Modern Take On Mozart’s Playful Masterpiece - Coming To A Centre Near You

NZ Opera’s lush new production of Così Fan Tutte explores love, relationships and desire through a contemporary lens

A powerhouse cast of New Zealand and international opera singers will bring to life one of Mozart's most popular and frequently performed comic operas, across Aotearoa New Zealand this winter.

Così fan tutte - the final collaboration between genius composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and party-boy-turned-poet Lorenzo da Ponte - premiered in Vienna in 1790 and has been a staple of the operatic canon ever since. The music is renowned for its exquisite beauty and dexterity, and the themes of love, trust and betrayal have been resonating with audiences for centuries.

The opera tells the story of two young couples who are confident that their partners will remain devoted to them. However, when fidelity is put to the test, gaslighting and chaos ensues and the couples are forced to confront the true nature of their relationships.

In the vocally agile and demanding role of Fiordiligi, soprano Emma Pearson (La Traviata, The Marriage of Figaro, Lucia di Lammermoor), who wowed NZ Opera audiences in the titular role of Semele in 2020, will demonstrate her dazzling vocal prowess. She is joined by talented Polish lyric mezzo-soprano Hannah Hipp (Ariadne auf Naxos, A Handmaid’s Tale, Der Rosenkavalier), as her sister Dorabella. Their Act 1 “Soave sia il vento” is widely regarded as one of the beautiful and poignant moments in opera, showcasing Mozart's mastery of vocal writing.

Tenor Jonathan Abernethy (La Fanciulla del West, Die Zauberflöte, The Mikado) and baritone Julien Van Mellaerts (Iphigénie en Tauride, Madama Butterfly, La Bohème), both expat Kiwi singers forging successful careers in overseas opera houses, play boyfriends Ferrando and Guglielmo respectively. Lively New Zealand soprano Georgia Jamieson Emms (The Unruly Tourists, Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Pasquale) delights as the maid-with-sass Despina.

Award-winning, acclaimed Australian opera director Lindy Hume (The Marriage of Figaro, The Barber of Seville, Carmen) returns to New Zealand to create her ninth production for NZ Opera. Lauded for her ability to bring fresh and thought-provoking interpretations to classic productions, her work is intelligent yet accessible, and always visually striking. Lindy has been a strong advocate for actively addressing gender bias and racial stereotyping in opera for decades.

General Director of NZ Opera, Thomas de Mallet Burgess says, “Following the recent critical and box office success of our new opera The Unruly Tourists, NZ Opera dials back over two hundred years to an opera about misogyny and the bittersweet experiences of early relationships. Such themes in the hands of Lindy Hume and Natalie Murray Beale is a reason to be optimistic. I can’t wait to see what they uncover.”

Celebrated conductor Natalie Murray Beale, who has a wealth of international experience across orchestras, operas, theatre and film, is set to take the helm as musical director in her NZ debut. An Australian based in London, Natalie conducts many world-leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Beethoven Orchester Bonn and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse. She will conduct the NZ Opera Chorus and New Zealand’s three preeminent orchestras, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra for Cosi fan tutte in each city.

Joining Hume and Murray Beale in the creative team, New Zealand’s leading Scenographer Tracy Grant Lord (The Unruly Tourists, The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro) brings her trademark elegance and opulent design to the production’s contemporary set and costumes.

Award-winning Lighting Designer Matthew Marshall (The Unruly Tourists, Macbeth, The Marriage of Figaro), known for his spectacular innovative design, rounds out the experienced Antipodean creative team.

A romantic tragicomedy set to some of the most sublime classical music ever written, NZ Opera’s mainscale production for 2023 plays Auckland 31 May - 4 June, Wellington 14 - 18 June and Christchurch 28 June - 2 July.

COSÌ FAN TUTTE
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte

Auckland season
with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra 
31 May - 4 June 2023
Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre
 

Wellington season
with Orchestra Wellington 
14 - 18 June 2023
St James Theatre
 

Christchurch season
with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra 
28 June - 2 July 2023
Isaac Theatre Royal
 

Tickets and info: www.nzopera.com ph 0800 696 737

MEDIA CONTACT:

For media information, images and interviews, please contact Vanessa Preston, Publicist, NZ Opera:

vanessa@nzopera.co.nz

or ph: +64 21 217 3452

IMAGES: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13ws26hQm5qOi6LEZDrFnX8L5LJOKAU0p?usp=sharing

CAST:
Fiordiligi: Emma Pearson
Dorabella: Hanna Hipp
Guglielmo: Julien Van Mellaerts
Ferrando: Jonathan Abernethy
Despina: Georgia Jamieson Emms
Don Alfonso: Tbc
with the NZ Opera Chorus

CREATIVE TEAM:
Director: Lindy Hume
Conductor/Musical Director: Natalie Murray Beale
Set & Costume Designer (Scenographer): Tracy Grant Lord
Lighting Designer: Matthew Marshall 
Assistant Director: Matthew Kereama
Principal Répétiteur and Continuo: David Kelly

NOTES TO THE EDITOR:

About Lindy Hume

About Natalie Murray Beale

About NZ Opera

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