Opera Australia’s current production of Aida, directed by Davide Livermore and featuring a digital set, has proved such a success that if the box office continues at this rate for the rest of the season it will be “the biggest selling Aida the company’s ever had”, says Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini.

It’s a vote of faith for Terracini, who believes that digital staging is one of the ways to take opera into the 21st century. Following Aida, which uses 10 large, moveable LED screens, OA’s 2019 season will include three new digital productions – Madama Butterfly directed by Graeme Murphy, Anna Bolena directed by Livermore, and the world premiere of an Australian opera about Brett Whiteley by Elena Kats-Chernin and Justin Fleming.

Damiano Michieletto’s production of Il Viaggio a Reims. All photographs courtesy of Opera Australia

The season also includes the Australian premieres of William Kentridge’s highly acclaimed production of Berg’s Wozzeck, and Damiano Michieletto’s wonderfully inventive production of Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims.

The exciting line-up of singers includes Jonas Kaufmann, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Ermonela Jaho, Joyce El-Koury, Lise Lindstrom, Ivan...