Opera Australia has partnered with The Bourne Foundation to offer year 11 and 12 students $20 tickets to see Puccini’s Turandot and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro during its summer season at the Sydney Opera House.
School students with an interest in music, drama, fashion, art and design are invited to experience the joy of live opera, with subsidised tickets at a cost of $20 each for students and their teachers.
In recognition of the continuing tough environment due to COVID-19 for Australia’s youth, including education, employment and mental health challenges, The Bourne Foundation is enabling access to Opera Australia productions for school students at a dramatically reduced price. The offer was designed especially for those who are geographically or financially challenged.
OA Artistic Director, Lyndon Terracini AM, expressed his gratitude to The Bourne Foundation for making attendance possible for students who’ve never been able to see opera before.
“We are really thankful to The Bourne Foundation for creating this opportunity for older students to see our productions, who wouldn’t normally have easy access, and I really hope we inspire some of them to pursue careers in the arts and grow Australia’s creative industry,” said Terracini.
The Bourne Foundation was established in 2011 by the late Henry Arthur Bourne to provide financial assistance for the disadvantaged. He had a love for opera and frequently attended performances in Australia and during overseas business trips.
“Arthur Bourne was a long-time supporter of youth in his field of business and I am sure he would be delighted and proud to know that his foundation now provides assistance to youth interested in opera,” said Sid Catlin, Managing Director of The Bourne Foundation.
Teachers can organise attendance by a group of students, in the form of a school excursion, or by individual students accompanied by a parent or guardian. Students from all subject areas are welcome. $20 tickets are available to the following performances:
Turandot:
Wednesday 2 February: 7:30pm
Wednesday 9 February: 7:30pm
Tuesday 15 February: 7:30pm
Thursday 17 February: 7:30pm
Monday 14 March: 7:30pn
The Marriage of Figaro:
Tuesday 1 February: 7:30pm
Thursday 10 February: 7:30pm
Monday 14 February: 7:30pm
Wednesday 16 February: 7:30pm
Places are limited so applications are encouraged to be submitted as soon as possible. Additional productions may be made available later in 2022. For more information, visit: www.opera.org.au for details.
Image: Luke Gabbedy as Ping, Virgilio Marino as Pong and Iain Henderson as Pang in Opera Australia’s 2022 production of Turandot at the Sydney Opera House – photo by Prudence Upton