Il Trittico – an opera review by Murray Dahm

Puccini’s Il Trittico is a peculiar piece. Its name is the Italian for a triptych, three panels of the same (usually religious) artwork related to one another. Read more

Opera expert Murray Dahm meets opera conductor Stuart Stratford

Murray Dahm has spoken to Stuart Stratford, making his Opera Australia debut as the conductor of Aida. Read more

Aida – an opera review by Murray Dahm

Verdi’s Aïda (1871) is a remarkable opera for all sorts of reasons. Read more

Rigelotto: Reviewed by Murray Dahm

Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto (1851) was the composer’s sixteenth opera. Read more

Madama Butterfly: An opera review by Murray Dahm

This Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (HOSH) production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly was first seen in 2014 and here makes its triumphant return ‘home.’ Read more

French-Israeli bass-baritone Yuri Kissin interviewed by Murray Dahm

Yuri Kissin began his singing career in a most unusual way – he was a stand-up comedian and doing a sketch that parodied ‘opera singing.’ Read more

Carmen’s Don Jose: Diego Torre speaks with Murray Dahm

I spoke with Diego Torre ahead of Carmen on Sydney’s Cockatoo Island, in which he takes on the role of Don Jose. Read more

Murray Dahm speaks with Carmen’s bullfighter

I last spoke with Daniel Sumegi before the Melbourne performances of Wagner’s Lohengrin earlier this year. Now he returns to Australia in Carmen on Cockatoo Island as Escamillo, the bull-fighter and lover of the gypsy Carmen after she has tired of ex-corporal Don Jose. Read more

Il Trovatore: an opera review by Murray Dahm

This new production of Verdi’s 1853 opera Il Trovatore directed by Davide Livermore had all the bells and whistles – the 14 LED digital panels supplemented with big, old-fashioned set pieces and a wonderful cast. Read more

Murray Dahm profiles David Parkin, Il Trovatore and basses

Not long into my interview with bass David Parkin, we discovered a mutual admiration of the great Italian bass Cesare Siepi (1923-1910). Read more

Behind the scenes: La traviata assistant director Warwick Doddrell

Opera Australia assistant director for the La traviata season  Warwick Doddrell was first bitten by the theatre bug in the 1990s watching the Essgee Entertainment productions of Gilbert & Sullivan show starring Jon English (The Pirates of Penzance (1994), The Mikado (1995) and H.M.S. Pinafore (1997). Read more

Murray Dahm talks to Madama Butterfly star Virgilio Marino

The character of Goro in Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly is essential to the opera’s drama. Read more

Murray Dahm talks with opera star Daniel Sumegi

Daniel Sumegi’s rich, mellifluous bass voice booms across even over a Zoom call. Daniel admitted that he is probably more of a bass-baritone these days although he “still has all the (bass) notes” and he is singing the bass role of Heinrich der Vogler (Henry the Fowler) in Opera Australia’s upcoming production of Wagner’s 1850 masterpiece ‘fantastical romance’ Lohengrin. Read more

Phantom of the Opera: Murray Dahm talks with Naomi Johns

Naomi Johns was very excited to be involved in her first-ever Opera Australia publicity when I spoke with her ahead of the opening night of Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour’s Phantom of the Opera production which opens tonight. Read more

La Juive: an opera review by Murray Dahm

Fromental Halévy’s La Juive is often considered a tenor’s opera. Read more

Murray Dahm talks to “La Juive”

I spoke with soprano Natalie Aroyan on the morning of the first rehearsal on the set of Fromental Halévy’s 1835 opera La Juive, the first day of production week. Read more