Opera Australia has released individual tickets for each opera in the Brisbane Ring Cycle, giving audiences the opportunity to get a taste of Wagner’s epic masterpiece without committing to the full 15 hours.
Tickets are now on sale for each of the individual operas, when performed together are collectively known as Der Ring des Nibelungen or simply The Ring Cycle. This new production is exclusive to Brisbane and premieres at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) on Friday 1 December 2023.
Previously on sale only as complete packages of four operas, this new ticket release will enable ticket buyers to attend one or more performances instead of the week-long commitment required for an entire Cycle.
Each of the four operas are themselves extraordinary works, with fantastical tales of dragons and gods and mystical forces that stand alone as pinnacles of the artform, but combined they create one of greatest artistic masterpieces of all time.
Presented in partnership with the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council, and in collaboration with Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Opera Queensland and Dancenorth, the Ring Cycle will feature a wealth of the state’s brilliant musical and performing talent.
While die-hard Ring fans are travelling from all around the world to experience this brand-new production, (the first to use fully digital sets) the availability of single tickets will now give new audiences easier access to this cutting-edge version of one of the most significant works in the opera repertoire.
Ticket buyers will now have the option to build their own variable package, for those wanting to view more than one production, and to mix and match dates across the three-week season. Tickets to the individual Ring operas (single tickets) start at $165 and bookings of two or more performances qualify buyers for a discounted rate.
December will also see Opera Australia and Opera Queensland present Aida, which is being staged on the nights between the Ring operas. Making its Brisbane premiere at QPAC, this highly acclaimed staging of Verdi’s renowned classic was the first production in the world to revolutionise opera with digital screens.
Aida provides opera enthusiasts and newbies alike a spectacular, immersive theatrical journey created by ten huge LED screens, exquisite costumes, breath-taking choreography, and Verdi’s monumental music performed by a sensational cast. Tickets for the Brisbane season of Aida are available separately.
Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring Cycle) premieres at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre from 1 December 2023. For more information, including performance dates and cast, visit: www.opera.org.au for details.
Image: Agnes Sarkis, Jane Ede and Angela Hogan as Valkyries in Opera Australia’s 2023 production of The Ring Cycle at Queensland Performing Arts Centre – photo by Russell Shakespeare