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Rising star, Soprano Stacey Alleaume reprises her role of Violetta in Opera Australia’s La Traviata at Sydney Opera House. The production runs from 5th – 29th July, and again from 22nd October – 4th November, with Alleaume performing in the first run of the classic opera.
Renowned for her voice of remarkable beauty, warmth, character and expression, Australian-Mauritian Soprano Stacey Alleaume has established herself with an exciting operatic career ahead. In 2016, she received the Dame Joan Sutherland Scholarship for outstanding Australian operatic talent and became a member of the Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program at Opera Australia. In her first year as a young artist she made three role debuts at the Sydney Opera House: Micaëla in Carmen, Leïla in The Pearl Fishers and Alexandra Mason in The Eighth Wonder. Further principal roles with Opera Australia have included Violetta Valéry in La Traviata, Flower Maiden 1 in Parsifal and Valencienne in The Merry Widow. Stacey has also toured with Opera Australia performing the roles of Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, Pamina in The Magic Flute and Rosina in The Barber of Seville. In 2018 Stacey made her debut as Fiorilla in Il Turco in Italia to critical acclaim, and covers the role of Gilda in Rigoletto. For the National Company in 2019, Stacey performed the roles of Sophie in Werther, Gilda in Rigoletto, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro and covered the title role in Anna Bolena.
Preparations are going well, we are about to enter a week of stage calls, with set, lighting, costumes, make up and orchestra. This is my favourite part of the process because it’s when everyone’s characters are fully brought to life.
The process itself doesn’t change much but the environments are different. Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is outdoors, and so we are working in the weather elements (rain, wind) as well as singing at heights, with microphones and ear-pieces; working on a raked stage, and performing for a large audience which is far from the stage, so the acting has to be heightened.
In-theatre is a much more intimate experience and the audience are witness to the power and beauty of the unamplified voice.
The fantastic thing about doing a certain role many times is that it has the opportunity to mature vocally and dramatically. Working with different artists/conductors/directors allow for exploration and new discoveries in your character. So yes, your interpretation does change over time and also through life experience.
Jumping in as a cover at short notice (four hours) to sing Violetta at the Sydney Opera House a few years ago. There are many demands and pressures when stepping into a production at short notice, and to carry an entire show as the protagonist successfully is an achievement I am still very proud of.
Later this year I will be singing some more Violetta, but this time I will be making my Italian opera house debut in Bari at the Teatro Petruzzelli in their production of La Traviata.
Audiences will be spoiled for choice with two outstanding sopranos cast to perform the lead role of Violetta Valéry in Elijah Moshinsky’s much-loved production of La Traviata that opens at the Sydney Opera House next month.
Homegrown talent, Stacey Alleaume was proclaimed a star when she sang Violetta in the 2021 Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour production of La Traviata, and last month received more glowing reviews for her main-stage debut as Violetta at Arts Centre Melbourne. Stacey will star in the production from 5 to 29 July.
Recognised as one the world’s leading opera singers, soprano Irina Lungu will open the second stage of the Sydney season on 22 October, singing her signature role of Violetta in Australia for the first time, having sung the role across Europe, the UK and Tokyo, including receiving rave reviews in 2019 at the Vienna State Opera.
Leading tenor from the Armenian National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, Liparit Avetisyan, will reprise his 2017 performance of Alfredo Germont, a role he has triumphed in around the world, followed by Korean tenor Ji-Min Park who will reprise his Alfredo from 2018.
After making his debut earlier this year in Melbourne as Giorgio Germont “with memorable gravitas”, according to Limelight, Italian baritone Mario Cassi will return to Sydney. Experienced OA principal baritone Luke Gabbedy will then make his role debut as Giorgio.
Mezzo sopranos Agnes Sarkis and Celeste Haworth will perform Violetta’s rival courtesan, Flora Bervoix, opposite Alexander Hargreaves and Andrew Moran as Marquis D’Obigny.
A wealth of talented OA singers join them onstage, including Iain Henderson, Alexander Sefton, Richard Anderson, Danita Weatherstone, Jin Tea Kim, Jonathan McCauley and Malcolm Ede completing the principal cast.
Celebrated maestro Renato Palumbo will conduct in July, followed by Opera Australia’s esteemed Head of Music Tahu Matheson in October, leading Opera Australia’s Chorus and Orchestra through Verdi’s sumptuous melodies.
A tragic love story that inspired pop culture classics Moulin Rouge and Pretty Woman, Verdi’s famous score includes the show-stopping aria ‘Sempre libera’ and the instantly recognisable drinking song, ‘Brindisi’. Combined with lavish sets and costumes, this production is ideal for audiences to experience opera for the first time, or for fans to revisit a favourite with a superb cast.
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Michelle is a musician and composer from the UK. She has performed across the UK and Europe and is passionate about arts education and opportunities for women and girls.
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