Wellington Opera

{{Short description|Opera company in Wellington, New Zealand}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox organization | name = Wellington Opera | full_name = The Wellington Opera Trust | former_name = | successor = | merged_into = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | logo = Wellington Opera logo.png | logo_size = | logo_caption = | image = | image_size = | caption = | formation = {{Start date|2020}} | dissolved = | type = Opera company | genre = | location = Wellington, New Zealand | num_members = | leader_title = Chair | leader_name = {{hlist | Dame Kerry Prendergast }} | leader_title2 = Artistic Director | leader_name2 = {{hlist | Matthew Ross }} | notable = | website = {{Official website|https://www.wellingtonopera.nz}} }} '''Wellington Opera''' is an opera company based in Wellington, New Zealand formed in 2020 by the Wellington Opera Trust, a charitable organisation, with funding and support from Creative New Zealand, Wellington City Council and the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation.<ref name="stjames-reopen">{{Cite web |title=Wellington Opera to help reopen St James Theatre with La Traviata |last=Chumko |first=Andre |work=Stuff |date=6 October 2021 |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/arts/126594785/wellington-opera-to-help-reopen-st-james-theatre-with-la-traviata |access-date=10 November 2022 }}</ref>

==History==

The company's first staging was a production of Mozart's ''Don Giovanni'' in Wellington's Opera House directed by Sara Brodie, in April 2021. The cast included New Zealand-born bass-baritone James Ioelu, Christian Thurston, and Amelia Berry, accompanied by Orchestra Wellington conducted by artistic director Matthew Ross. The performances were well attended and received positive reviews.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Review: Wellington Opera's quirky Don Giovanni offers promise to even more to come |last=Wilson |first=Roger |newspaper=The Dominion Post |date=20 April 2021 |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/300282534/review-wellington-operas-don-giovanni |access-date=11 November 2022 |via=Stuff }}</ref><ref name="middlec-2021">{{Cite web |title=Mozart's Don Giovanni from the new Wellington Opera Company – a promising beginning |last=Mechen |first=Peter |work=Middle C |date=20 April 2021 |url= https://middle-c.org/2021/04/mozarts-don-giovanni-from-the-new-wellington-opera-company-a-promising-beginning/ |access-date=10 November 2022 }}</ref>

The 2022 production of Verdi's ''La traviata'' reopened Wellington's largest theatre, the St James Theatre, after it was closed in 2018 for earthquake strengthening work after the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. The opening night performance was somewhat hampered by COVID-19 infections among the cast and crew, but was nonetheless received positively by the audience and reviewers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Covid casts shadow over opening night of ingenious, carefully designed La Traviata |last=Rashbrooke |first=Max |work=Stuff |date=10 July 2022 |access-date=10 November 2022 |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/129182092/covid-casts-shadow-over-opening-night-of-ingenious-carefully-designed-la-traviata}}</ref>

In 2023 it staged Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti.<ref>https://www.wellingtonopera.nz/lucia</ref> In 2024 there were performances of Tosca by Puccini, and in 2025 the choice was Un Ballo in Maschera by Verdi.<ref>https://www.wellingtonopera.nz/productions</ref>

== References == {{reflist|25em}}

Category:New Zealand opera companies Category:Musical groups from Wellington City