Northern Ireland Opera appoints Australian Cameron Menzies as new Artistic Director

Cameron-MenziesNorthern Ireland Opera has announced the appointment of award-winning Australian director Cameron Menzies to be the next Artistic Director of the Company.

“At the end of an extensive process, with several outstanding candidates, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Cameron Menzies,” said Roy Bailie, Chairman of Northern Ireland Opera. “We welcome him most warmly and look forward to everything he will bring to opera in Northern Ireland and beyond.”

Cameron Menzies is currently Artistic Director is of The Classics Opera for City of Stonnington and Associate Artist/Director for Diva Opera (UK). Previously, he has been engaged by companies including Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opera Australia, Victorian Opera, Short Black Opera Company (Australia’s National Indigenous Company), London Philharmonic Orchestra and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre London.

Mr Menzies has been nominated for and received many awards including the Berlin New Music Opera award (2011), Bayreuth Opera Award for Opera Foundation Australia and a Sydney Award in 2016 for the best direction of Pecan Summer Australia’s first Indigenous Opera.

His critically acclaimed productions for Diva Opera, which include Lucia di Lammermoor, Don Giovanni, Die Fledermaus and La Bohème have since 2014, toured extensively in the UK, France, Monte Carlo and The Channel Islands. He has also directed Le Nozze di Figaro in Cape Town for the company, and has worked professionally in Japan and China.

In a career that encompasses opera, theatre, music theatre, cabaret and film-making, Cameron Menzies has also directed the world premiere of several children’s operas and has considerable experience in mentoring and working with emerging artists.

“I am extremely honoured and thrilled to be joining Northern Ireland Opera as the newly appointed Artistic Director,” said Menzies. “I wish to thank Chairman, Roy Bailie for the extraordinary opportunity to steer this dynamic and unique company into its next chapter.”

“I look forward to working with the arts community across Ireland and further abroad. Live performance is facing one of its biggest challenges at the moment and I hope to be able to provide as many opportunities as we can with Northern Ireland Opera as we navigate the way ahead.”


For more information about Northern Ireland Opera, visit: www.niopera.com for details.

Image: Cameron Menzies – courtesy of Working Management