43 245
HERO
PARTNERS
We salute the corporate citizenship of our sponsors and the leadership role taken by the members of our Patron Program.
OPERA AUSTRALIA SALUTES ITS PARTNERS
Hero Partners
Gold Partners
GOLD
PARTNERS
Silver Partners
SILVER
PARTNERS
Major Sponsors
Opera Australia relies heavily on the private sector to support its artistic endeavours. Corporate sponsorship
and private patronage are crucial to the vitality of the Company. It allows us to continue to fulfil the
aspirations of Australian artists and to excite the imagination of Opera Australia audiences. It is private support
of Opera Australia which enables us to maintain a high level of activity and quality of performance.
Stage management 8 3 0 11
Stage staff 20 7 7 34
Set and props workshop 17 0 2 19
Wardrobe and wigs 26 9 0 35
Stores 8 0 3 11
Technical administration 4 0 0 4
Technical 88 19 14 121
Marketing and sales 15 1 6 22
Administration and management 35 0 0 35
Administration 50 1 6 57
TOTAL 312 48 63 423
MAJOR
SPONSORS
ROYAL AUTOMOBILE
CLUB OF AUST RALIA
Royal
Automobile
Club of
Australia
Community Partner
Government Partners
Opera Australia is assisted by the Australian Government through
the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
Opera Australia is supported by the Victorian government
through Arts Victoria.
Opera Australia is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW.
Performance Partners
OPERA AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009
53