Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra (based in Sydney
, New South Wales, Australia
) is one of two full time, permanent orchestras employed jointly to provide music for Opera Australia
and The Australian Ballet, the other is known as Orchestra Victoria
(based in Melbourne
). The orchestra (and its Victorian cousin) was formerly known as The Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra and The Elizabethan Melbourne Orchestra respectively. It was initially established by the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust
.
This orchestra provides musical accompaniment to the two above mentioned arts bodies and one few opera orchestras in the world that operates in a repertory style of operation. Meaning, that its performances are not set in blocks (like many European opera houses) rather, Opera Australia's seasons produce four or five operas simultaneously. Other opera houses that operate like this are The Metropolitan Opera
, New York
. The Royal Opera House
, Covent Garden
, London
and La Scala
, Milan
.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) is one of two full time, permanent orchestras employed jointly to provide music for Opera Australia
Opera Australia
Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder of its time spent in the The Arts Centre in Melbourne...
and The Australian Ballet, the other is known as Orchestra Victoria
Orchestra Victoria
Orchestra Victoria is an orchestra based in Victoria, Australia. In addition to its own concert and education events, it is the performance partner of the following major performing arts companies: The Australian Ballet, Opera Australia and Victorian Opera...
(based in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
). The orchestra (and its Victorian cousin) was formerly known as The Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra and The Elizabethan Melbourne Orchestra respectively. It was initially established by the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust
Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust
The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust was set up in September 1954 under the guidance of H. C. ‘Nugget’ Coombs, Governor of the Commonwealth Bank, Sir Charles Moses General Manager, Australian Broadcasting Commission and John Douglas Pringle, Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald. It aimed to...
.
This orchestra provides musical accompaniment to the two above mentioned arts bodies and one few opera orchestras in the world that operates in a repertory style of operation. Meaning, that its performances are not set in blocks (like many European opera houses) rather, Opera Australia's seasons produce four or five operas simultaneously. Other opera houses that operate like this are The Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.