Rockdale Opera Company

06/09/2026

Remembering John Tse 🎭

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of John Tse, a long-standing member of the Rockdale Opera community.

John was part of Rockdale Opera for almost 20 years, performing with us from 1999 until 2018. A baritone, he was a familiar face on our stage and took part in many of the company’s productions over those years (here he is in the centre of the men's chorus in The Bartered Bride in 2016, and on the left as the Foreman in Trial by Jury in 2015). He also served on the Rockdale Opera committee from 2015 to 2018 and was Chorus Coordinator for several years.

For those who were part of Rockdale Opera during that time, John will be remembered as a distinctive and committed presence in the company, someone who gave many years of his time, voice and energy to ROC.

Our thoughts are with John’s wife Patricia, and with his family and friends at this very sad time.

Vale, John. Thank you for the many years you shared with Rockdale Opera. You will be remembered. ❤️

John’s funeral will be held on Thursday 10 September at 10:30am at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Kingsgrove, followed by burial at Rookwood Cemetery at 1:00pm.

20/08/2026

🎶 Do you love to sing? 🎶

Have you ever chortled your favourite aria in the shower and wondered what it would be like to be a performer? Do you love that euphoric feeling of singing in a large group? Or do you simply love opera and fancy an afternoon of fun and camaraderie?

On Saturday 26 September, we’re throwing open the doors and inviting YOU to come and sing with Rockdale Opera!

No auditions. No preparation or experience required. No need to know your Verdi from your Puccini. Just bring your voice, your enthusiasm and a willingness to make a glorious racket with a bunch of other people. 😄

Sing with Rockdale Opera
📅 Saturday 26 September
🕑 2pm
📍 Rockdale Town Hall
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/au/event/1504660

Spend an afternoon singing some great opera, operetta and G&S with our singers and musical team, led by the talented Lisa Cooper — and discover just how much fun it is to be part of the chorus. And at just $20, it’s a pretty good afternoon out!

18/08/2026

🎭 Faust rehearsals begin tonight — and there’s still time to join the chorus!

Tonight we open the score and begin our journey towards Rockdale Opera Company’s December production of Charles Gounod’s Faust. If you you’ve been thinking about joining us, you haven’t missed your chance!

From the exuberant Chorus of Peasants and Waltz and stirring Soldiers’ Chorus to the ethereal voices of the heavenly host, Gounod has given the chorus some truly magnificent music to sing. 🎶 This promises to be one of our biggest choruses yet, and there’s no better feeling in opera than being part of that massive sound, surrounded by dozens of other voices, all coming together to create something thrilling.

🎭 Director: Barry Ryan OAM
🎼 Musical Director: Dr Steven Stanke
🇬🇧 Performed in English

No audition is required. We’re especially keen to welcome new tenors and basses, but singers of all voice types are warmly encouraged to join us.

📅 Rehearsals: Tuesday & Thursday evenings
📍 Coronation Hall, Arncliffe
🎭 Performances: 5–13 December 2026

If you’d like to join the chorus, it’s not too late! Come along to orientation tonight (7:30pm Tuesday, 18 August at Coronation Hall), or email us at [email protected] and we’ll get you started.

Come and sing with us! 🎶😈

11/08/2026

🎶 From Patience to the Sydney Opera House! 🎊

A huge congratulations to Lana Kains for being cast as Papagena in Opera Australia's The Magic Flute next year! We are so proud of you!

OA have just announced their 2027 season, and we were absolutely delighted to see a familiar name in the lineup. Lana charmed Rockdale audiences as our leading lady in Patience earlier this year, and is currently part of OA's Young Artist Program. We can't wait to watch her shine on that major stage! 🎭

06/08/2026

🎭 Break a leg, Barry! 🎶

Wishing our good friend Barry Ryan OAM all the very best for the opening of The Drover’s Wife at the Sydney Opera House tomorrow night!

This exciting new Australian opera, based on Leah Purcell’s powerful Australian story, features Barry in the role of Swaggy / Thomas McNealy.

Barry is a very familiar face to Rockdale audiences — he has directed our productions of La Traviata and Lucia di Lammermoor, and we’re thrilled to have him back in the director’s chair for our upcoming production of Gounod’s Faust this December.

But for now, he’s swapping the director’s chair for the stage! 😄

And we’ll be there cheering him on! A bunch of the Rockdale Opera crew are heading along next Tuesday night to see The Drover’s Wife — so we’re looking forward to seeing Barry in action and supporting this exciting new Australian work.

Break a leg, Barry! 👏🎶

04/08/2026

From Major Murgatroyd to the Royal Albert Hall! 🇬🇧🎶

How good is this! Daniel Rae, who most recently appeared with Rockdale Opera as the unforgettable, bombastic Major Murgatroyd in our June production of Patience, has just wrapped up a tour of the UK with the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs!

We have thoroughly enjoyed watching his adventures, including performing at the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall, singing at Ely Cathedral, and meeting the legendary composer Sir John Rutter.

We love seeing our ROC singers out there doing wonderful things, and it’s pretty special to see Daniel performing on the international stage. 🌏🎵

We’ve loved following Daniel’s adventures across the UK. We can’t wait to hear all about it when you’re back - enjoy the rest of your travels, Daniel! 🇬🇧

02/08/2026

🌟 From Patience to the Sydney Opera House! 🎶

It was only a couple of months ago that Lana Kains was on the Rockdale Opera stage as our leading lady in G&S's Patience — and today she’s performing at the Sydney Opera House as part of Opera Australia’s Young Artists in Concert! 🎶👏

We’re absolutely thrilled for Lana as she takes this next step with Opera Australia’s Young Artist Program. It’s pretty special to see someone who was singing with us so recently now performing on one of Australia’s biggest stages.

If you’re heading along to the concert today, give Lana a huge cheer from all of us at Rockdale Opera! ❤️

Break a leg, Lana — we’re cheering you on! 🎭✨

30/07/2026

✨ Last chance to see Opera Hunter's The Magic Flute this weekend! ✨

Our friends at Opera Hunter are bringing Mozart's enchanting masterpiece The Magic Flute to life, and this is the final weekend to catch the production! 🎭🎶

Rockdale Opera audiences will recognise a couple of familiar faces on stage:
⭐ Galatea Kneath, who captivated audiences as our unforgettable Violetta in La Traviata last year, is dazzling audiences once again as the Queen of the Night (what an amazing photo below!). 🌙
⭐ Phil Costovski stars as Tamino before joining us later this year as Faust in our December production of Charles Gounod's immortal grand opera. 😈

If you're in the Hunter Valley or Newcastle region this weekend, don't miss this opportunity to experience one of opera's most magical and beloved works.

Wishing everyone at Opera Hunter a fantastic final weekend. Toi toi toi! 🎉🎶

It's opening night! Tickets are still available for tonight and the matinees on Saturday and Sunday.

https://www.stickytickets.com.au/pt981z/opera_hunters___production_of_the_magic_flute.aspx

Photo: Galatea Kneath as the Queen of the Night.

21/07/2026

🎭✨ The Rockdale Opera story continues to grow! ✨🎶

We’ve been busy behind the scenes adding more memories, more moments, and more magic to our new website!

Our Past Productions page has been updated with details from the last eight years of Rockdale Opera Company performances — from unforgettable operas and operettas to concerts, celebrations, and everything in between.

And we’ve just added a beautiful collection of photos from our recent production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience — capturing the colour, comedy, costumes and creativity that brought this sparkling satire to life (photos: Mark Padina from ARTPIX). 💐🎩✨

We'll continue to build out our story, but in the meantime, please take a stroll through our theatrical history, relive favourite moments, and discover the incredible journey of a company that has been bringing opera, operetta and musical theatre to our community since 1948. ❤️🎼

📸 Explore the memories here:
https://www.rockdaleopera.com.au/pastproductions

A huge thank you to everyone who has performed, volunteered, supported, photographed, designed, built, created and cheered us on along the way. Here’s to many more curtain calls! 🌟

15/07/2026

🎭✨Join the chorus, and step into one of opera's greatest masterpieces!

Rockdale Opera Company is seeking chorus singers for its December production of Charles Gounod's Faust 😈, a timeless story of temptation, love, and redemption, with glorious music that will stir your soul. This production will be performed in English.

The chorus is at the very heart of Faust, bringing its world to life through some of opera's most thrilling and beautiful ensemble writing. From the exuberant Chorus of Peasants / Waltz and the stirring Soldiers' Chorus to the ethereal voices of the heavenly host, the chorus is an integral part of the drama, with music that is both exciting to sing and deeply rewarding to perform.

Be part of a magnificent production led by an outstanding creative team:
🎭 Director: Barry Ryan OAM
🎼 Musical Director: Dr Steven Stanke

No audition is required, but this is a high-standard chorus for singers who enjoy making music with a committed and welcoming company. We're especially keen to welcome new tenors and basses, although singers of all voice types are warmly encouraged to join us.

📅 Orientation Night: Tuesday 18 August, 7:30 pm
📍 Venue: Coronation Hall, Arncliffe
🎼 Rehearsals: Tuesday and Thursday evenings
🎭 Performance Season: 5–13 December

To register your interest, please email [email protected]. We'll send you a digital copy of the vocal score ahead of orientation night so you can start exploring this magnificent music before rehearsals begin.

Come and be part of one of opera's most enduring masterpieces this December!