Dreams do come true. In 2009, a new independent Australian opera company launched, with a group of handpicked, exceptional, and highly-trained young artists selected to perform in the inaugural season.
This year, the Australian Contemporary Opera Company (ACOCO) proudly marks its 15th anniversary with the unique opportunity to experience the incredible voices of two international opera stars in Reunited: An Evening with Stacey Alleaume and Hadleigh Adams at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Stacey Alleaume and Hadleigh Adams are two of those original young artists, now enjoying international acclaim and headlining productions in renowned opera houses and iconic concert halls across the globe. Both made remarkable leading role debuts with ACOCO in 2009.
This performance will reunite these two extraordinary artists for one night only, highlighting their exceptional talents, and the significant role ACOCO played in shaping their artistic paths.
Set in the intimate and spectacular surrounds of The Salon at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Stacey and Hadleigh will be joined by internationally acclaimed pianist Coady Green. They will present a selection of specially chosen arias ranging from bel canto to modern opera, interspersed with personal anecdotes, reflections, and aspirations.
With a soprano voice described as ‘stratospheric’ (ResMusica) and ‘luxurious’ (ArtsReview), Stacey Alleaume is one of Australia’s most accomplished performers, widely acclaimed for roles including Gilda in Rigoletto with Bregenzer Festspiele and Opera Australia, Amina in La Sonnambula with Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and Violetta Valéry in La traviata with Opera Australia, Opera Hong Kong, Teatro Petruzzelli, and Welsh National Opera. In 2024, Stacey debuts at Scottish Opera and returns to Deutsche Oper am Rhein.
Hailed a ‘tour de force’ (Alex Ross, The New Yorker), New Zealand-born and US-based baritone Hadleigh Adams has received international acclaim for his performances on stage and in concert, most recently at Carnegie Hall in NYC. Renowned for his dynamic stage presence and ‘adrenaline-rich baritone’, Hadleigh’s broad repertoire spans baroque to bel canto through to significant contemporary works, including leading roles in A Streetcar Named Desire and Fellow Travelers with Florida Grand Opera, War of the Worlds at Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Antony and Cleopatra at San Francisco Opera. More details here.
“With exceptional talent and hopes and dreams for international careers, Stacey and Hadleigh were selected for ACOCO’s inaugural Young Artists Program,” said Linda Thompson, ACOCO Founder and Artistic Director.
“Their time with ACOCO, as Young Artists and later as Guest Artists, provided life-changing, career-building opportunities. As an independent Australian company, we have our supporters and audiences to thank for that.”
“We are thrilled to bring Stacey and Hadleigh back to Melbourne, with a lot to celebrate: a significant milestone for ACOCO, their own individual success and achievements, and above all, our collective joy in sharing this art form for 15 years with the audiences we serve,” said Thompson.
Reunited: An Evening with Stacey Alleaume and Hadleigh Adams promises to be an unforgettable evening celebrating 15 years of artistic excellence and the dreams that have become reality through the Australian Contemporary Opera Company.
Reunited: An Evening with Stacey Alleaume and Hadleigh Adams
Melbourne Recital Centre, Corner Southbank Blvd & Sturt Street, Southbank
Performance: Saturday 10 August 2024
Bookings: www.melbournerecital.com.au
For more information, visit: www.acoco.org.au for details.
Image: Stacey Alleaume and Hadleigh Adams (supplied)