State Opera of South Australia
State Opera South Australia (SOSA) is a professional opera company in Adelaide, South Australia, established in 1976. Each year, State Opera presents at least two major operatic productions as well as producing or supporting other productions in venues around South Australia.
History[]
State Opera South Australia was established in 1976 as a statutory corporation under the State Opera of South Australia Act 1976,[1][2] an initiative of Don Dunstan.[3] The Board created by this Act reported to Arts SA (later Arts South Australia) from 1993 to 2018, when it started reporting directly to the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.[4]
Its aim is to "present, produce, manage and conduct operatic performances that attract a diverse local, national and, potentially, international audience."[5]
Its artistic director and CEO from 2011 until 2017[6] was Timothy Sexton before his "shock resignation"[7] following charges of abuse of teenage girls.[8] Artistic director Stuart Maunder and executive director Yarmila Alfonzetti commenced in early 2018, and their first annual program was announced in September 2018.[9][10]
Notable productions[]
- Two complete cycles of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen: the Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris) production in 1998, and in 2004 Elke Neidhardt's all-Australian production[11]
- 2010 world premiere co-production of Moby-Dick by Jake Heggie between Dallas Opera, State Opera of South Australia, San Diego Opera, San Francisco Opera and Calgary Opera[12]
- Australian premieres of John Adams' Nixon in China and El Niño; Jonathan Dove's Flight, and Sergei Prokofiev's The Fiery Angel
- Australian premiere of György Ligeti's opera Le Grand Macabre at the 2010 Adelaide Festival of Arts[13]
- World premiere of George Palmer's opera based on Tim Winton's novel Cloudstreet in 2016
- Australian premiere of Barrie Kosky's production of Saul at the 2017 Adelaide Festival in association with Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Adelaide Festival of Arts
- Australian premiere of Brett Dean's Hamlet at the 2018 Adelaide Festival in association with Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Adelaide Festival of Arts
Executive Director and Artistic Director Timmothy Sexton[]
For 6 years Timothy Sexton held both positions of Executive Director and Artistic Director of State Opera of South Australia. He was 2009 South Australian of the Year in the arts category and was also due to be named in the Adelaide Festival Centre's Hall of Fame.[14] The organisation was "chronically staffed"[15] with a "unsustainably high workload [that] is assessed to pose a material risk to the company".[16] In 2017 Sexton was asked to resign after his arrest for unlawful sexual relationship with two girls.[17] He was later found guilty of 17 sexual crimes against three girls[18] and sentenced to 14 years in prison.[19]
References[]
- ^ "State Opera of South Australia Act 1976, Version: 12.5.2011" (PDF). 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^ "State Opera of South Australia Act 1976". legislation.sa. Government of South Australia. Attorney-General's Dept. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^ "Donald Allan Dunstan". Flinders Ranges Research. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
- ^ "About arts and culture". South Australia. Dept of the Premier and Cabinet. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
- ^ "About". State Opera of South Australia. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
- ^ "State Opera of South Australia to conduct review after CEO and artistic director Tim Sexton resigns" by Patrick McDonald, The Advertiser (Adelaide), 8 May 2017
- ^ Strahle, Graham (15 November 2017). "State Opera of SA at a crossroads". The Adelaide Review. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Former State Opera SA chief Timothy Sexton found guilty of sexually abusing teenage music students". www.abc.net.au. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ Nguyen, Justine (27 September 2018). "State Opera South Australia showcases Australian works in 2019". Limelight. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
- ^ Strahle, Graham (7 November 2018). "Taking opera to the people". The Adelaide Review. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
- ^ "Wagner's Ring Cycle in Adelaide" (PDF). National Library of Australia. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- ^ Smith, Steve (2 May 2010). "A Role for the Roiling Sea as Ahab Hunts His Whale". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- ^ "Le grand macabre: Adelaide Festival (Australia), 26 February 2010". Opera Britannia. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- ^ "'Sick fantasy': Victims describe impact of sexual abuse by State Opera chief". www.abc.net.au. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ Strahle, Graham (15 November 2017). "State Opera of SA at a crossroads". The Adelaide Review. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "National Opera Review" (PDF). Department of Communication and the Arts.
- ^ "'Sick fantasy': Victims describe impact of sexual abuse by State Opera chief". www.abc.net.au. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Former State Opera SA chief Timothy Sexton found guilty of sexually abusing teenage music students". www.abc.net.au. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Opera head to spend at least eight years in jail for sexually abusing two teenage girls". www.abc.net.au. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
External links[]
- Official website
- The Opera Critic's summary of reviews and performances for State Opera of South Australia
- State Opera sets sail into a new era
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