Opera Australia has launched its most ambitious season in years with new productions of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Shostakovich’s The Nose, Brian Howard’s Metamorphosis, a high-tech new Aida and – new to OA – Massenet’s Don Quichotte among the most interesting offerings. Australian singers making important role debuts and major international stars like Nicole Car, Jessica Pratt, Amber Wagner, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Michael Fabiano should turn certain operas into must-sees, while veterans Leo Nucci and Sir John Tomlinson making long overdue OA debuts provide two other excellent reasons for a night at the opera in 2018.

John Tomlinson and Martin Winkler in The Nose at The Royal Opera. Photo © Bill Cooper

The Sydney season will open with Danielle de Niese committing to a further run as Hanna Glavari in Graeme Murphy’s new Merry Widow fresh from its Melbourne opening. Her Danilo will be Australian tenor Alexander Lewis who then goes on to play the recalcitrant proboscis in Barrie Kosky’s exuberant production of Shostakovich’s The Nose. The production also features Martin Winkler reprising his Covent Garden star...