Emerging from the late Renaissance, opera has been a celebrated art form for over 420 years. Originating in Italy, it continues to be a global cultural influence to this day. In honour of World Opera Day on October 25th, which marks the birthdays of composers Georges Bizet and Johann Strauss II, we spoke with Carolyn Chard, Executive Director of West Australian Opera, about the enduring and future impact of this craft.
What does World Opera Day mean to you, and how do you plan to celebrate?
It is international recognition for a magical artform that weaves together singing, drama, music, and storytelling, unlocking imagination in audiences. We celebrate by inviting patrons to explore and book our 2025 offerings.
Can you tell us about your personal journey with opera and where it has brought you today?
I have worked in arts management for four decades, with the first half in theatre and festivals and the second half in opera. I have been privileged to work with some wonderful singers, directors, and conductors.
Many of the works WAO presents, like Orpheus and Eurydice by Christoph Willibald Gluck, premiered centuries ago—this one in 1762. Yet, audiences still flock to these performances. Why do you think that is?
Music has always had the power to move people. Theatre is an escape from the routine of everyday life. There’s a beautiful quote from Verdi that resonates with me when we experience art that moves us: “I adore art… when I am alone with my notes, my heart pounds, and tears stream from my eyes, and my emotions and joys become too much to bear.”
Orpheus and Eurydice © Keith Saunders
WAO also presents new works, such as Wundig Wer Wilura. How does it feel to present new pieces? Is there ever a sense of nervousness about how audiences will react?
New work is so important. It tells our stories and offers new pathways for artists. It feels wonderful to genuinely engage in the creation of new work. The two recent commissions from Gina Williams AM and Guy Ghouse deeply resonated, telling stories thousands of years old, sung in language. There’s a patience required to ask an audience to experience something brand new, something unfamiliar that demands careful listening and attention. It’s so heart-warming to see an audience respond well and want to see future presentations, pieces that might one day become part of the repertoire that future producers want to present. My Artistic Director, Chris van Tuinen, is always looking at new stories, new ideas, and new ways of engaging audiences.
Jess Hitchcock as Wilura and Jarred Wall as Wundig © West Beach Studio
How do you see opera evolving as an artform? Do you think future generations will have the same appetite for it?
Great art has always endured, and opera has been around for over four hundred years. I believe it will always have a vital place, even as it evolves in a changing world.
Where does Perth fit into the Australian, and even global, opera landscape? What sets us apart here?
In Australia, we work closely with the national company and the state opera companies. We have strong training programs at WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts) and the Conservatorium of Music at the University of Western Australia, and we are fortunate to have an abundance of talented singers and musicians. Our model is that of a stagione company, meaning we focus all our attention on one production at a time, rather than having many shows in repertory simultaneously. We are also based in the beautiful, 120-year-old His Majesty’s Theatre, one of the few remaining working Edwardian theatres.
Get into the World Opera Day spirit and book tickets to an upcoming opera – Orpheus & Eurydice is playing at His Majesty’s Theatre from October 24 and Opera in the Quarry on November 13.