Established in 1997, Melbourne City Opera, now CitiOpera, was formed from the highly successful Melbourne based company, Globe Opera and we have carried on with those traditions, objectives and achievements. Perhaps few people attending those early Globe Opera concerts or its first stage opera, The Merry Wives of Windsor, at St Martins Theatre in June 1978 would have believed that from such beginn
ings would develop the quality and inspiring Opera company of today. For many years the company made its home at the National Theatre, The Comedy Theatre and later at the Athenaeum Theatre, and employed such legendary names as Suzanne Steele, Ronald Dowd, Margaret Nisbett, Maureen Howard and Ron Stevens in major productions of La Bohème, Faust, Carmen, I Pagliacci, Cavalleria Rusticana, Madama Butterfly, The Merry Widow, Die Fledermaus, The Student Prince and many others. CitiOpera’s success was fostered in a foundation of dedicated artists. Today CitiOpera strives to pass on those traditions and nurture the pool of Australia’s new and emerging talent.
