Artistic Director Timothy Sexton shares the thinking behind State Opera of South Australia’s “Opera Evolve” 2016 season.

Officially the State Opera of South Australia celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2016, but as Artistic Director Timothy Sexton tells me, there are several chapters in the annals of the company that predate the parliamentary authority that in 1976 formally decreed it the official opera company of the state. “In 1973 it was branded ‘New Opera’ and prior to that it was known as ‘Intimate Opera’, and that dates back to the 1950s. So it’s actually, in one form or another, more like 60 years that we’ve been around,” Sexton tells me, and he should know. “I’ve been with the company for about 28 of those years, so it’s been quite a significant part of my life.”

Hearing the history of SOSA, the words “new” and “intimate” feel entirely appropriate for the company’s 40th birthday celebrations in 2016, but another word that Sexton has singled out as a key descriptor for his selection next year is “evolve.” As he explains, “2016’s season is an opportunity...