A lively second decade in the paddock

January 20, 2012

Opera in the Paddock enters its second decade this year with a number of new faces on stage for its concert at Mimosa, Inverell on Saturday March 24 and Twilight Recital at the Inverell Town hall on March 23. 

“It’s a lot about renewal after ten years and we are very excited to have secured such talent for 2012,” says artistic director Peta Blyth.

Opera Australia, once again the performance partner, is sponsoring conductor Phoebe Briggs and a pianist. A group of female singers from Inverell, Armidale and the region will provide several choruses for the evening, including the popular Nun’s Chorus. Sopranos Peta Blyth and Jacqueline Mabardi, tenor James Eggleston, baritone Barry Ryan, mezzo sopranos Elizabeth Campbell and Elizabeth Lewis are the solo performers.

The program includes excerpts from Puccini Madama Butterfly, Verdi’s Il Trovatore and Aida with further details to be announced in the new year.

Jacqueline Mabardi who will take title role in Aida for Opera Australia next year has performed in major roles with the Queensland Opera, the State Opera of South Australia and Opera Australia.

James Eggleston is making a return visit to the Paddock as part of a busy year taking the roles of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly for Opera Australia in Sydney and Melbourne, Lysander A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Brisbane, Rodolfo La Boheme for State Opera of South Australia and the tenor solos in Beethoven Symphony No. 9 for the Sydney Symphony under Vladamir Ashkenazy.

Barry Ryan has performed with Europe’s leading houses including Opera Covent Garden, La Scala Milan, the Opera Comique in Paris, the Paris Opera Bastille, the Deutsche Opera am Rhein Düsseldorf, the Flemish Opera Antwerp, the Komische Opera Berlin, Basel Opera and the Otono Festival Opera Madrid. He has won many awards including the Shell Aria, the New York Metropolitan Auditions, Marten Bequest for Singing, the Vienna State Opera Award and the Green Room Award.

Bookings online www.operainthepaddock. com.au /ph 1800 240 301 and Inverell Visitors Centre ph 1800 067 626. Coaches will run from most regional centres.

For further details on the concerts and opera visit www.operainthepaddock.com.au or phone 02 6724 8561

Jacqueline Mabardi will be performing at Opera in the Paddock.