DON GIOVANNI to Open Opera Australia's National Tour in Barossa Valley
Conductor Simon Bruckard leads the cast at Barossa Arts Centre in Michael Gow's acclaimed production.
This July, Opera Australia will present Michael Gow's acclaimed production of Mozart's Don Giovanni in the Barossa Valley. The South Australian season was secured by State Opera South Australia as part of its Golden Jubilee season, celebrating 50 years of State Opera and the 30th anniversary of Opera Australia's National Touring program.
Across two performances at the Barossa Arts Centre on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 July 2026, South Australians will witness opera at its most explosive with the arrival of opera's Casanova: Don Giovanni. Conductor Simon Bruckard will lead a cast of exceptional singers and musicians, including a local children's chorus from Faith Lutheran College. State Opera South Australia Executive Director Mark Taylor said the Don Giovanni season signals South Australia's welcome return to Opera Australia's national touring schedule.
“Opera Australia is bringing a major touring production back to South Australia with Barossa playing host to the opening of the Don Giovanni national tour. This milestone captures 30 years of Opera Australia's National Touring program and State Opera's Golden Jubilee Season. Securing this production is a significant moment for South Australia on the national stage,” he said.
Opera Australia CEO Alex Budd said that South Australia has long played an important role in the company's history. “As we celebrate 30 years of our national tour in its current format, we're proud to continue delivering world-class opera to communities across the country. I've seen first-hand the delight and enjoyment this program brings to audiences nationwide, and that connection remains at the heart of why this tour matters,” he said.
Having last toured in 2013, the revival of this dynamic production of Don Giovanni, combining the creative minds of director Michael Gow, set and Costume Designer Robert Kemp, and lighting designer Matthew Scott, marks a welcome return to the stage for one of the country's most respected storytellers. Cast members include tenors Christian Haotian Qi and Andrew Williams who share the role of Don Giovanni alongside sopranos Celeste Lazarenko and Jessica Blunt as Donna Anna. Tenors Kiran Rajasingam and Stephen Marsh play Leporello, Tomas Dalton and Shanul Sharma as Don Ottavio and sopranos Cathy-Di Zhang and Jane Magão as Zerlina.
Mozart's Don Giovanni is one of opera's greatest and most accessible hits: part comedy, part thriller, part supernatural reckoning. Don Giovanni is a notorious libertine whose seductions, schemes and violent impulses finally catch up with him. The opera continues to captivate audiences with its timeless themes, powerful music and gripping drama.
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