Joyce DiDonato Makes Australian Debut with Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras

Multi-Grammy Award–winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato will make her long-anticipated Australian debut this month, appearing with both the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in a series of gala performances.

DiDonato, recently honoured with the 2024 Concertgebouw Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, is widely regarded as one of the foremost voices of her generation. The New Yorker has hailed her as “perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation,” while The Times (UK) praised her voice as “nothing less than 24-carat gold.”

Her Australian appearances begin with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Gala Concert on 15 November under the baton of Chief Conductor Eivind Aadland, followed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Ryman Health Care Spring Gala: Joyce DiDonato on 20 and 22 November, conducted by MSO Chief Conductor Jaime Martín. The performances mark major highlights of both orchestras’ 2025 seasons.

DiDonato will perform Hector Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’été (Summer Nights), a six-song cycle set to poetry by Théophile Gautier. Known for its shimmering orchestration and emotional breadth, the work explores themes of love, loss, and memory—qualities long associated with DiDonato’s artistry.

In addition to her gala performances, DiDonato will lead a sold-out masterclass for emerging singers in Melbourne on 19 November, continuing her commitment to education and outreach. Her work beyond the concert stage includes bringing music to prisons, refugee communities, and classrooms worldwide.

DiDonato’s extensive accolades include Gramophone’s Artist and Recital of the Year and induction into the Gramophone Hall of Fame, joining the ranks of Maria Callas, Enrico Caruso, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, and Joan Sutherland.

Reflecting on her mission as an artist, DiDonato said, “From the beginning of my unexpected career, I have sought ways to bring the transformative, healing power of music to as many people as I can—whether on stage, in prisons, refugee camps, or the classroom.”

Her Australian tour will conclude with performances with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra on 28 and 29 November.

For tickets and additional details, visit mso.com.au and tso.com.au.