Given the current state of play, awarding this year’s German-Australian Opera Grant was always going to be a challenge. Determined to forge ahead, Artistic Director David Kram swung into action and on August 14 and 15, GAOG became the first event of its type to audition and select an opera singer from Australia for a full-time job in Germany entirely via Zoom.

After two days of auditions, Victorian baritone Darcy Carroll emerged as the singer who will be given the opportunity to enjoy a one-year contract to work at the State Theatre of Hessen in Wiesbaden (near Frankfurt). The other successful candidates were South Australian soprano Karina Bailey who received the MTO Development Grant including a $3500 cash prize, while soprano Georgia Melville and baritone Andrew Williams, both from NSW, each earned a cash prize of $1500.

Limelight caught up with David Kram to hear how GAOG managed to turn adversity into triumph and learn a little more about how opera companies might need to adapt in the months ahead if they want to run auditions online.

GAOG Artistic Director David Kram

When did it begin to look as if this year’s audition wouldn’t be...