WA Opera's 1996 subscription season launched

22/11/95

Opera lovers will welcome the West Australian Opera's 1996 subscription season, launched by Arts Minister Peter Foss today.

Mr Foss said next year's program would offer audiences a long-awaited increase in repertoire, with a range of productions filled with fine music, drama, visual impact and glamour.

"One of the many highlights of the 1996 season is the return of Opera in the Park as a free family concert, which will open the Festival of Perth in February," Mr Foss said.

"I am particularly pleased to see this event return as it brings opera to a large potential new audience."

The Minister said the State Government's offer of a triennial funding agreement to the West Australian Opera had allowed the company the security to plan ahead and offer a range of productions to existing and new opera audiences.

He said the State Government had increased the West Australian Opera's funding by $157,500 to a total of $900,000.

Other highlights of the 1996 season included:

·   Handel's baroque opera Alcina, to be performed during the Festival of Perth;

·   Fledermaus, the company's first co-production with the Australian Opera; and -

·   Falstaff, another main production, to be staged at His Majesty's Theatre.

Mr Foss said the West Australian Opera had restructured itself during the past two years and now presented a new public face and new set of objectives.

This was reflected in the presentation of innovative new productions of Orpheus in the Underworld (1993); last year's sell-out of The Magic Flute; this year's highly successful The Elixir of Love and the most recent hosting of the Australian Opera's Don Giovanni, directed by West Australian Opera's artistic director, Lindy Hume.

The Minister said that the West Australian Opera was combining exciting new interpretations of opera classics with top quality performances and effective marketing to delight existing lovers of opera and appeal to new, untapped markets.

"I am proud to have launched this exciting subscription season for 1996, which will provide the WA public with a series of stunning operas, entice new audiences and develop the artform in Western Australia," he said.

Media contact:  Peter Harris 321 2222 / 222 9595