About the show
This special collaboration premieres four short new operas created by postgraduate students from NIDA and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music that explore aspects aspects of the mother and motherhood, from personal to political, from quirky to queer. From the bloodlines of womanhood to the birth of a Star Baby, from a snakeskin nightmare to the finale of a reality television competition to find the next pop superstar, these captivating music dramas range across musical idioms and showcase a new generation of musical storytellers.
This co-production is directed by Lindy Hume, one of Australia’s great directors with more than 50 major productions across Australasia and a long line of international work stretching from Berlin to London to Seattle.
Cast, creative/production team, dates and venue will be announced in September 2024.
In Cosmic Utero
Music by Aija Draguns
Libretto by Bianca Watkins
The Lullaby
Music by Hao Zhen
Libretto by Lily Thomson
Menarche
Music by Jessica O’Donoghue
Libretto by Rebecca Duke and Karina Young
M.TH.R
Music by Oliver John Cameron
Libretto by Xavier Hazard, Megan Rundle and Oliver John Cameron.
Directed by Lindy Hume
Dramaturgy by Dr Sally Blackwood
Lindy Hume is one of Australia’s leading directors, acknowledged internationally for fresh interpretations of a wide variety of repertoire and progressive artistic leadership of Australian arts organisations and festivals including Perth Festival, Sydney Festival, and more recently Four Winds Festival and Ten Days on the Island. Hume has led a total of twelve Australian international festivals spanning the period 2004-2023, her thoughtfully curated and welcoming programs leaving a substantial legacy of stellar global creations, bold and diverse new Australian works, projects fore-fronting contemporary First Nation cultures, progressive socially engaged practice and deep community connections in regional and urban centres across Australia.
Equally at home in opera, Lindy Hume has served as Artistic Director of four Australian opera companies: West Australian Opera, Victorian Opera, OzOpera and Opera Queensland. As a stage director, she regularly creates new theatre and opera productions in Australia, NZ, Europe, US and the UK, including major productions for renowned international companies such as Opera Philadelphia, Seattle Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Royal Swedish Opera Stockholm, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Aldeburgh Festival, Welsh National Opera and eight productions for New Zealand Opera.
