Opera Australia has announced its cast for next year’s Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, which will see Francesca Zambello’s production of Verdi’s La Traviata return to the over-water stage.

The cast will be led by Australian-Mauritian soprano Stacey Alleaume, who will make her role debut as the tubercular courtesan Violetta. A familiar face to Australian audiences, Limelight’s Justine Nguyen praised her “sparkling soprano” in Werther in Sydney in February, Melbourne saw her sing Gilda in Rigoletto in May and she returns to Sydney later this year to make her role debut as Susanna in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

“It brings me great joy to be singing this most treasured role,” Alleaume said. “Violetta’s story is one of great emotion, sacrifice and unconditional love but it is also heartbreakingly tragic. Performing in a harbour production is always special and I am so excited to step onto that stage for La Traviata.”

She shares the role with Sicilian soprano Jessica Nuccio, who sang Gilda for part of the run in last year’s Rigoletto. Kosovan tenor Ramé Lahaj returns to OA as Alfredo, a role...