Monday, December 26, 2016







Revealed via Twitter @OperaChaser on 27th December 2016 commencing at 5pm.
Dromana, Victoria.

 Award for Outstanding Production - Melbourne, Die Walküre, Opera Australia

Every night of the year, opera takes to the stage and impresses its musical, vocal and emotive force on audiences anywhere from Adelaide to Zurich and Reykjavik to Cape Town, from mega-cities to rural outposts, stages big and small. Annual global audience number the tens of millions and people continue to be drawn to its artistic mystique on both sides of the curtain.

This year I was drawn to 95 diverse opera productions in 21 cities across 4 continents, a lofty number considering my home in Melbourne is far from the operatic centres of Europe and North America. I reviewed 59 of those and everything not reviewed was given extensive 'Twitterviews' via @OperaChaser.

I'm proud of the exceptional work and standards I see from companies large and small, together with the innovative ways I see from those that strive to connect with a wider audience. Opera is alive and will forever remain so.

The 2nd Annual OperaChaser Awards and Commendations are an opportunity to reflect on the year and are dedicated to all who have contributed in sharing their artistic pursuits by nourishing their audiences with immeasurable and lasting enjoyment.

Thank you to all involved in creating the ephemeral beauty of opera in performance. Again, there is no ceremony, no trophy and no prize, but I sincerely hope that these awards bring a little pleasure to the deserved artists who brought excellence to the art of opera and all who continue to dig deep into their artistic, dramatic and creative energies.


2016 OperaChaser Awards, Melbourne 
From 32 productions including Gertrude Opera for the Nagambie Lakes Opera Festival.

Outstanding Production
Die Walküre, Opera Australia
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/review-die-walkure-is-the-second-instalment-in-richard-wagners-epic-16hour-ring-cycle/news-story/8bc940fe8766c1b5d8f270e9a7ef1588

Outstanding Production - Independent
Tannhäuser, Melbourne Opera
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/melbourne-operas-tannhauser-brings-together-an-army-of-artists-big-voices-and-a-clear-creative-vision/news-story/8820d79d8182af84857c530df2743af3

Innovative Opera Company
Lyric Opera of Melbourne
http://www.lyricopera.com.au/

Outstanding Director
Neil Armfield
Die Walküre, Opera Australia
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/review-die-walkure-is-the-second-instalment-in-richard-wagners-epic-16hour-ring-cycle/news-story/8bc940fe8766c1b5d8f270e9a7ef1588

Outstanding Director - Independent
Greg Eldridge
Trouble in Tahiti, Gertrude Opera for the Nagambie Lakes Opera Festival
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/09/nagambie-lakes-opera-festival-excites.html

Outstanding Male in a Lead Role
Warwick Fyfe
Alberich, Das Rheingold, Opera Australia
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/opera-review-das-rheingold-2013-melbourne-ring-cycle-opera-australia/story-fni0fcgk-1226763236578

Outstanding Male in a Lead Role - Independent
Marius Vlad
Title role, Tannhäuser, Melbourne Opera
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/melbourne-operas-tannhauser-brings-together-an-army-of-artists-big-voices-and-a-clear-creative-vision/news-story/8820d79d8182af84857c530df2743af3

Outstanding Female in a Lead Role
Lise Lindstrom
Brünnhilde, Götterdämmerung, Opera Australia
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/review-gotterdammerung-is-a-fitting-finale-to-richard-wagners-epic-16hour-ring-cycle/news-story/7883cd3f4aeae4dcf0795f3d65a2b0a1

Outstanding Female in a Lead Role - Independent
Lee Abrahmsen
Elizabeth, Tannhäuser, Melbourne Opera
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/melbourne-operas-tannhauser-brings-together-an-army-of-artists-big-voices-and-a-clear-creative-vision/news-story/8820d79d8182af84857c530df2743af3

Outstanding Male in a Supporting Role
Jud Arthur
Fafner, Siegfried, Opera Australia
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/the-third-instalment-of-richard-wagners-ring-cycle-is-enthralling-theatre/news-story/568671b9ead436e49bd9d6f3cd66f0f7

Outstanding Male in a Supporting Role - Independent
Paul Biencourt,
Pedrillo, The Abduction from the Seraglio, Melbourne Opera
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/opera-review-the-abduction-from-the-seraglio-melbourne-opera/news-story/0ef47c6cd4f2ffdb37e86aa2e6bad5f4

Outstanding Female in a Supporting Role
Jane Ede
Musetta, La bohème, Opera Australia
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/opera-review-la-boheme-opera-australia-arts-centre-melbourne/news-story/285e8a2746289d28505060b6bf5d94ed

Outstanding Female in a Supporting Role - Independent
Kate Amos
Milly, Our Man in Havana, Lyric Opera of Melbourne
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/review-lyric-operas-our-man-in-havana-at-the-athenaeum-theatre/news-story/7f8ed6e9758b16b08f5c7a2409fdf49b

Outstanding Conductor 
Pietari Inkinen
Götterdämmerung, Opera Australia
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/review-gotterdammerung-is-a-fitting-finale-to-richard-wagners-epic-16hour-ring-cycle/news-story/7883cd3f4aeae4dcf0795f3d65a2b0a1

Outstanding Conductor - Independent
Pat Miller
Our Man in Havana, Lyric Opera of Melbourne
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/review-lyric-operas-our-man-in-havana-at-the-athenaeum-theatre/news-story/7f8ed6e9758b16b08f5c7a2409fdf49b

Outstanding Ensemble
Laughter and Tears, Victorian Opera
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/victorian-operas-laughter-and-tears-combines-song-and-circus-art-to-tell-one-of-italian-operas-great-torrid-stories/news-story/11c9d2583e527578564f70b0ef395911

Outstanding Ensemble - Independent
Tannhäuser, Melbourne Opera
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/melbourne-operas-tannhauser-brings-together-an-army-of-artists-big-voices-and-a-clear-creative-vision/news-story/8820d79d8182af84857c530df2743af3

Outstanding Set Design
Robert Cousins
Die Walküre, Opera Australia
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/review-die-walkure-is-the-second-instalment-in-richard-wagners-epic-16hour-ring-cycle/news-story/8bc940fe8766c1b5d8f270e9a7ef1588

Outstanding Set Design - Independent
Christina Logan-Bell
Tannhäuser, Melbourne Opera
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/melbourne-operas-tannhauser-brings-together-an-army-of-artists-big-voices-and-a-clear-creative-vision/news-story/8820d79d8182af84857c530df2743af3

Outstanding Costume Design
Harriet Oxley
Laughter and Tears, Victorian Opera
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/victorian-operas-laughter-and-tears-combines-song-and-circus-art-to-tell-one-of-italian-operas-great-torrid-stories/news-story/11c9d2583e527578564f70b0ef395911

Outstanding Costume Design - Independent
Jenny Tate
Anna Bolena, Melbourne Opera
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/review-melbourne-operas-anna-bolena-at-the-athenaeum-theatre/news-story/0063993e7bea0eac066a11de4801da7e

Outstanding Lighting Design
Damien Cooper
Götterdämmerung, Opera Australia
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/review-gotterdammerung-is-a-fitting-finale-to-richard-wagners-epic-16hour-ring-cycle/news-story/7883cd3f4aeae4dcf0795f3d65a2b0a1

Outstanding Lighting Design - Independent
Luke Leonard
The Scottish Opera, Gertrude Opera for the Nagambie Lakes Opera Festival
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/09/nagambie-lakes-opera-festival-excites.html

Special Award for Outstanding Duo
Bradley Daley and Amber Wagner
Siegmund and Sieglinde
Die Walküre, Opera Australia
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/review-die-walkure-is-the-second-instalment-in-richard-wagners-epic-16hour-ring-cycle/news-story/8bc940fe8766c1b5d8f270e9a7ef1588


Commendation for Outstanding Production, Luisa Miller, Opera Australia

2016 OperaChaser Commendations, Australia
From 12 productions seen in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney.

Outstanding Production
Luisa Miller, Opera Australia, Sydney
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/opera-review-luisa-miller-opera-australia-arts-centre-melbourne/news-story/17a5713ec8a43b96f513d12359984b09 (review of Melbourne opening)

Outstanding Director
Gale Edwards
Cloudstreet, State Opera of South Australia
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/it-was-hard-life-of-good-and-bad-luck.html

Outstanding Male in a Lead Role
Russell Harcourt
Nerone, Agrippina, Brisbane Baroque  in association with Göttingen International Opera Festival
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/a-refreshingly-edgy-lift-to-old-work.html

Outstanding Female in a Lead Role
Rachelle Durkin
Title role, Armida, Pinchgut Opera, Sydney
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/06/pinchgut-opera-bestows-marvellous.html

Outstanding Male in a Supporting Role
Kanen Breen
Truffaldino, Love for Three Oranges, Opera Australia, Sydney
http://operachaser.blogspot.sg/2016/07/prokofiev-with-punch-opera-australias.html

Outstanding Female in a Supporting Role
Desiree Frahn
Rose Pickles, Cloudstreet, State Opera of South Australia, Adelaide
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/it-was-hard-life-of-good-and-bad-luck.html

Outstanding Conductor
Andrea Molino
The Barber of Seville, Opera Australia, Sydney
http://operachaser.blogspot.sg/2016/02/welcome-to-marvellous-mayhem-in-opera.html

Outstanding Set Design
Michael Yeargan
The Barber of Seville, Opera Australia, Sydney
http://operachaser.blogspot.sg/2016/02/welcome-to-marvellous-mayhem-in-opera.html

Outstanding Costume design
Tanya Noginova
Love for Three Oranges, Opera Australia, Sydney
http://operachaser.blogspot.sg/2016/07/prokofiev-with-punch-opera-australias.html

Outstanding Lighting Design
David Finn
Cosi fan tutte, Opera Australia
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/07/mcvicars-richly-characterised-cosi-fan.html


Commendation for Outstanding Production, La Juive, Bayerische Staatsoper

2016 OperaChaser Commendations, International
From 51 productions seen in 16 cities: Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Chicago, Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Berlin, Hamburg, London, Ljubljana, Madrid, Munich and Prague.

Outstanding Production
La Juive, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/07/dark-thought-provoking-and-vocally.html

Innovative Opera Company
Fort Worth Opera
JFK
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/an-absorbing-poignant-and.html

Outstanding Director
Arnaud Bernard
Roméo et Juliette, Opera Hong Kong in collaboration with Le French May Arts Festival
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/a-thrilling-and-feverish-romeo-et.html

Outstanding Male in a Lead Role
Alexander Tsymbalyuk
Boris Godunov, Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/arts/27iht-loomis27.html ^

Outstanding Female in a Lead Role
Sondra Radvanovsky
Elizabeth I, Roberto Devereux, The Metropolitan Opera, New York
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/26/arts/music/roberto-devereux-at-the-met-and-a-sopranos-triple-crown.html?_r=0  ^

Outstanding Male in a Supporting Role
Matthew Rose
Ochs, Der Rosenkavalier, Lyric Opera of Chicago
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/03/a-sumptuously-sung-and-eye-catching-der.html

Outstanding Female in a Supporting Role
Ambur Braid
Dalinda, Ariodante, Canadian Opera Company, Toronto
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/10/evocative-confronting-and-knock-out.html

Outstanding Conductor
Jaroslav Kyzlink
Carmen, Slovenian National Opera and Ballet, Ljubljana
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/two-popular-works-two-very-different.html

Outstanding Set Design
Giles Cadle
Les Huguenots, Deutsche Oper Berlin

Outstanding Costume Design
Outstanding Lighting Design
Bruno Poet
Akhnaten, English National Opera, London

Outstanding Chorus
LA Opera Chorus
Macbeth, LA Opera, Los Angeles
http://operachaser.blogspot.com.au/2016/10/a-fervently-sung-and-simmering-dark.html

Once again, thank you to all!

^ links to reviews not penned by myself



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