Dedicated to the memory of Dame Joan Sutherland
in celebration of her centenary year
23 – 30 August 2026 · Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne
Il Trovatore
Giuseppe Verdi
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
Principal Cast
Director Matthew Barclay Conductor Raymond Lawrence
Featuring the Melbourne Opera Chorus and Orchestra
Sunday
23
August 2026
2.30pm
Wednesday
26
August 2026
7.30pm
Friday
28
August 2026
7.30pm
Sunday
30
August 2026
2.30pm
Grand opera, for all Victorians
Melbourne Opera has been producing grand opera since 2002, with full orchestra, full chorus, world-class singers and designers, at ticket prices that make opera genuinely accessible to all. The company depends entirely on its box office and the generosity of its patrons and benefactors, and does not enjoy public-sector support of any kind. From Wagner’s Ring Cycle to Mozart, Verdi to Puccini, it has built a remarkable record of ambitious, critically acclaimed productions.
Opera without compromise
Melbourne Opera was founded on the conviction that grand opera should not be the preserve of the very few. Productions are rigorously prepared and presented at prices that allow audiences from all walks of life to experience opera as it was meant to be heard — live, in full voice, with a full orchestra in the pit.
Our casts regularly feature singers of international standing alongside the finest Australian talent, and our productions have attracted reviews that stand comparison with any company in the country.
Melbourne Opera acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we create, rehearse and perform. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia.
For tens of thousands of years, the First Peoples of this land have expressed their culture, history and connection to Country through story, song and performance. We are honoured to pursue our own practice of storytelling through music on this ancient and continuing land, and are committed to recognising and celebrating the enduring cultures and contributions of Australia’s First Peoples.
Melbourne Opera gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our sponsors.
