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Curtain-raiser for Carmen

by Deborah Humble 11th May, 2014
by Deborah Humble 11th May, 2014

Bizet’s Carmen is one of the best-known and most loved operas of all time, and Opera Australia is taking a festive approach to its Melbourne season. There’s a Spanish mezzo in the title role but the strong soprano role of Michaela is to be sung by a “new” Australian. Deborah Humble has the story of an Italian girl down under who has discovered Melbourne has its own charms …

Italian-born soprano Daria Masiero is excited about her recent operatic opportunities in Australia and her newly acquired Australian residency, made possible after she was granted a rare “Distinguished Talent Visa.” At a time in the operatic world where houses and companies are struggling financially, cancelling productions, closing down on an alarmingly regular basis and, in some cases, failing to pay their artists, it is becoming more and more important to cast a wider net in the pursuit of contracts.

Daria Masiero is becoming an increasingly familiar face to opera audiences having performed several major roles in both Sydney and Melbourne for Opera Australia including Liu in Turandot, Leonora in Il Trovatore and the title role in Aida. This May she reprises the role of Michaela in Carmen at the State Theatre.

She talks animatedly about what she likes about her new adoptive home and some of the major differences between working here and in Italy.

Q. How did you come to be involved in opera?

A. I grew up in Frascarolo, a small town of just 1000 people close to Milan. I wanted to be an opera singer since I was six years old. My mother took me to a concert as a child in a nearby town, which had a theatre. There was a lot of classical music around even in a small town. There was always a festival of some kind to go to. Music became part of my life at an early age.

I started singing lessons at secondary school when I was fourteen and then I learnt the cello at the conservatory for eight years. I played in an orchestra before I began opera training. Instrumental training opened my eyes and ears to the colours of the orchestra: nuance, texture and the concept of legato line. After the conservatorium I studied at the Accademia La Scala. I was very emotional at the stage audition because part of my dream was to sing at the big opera houses like La Scala and the Metropolitan and at that moment I felt like my dream was beginning.

Q. What are the differences between singing in Australia and singing in Italy?

A. For me the difference is the awareness of the audiences. My feeling is that in Australia people come to the opera to enjoy the overall performance; they surrender not only to the music but also to the enjoyment of the experience as a whole. This enables me to feel that I can relax and sing without too much stress. When I am Italy and I say I am an opera singer people understand that job. Here in Australia people exclaim with surprise, then maybe ask what I do for my real job!

I think the Italian public is more critical. The people who come to the opera come with a lot of knowledge of the difficulty of the various roles and they understand which voices should sing them. They often have strong opinions and ideas about the success or failure of a particular production.

Money is a problem everywhere now. Theatres have trouble paying singers. Singers can wait for years to receive fees. Theatres use young singers because they cost less. This means a lot of young singers are doing too much too early. Artists must grow into roles with the benefit of experience. Of course I understand it is difficult for a young singer to say no to a job. But the end result for the singer, the theatre and the audience is often an issue of quality. Quality suffers, standards are not what audiences expect. Then the artform as a whole suffers.

I must say I really love working for Opera Australia because it always seems so well organized and efficient – not always the case elsewhere in the world!

Q.Italy is the birthplace of opera. What is your impression about the musical culture in Australia?

A. I never forget that Italy is the birthplace of opera. However one must remember that the majority of the population have little real knowledge about our art form. Popular music is still most widely listened to in my country. I think that knowledge about opera and classical music in general comes with good teaching and must start with the education system. Young people and students in Italy are often involved in opera through theatre and education programs.

There is no reason why classical music in Australia cannot be experienced with “European style” passion. I have been very encouraged to see such enthusiasm amongst young artists in Australia.

Q. What do you miss about Italy when you are working in Australia?

A. I miss my family, my home and my friends. I miss the small villages with small delis: the butcher, the baker, the fruit stall. Everyone knows everyone else and in a single moment one can feel at home and part of the life of the local shopkeeper. This is the aspect I miss the most. Australia is an amazing country but I feel less sense of community here. One never feels alone in Italy. Having said that I have a lot of friends in Melbourne, as there is a big Italian community in the city. The best things about Australia are the lifestyle and the friendly, open and kind people. When I first arrived I couldn’t believe the way people politely waited in a queue, friendly and law abiding! Amazing!

Q. Melbourne or Sydney? Which city do you prefer and why?

A. I love Sydney. The Opera House is of course a national treasure. It’s setting against the background of the harbour is uniquely beautiful and for me perhaps one of the most spectacular and beautiful places in the world. The scenery never ceases to move me. The first time I saw it was an extraordinary moment and I thought how truly fortunate I was to be given the opportunity to work there.

Melbourne has a more European feeling about it that makes me feel a little more at home. I love walking around the city, soaking up the sense of freedom, space and of course sampling the local food culture.

Q. What are your favourite roles/productions here in Australia?

A. The Graeme Murphy production of Turandot is a personal favourite maybe because it was my first job with Opera Australia, and it was also the opera after which Opera Australia gave me the opportunity to get a visa.

Q. What are the important qualities for an opera singer?

A. Emotions are as important on the stage as they are in real life. I know that sounds very Italian! A singer must give emotion to the audience. I know I was successful in a performance or with a particular characterization if audience members come up after the show and thank me because they understood the story. Of course emotions must be somehow contained within the confines of the performance or it affects the singing. This is the challenge: to express the emotions without interrupting the singing and the line of the music.

Q. Singers need to travel. I enjoy that even though I miss my family a lot. It is becoming more difficult after 12 years I must admit. I enjoyed being on the road a lot in the beginning. But this is part of the opera singer’s life.

We are always living in a different place, experiencing different cultures, meeting different colleagues. We must be adaptable and flexible. One has to begin over again every time there is a new job. I love this part of being an opera singer. Every contract is as if I turn to a new chapter in a book. Always interesting. This experience gives one a very open perspective on life. People like us become quite tolerant and every day is different; not at all like a nine-to-five career.

We can meet up with the same colleagues after ten years and it often seems as if no time has passed because the experience of working on the stage is so connected and involved.

Daria Masiero sings the role of Michaela in Carmen on May 15, 17, 21, 23 & 25.

Suzanne Yanko attended the opening night of Carmen on May 14 and reviewed it for artsHub Australia. Read the full review at http://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/reviews/performing-arts/carmen-243710

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Deborah Humble

Mezzo-Soprano Deborah Humble is one of Australia’s best-known and most successful opera singers, and your guide to the 2016 Wagner Ring Cycle in Melbourne.

After gaining a Bachelor of Music from the University of Adelaide and a Masters Degree from the University of Melbourne Deborah was a member of the Victoria State Opera Young Artist Programme. Having been a Principal Artist for both Opera Australia and The State Opera of Hamburg she has embarked upon a freelance career which takes her all over the world.

Recognised internationally for her performances of Verdi and Wagner, Deborah’s recent engagements include Erda in Das Rheingold with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Brangaene in Tristan and Isolde with the Mexico City Symphony, Amneris in Aida for Opera Australia, Alisa in Lucia di Lamermoor for the Theatro Mario del Monaco in Treviso, Erda in Siegfried for the Boston Symphony, Verdi’s Requiem at the Sage Concert Hall in the UK, Mahler’s Symphony No 8 at the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore, Elgar’s The Kingdom for the Melbourne Bach Choir and Ring Cycles in Hamburg, Halle, Bari, Ludwigshafen and Melbourne.

Future engagements include Mary in The Flying Dutchman with Opera Lille, Erda in Siegfried with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, recorded for Naxos, Venus in Tannhauser in Edinburgh and concert engagements in Auckland and Perth.

Her recordings include Clarissa in The Love for Three Oranges with Opera Australia for Chandos, a complete Der Ring des Nibelungen with the Hamburg State Opera released on the Oehms label, Offenbach’s La Belle Helene with the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris for Deutsche Gramophone and Mozart’s Il Sogno di Scipione for EMI.

Deborah was a recipient of Australia’s prestigious Dame Joan Sutherland Scholarship, a finalist in the 2008 International Wagner Competition in Seattle, and was recently included in the Who’s Who of Australian Women. This year Deborah returned to Australia to act as a mentor in The Dame Nellie Melba Trust Programme for young opera singers and to adjudicate The City of Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Aria Scholarship.

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Events Calendar

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  • August 2022

Calendar of Events

M Mon

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2 events, 1

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Songmakers Australia: Schwanengesang

August 1 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Songmakers Australia: Schwanengesang

Program Franz Schubert Schwanengesang D 957 Songmakers Australia Schubert’s last song cycle was published after his untimely death at the age of…

Free
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Seraphim Trio – Gallic Charm

August 1 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Seraphim Trio – Gallic Charm

A performance of cherished works and Gallic beauty. About the artists Seraphim Trio is as much a lifelong friendship as a…

$40 – $50

0 events, 2

1 event, 3

11:30 am - 12:40 pm

Mostly Mozart – Musical Mavericks

August 3 @ 11:30 am - 12:40 pm

Mostly Mozart – Musical Mavericks

Riveting passion balanced with delicate lyricism. About the artists Scottish born James Crabb is widely regarded as one of the world’s…

$42 – $49

0 events, 4

0 events, 5

1 event, 6

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Ray Chen

August 6 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Ray Chen

World-renowned violinist Ray Chen makes his long-awaited return to Australia with some of the most demanding, impressive, and emotionally riveting works…

$65.55 – $159

2 events, 7

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Flinders Quartet Concert 2

August 7 @ 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Flinders Quartet Concert 2

Join Flinders Quartet for the sumptuous romanticism and grandeur of Brahms, and the ingenuity and wit of Haydn. Thibaud Pavlovic-Hobba -…

$29 – $38
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Corpus Medicorum Concert #3

August 7 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Corpus Medicorum Concert #3

Corpus Medicorum Rebirth 2022 Concert Series. Artists Charlotte Miles cellist Keith Crellin OAM conductor Program Edward Elgar Cello Concerto, Op.85 Antonín Dvořák Symphony No.7…

$10 – $60

1 event, 8

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Stewart Kelly – Schubert’s Swansong

August 8 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Stewart Kelly – Schubert’s Swansong

A journey to the corners of human experience with Schubert’s Schwanengesang. About the artists Stewart Kelly is one of Australia’s most sought-after…

$40 – $50

0 events, 9

0 events, 10

1 event, 11

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Melbourne Guitar Quartet – Flow My Tears

August 11 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Melbourne Guitar Quartet – Flow My Tears

Innovative arrangements, technical flair and superb playing. About the artists Melbourne Guitar Quartet have carved out a reputation for curating utterly…

$40 – $50

1 event, 12

7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Recurring

Stravinsky’s Ballets

August 12 @ 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Recurring

Stravinsky’s Ballets

Wicked magicians, unrequited love, and human sacrifice for a bountiful spring – these ballets have it all! The MSO travels through…

$64 – $119

1 event, 13

7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Recurring

Stravinsky’s Ballets

August 13 @ 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Recurring

Stravinsky’s Ballets

Wicked magicians, unrequited love, and human sacrifice for a bountiful spring – these ballets have it all! The MSO travels through…

$64 – $119

4 events, 14

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

The Lieder Society of Victoria: Erwartung – Markus Matheis & Dean Sky-Lucas

August 14 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

The Lieder Society of Victoria: Erwartung – Markus Matheis & Dean Sky-Lucas

"Erwartung" Markus Matheis & Dean Sky-Lucas In this recital ERWARTUNG (expectation) Markus Matheis and Dean Sky-Lucas present a concert which chronicles…

$20 – $25
3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

August 14 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

Now firmly established as one of Australia’s most prestigious singing events, the RMP Aria is Australia’s pre-eminent competition for oratorio soloists.…

$25 – $56
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

August 14 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s third concert of the year takes us through works by Benjamin Britten, Don Bank, and…

Free
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

August 14 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

Now firmly established as one of Australia’s most prestigious singing events, the RMP Aria is Australia’s pre-eminent competition for oratorio soloists.…

$25 – $56

0 events, 15

0 events, 16

0 events, 17

2 events, 18

6:30 pm - 7:20 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Harold in Italy

August 18 @ 6:30 pm - 7:20 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Harold in Italy

The prose of Lord Byron provides the artistic inspiration behind this large-scale symphonic poem by Berlioz. MSO Principal Viola Christopher Moore…

$55 – $95
7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Guitarra – Paco Peña and The Grigoryan Brothers

August 18 @ 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Guitarra – Paco Peña and The Grigoryan Brothers

A perfect merger of two musical worlds in one performance. About the concert Paco Peña, described by Guitar Player magazine as the ‘world’s…

$79 – $110

1 event, 19

7:30 pm - 9:35 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Poetry in Music – Berlioz and Tchaikovsky

August 19 @ 7:30 pm - 9:35 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Poetry in Music – Berlioz and Tchaikovsky

The prose of Lord Byron provides the artistic inspiration behind two large-scale symphonic poems by Berlioz and Tchaikovsky. MSO Principal Viola…

$69 – $119

2 events, 20

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Sheku Kanneh-Mason & the Kanneh-Mason Family

August 20 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Sheku Kanneh-Mason & the Kanneh-Mason Family

Sheku Kanneh-Mason shot to global fame after his mesmerising performance at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.…

$59 – $119
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Real and Right and True – Lotte Betts-Dean and Calvin Bowman

August 20 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Real and Right and True – Lotte Betts-Dean and Calvin Bowman

"Real and Right and True" - a celebration of the art song tradition of Australia and the United Kingdom. Lotte Betts-Dean,…

$10 – $35

2 events, 21

11:00 am - 11:45 am

Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra – Romantic Adventure

August 21 @ 11:00 am - 11:45 am

Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra – Romantic Adventure

Be swept up the whirlwind of love in Romantic Adventure. Coruscating works make up this scintillatingly curated program, with each piece…

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

MYO – The Dancing Orchestra

August 21 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

MYO – The Dancing Orchestra

Melbourne Youth Orchestra welcomes popular, Vienna based Australian conductor Warwick Stengaards to the podium for The Dancing Orchestra. Vivacious music by Khachaturian,…

$15 – $30

1 event, 22

7:30 pm

Great Performers 2022: Yeol Eum Son

August 22 @ 7:30 pm

Great Performers 2022: Yeol Eum Son

Yeol Eum Son’s graceful and timeless interpretations have moved audiences all over the world. Highly regarded as a brilliant virtuoso, she…

$49 – $119

1 event, 23

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Selby & Friends Twilight Series – In the Shadow of War

August 23 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Selby & Friends Twilight Series – In the Shadow of War

The surprising connection between these works is that of wartime conflict and how it impacted each composer. Program Matthew Hindson -…

$55 – $57

0 events, 24

1 event, 25

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

ELISION – The Aesthetics of Disappearance

August 25 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

ELISION – The Aesthetics of Disappearance

ELISION is an experimental classical music ensemble focused upon pushing sonic and instrumental boundaries in search of visceral expressive experiences. The Aesthetics…

$30 – $37

0 events, 26

0 events, 27

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0 events, 31

0 events, 1

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0 events, 3

1 event, 4

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Wanderlust

September 4 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Wanderlust

The Friends of the Auburn Tower Inc presents Wanderlust, featuring Elyane Laussade, piano, and Luke Severn, bass baritone, in a musical…

$20 – $35
August 1
August 1 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Songmakers Australia: Schwanengesang

August 1 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Seraphim Trio – Gallic Charm

  • There are no events on this day.
August 3
August 3 @ 11:30 am - 12:40 pm

Mostly Mozart – Musical Mavericks

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
August 6
August 6 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Ray Chen

August 7
August 7 @ 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Flinders Quartet Concert 2

August 7 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Corpus Medicorum Concert #3

August 8
August 8 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Stewart Kelly – Schubert’s Swansong

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
August 11
August 11 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Melbourne Guitar Quartet – Flow My Tears

August 12
August 12 @ 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Recurring

Stravinsky’s Ballets

August 13
August 13 @ 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Recurring

Stravinsky’s Ballets

August 14
August 14 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

The Lieder Society of Victoria: Erwartung – Markus Matheis & Dean Sky-Lucas

August 14 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

August 14 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

August 14 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
August 18
August 18 @ 6:30 pm - 7:20 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Harold in Italy

August 18 @ 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Guitarra – Paco Peña and The Grigoryan Brothers

August 19
August 19 @ 7:30 pm - 9:35 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Poetry in Music – Berlioz and Tchaikovsky

August 20
August 20 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Sheku Kanneh-Mason & the Kanneh-Mason Family

August 20 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Real and Right and True – Lotte Betts-Dean and Calvin Bowman

August 21
August 21 @ 11:00 am - 11:45 am

Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra – Romantic Adventure

August 21 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

MYO – The Dancing Orchestra

August 22
August 22 @ 7:30 pm

Great Performers 2022: Yeol Eum Son

August 23
August 23 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Selby & Friends Twilight Series – In the Shadow of War

August 25
August 25 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

ELISION – The Aesthetics of Disappearance

September 4
September 4 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Wanderlust

August 20
August 20 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Sheku Kanneh-Mason & the Kanneh-Mason Family

August 20 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Real and Right and True – Lotte Betts-Dean and Calvin Bowman

August 21
August 21 @ 11:00 am - 11:45 am

Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra – Romantic Adventure

August 21 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

MYO – The Dancing Orchestra

August 22
August 22 @ 7:30 pm

Great Performers 2022: Yeol Eum Son

August 23
August 23 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Selby & Friends Twilight Series – In the Shadow of War

  • There are no events on this day.
August 25
August 25 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

ELISION – The Aesthetics of Disappearance

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
September 4
September 4 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Wanderlust

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