Regional Australia to host La traviata

Wednesday, 03 August 2011

More than 15,000 people from regional and remote Australia will have an opportunity to see the nation's finest emerging opera stars perform La traviata, one of the greatest love stories of all time.

As part of an 8-week tour proudly sponsored by Australia Post, Opera Australia's Oz Opera will visit 19 regional and remote communities across Australia between July and September.

The tour was launched in Geelong on Saturday 30 July and will tour Queensland throughout August before travelling to the Northern Territory and Western Australia, where it will conclude in Esperance on 21 September.

A special feature of this year's tour will be a free Gala Concert in Chinchilla for communities affected by the Queensland floods. The concert performance is being held to aid, inspire and uplift communities in the Western Downs region and surrounding areas.

"Music has a great power to inspire, to move and to heal. This is what we do best and so we offer this to Chinchilla to help in their recovery from the floods" says Lyndon Terracini, Artistic Director of Opera Australia. "I know from my own time living in Queensland just how important it is for communities to unite at times of need. And bringing music is one way we can help."

This event reflects Opera Australia and Australia Post's desire to engage with regional communities not just through regular touring programs, but also with special events designed to help stimulate growth and renewal in times of hardship.

Australia Post Managing Director Ahmed Fahour said Oz Opera aimed to reach all corners of the Australian community. "We want to ensure that opera of the highest calibre is accessible to all Australians, no matter where they live," Mr Fahour said.

During the tour, Oz Opera will also conduct opera workshops for music and drama students in 11 different communities as part of the Australia Post Opera in Schools Program.