Paul Selar

The inaugural OperaChaser Critics Awards got a rap in @LimelightArtsAu. Thanks so much! limelight-arts.com.au/news/inaugural…

Here’s a curious work from English composer Michael Nyman: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, about a curious neurological case, that @IOperaAus is gladly presenting Melbourne audiences at The Athenaeum 2.

A world-premiere collaborative work between @TheAusBallet and #BangarraDanceTheatre, Flora imparts its distinctive richness and meaningful ideas with an absorbingly simmering energy. My thought at #AustralianArtsReview: artsreview.com.au/flora/

Opening night of @TheAusBallet and #BangarraDanceTheatre’s collaborative work, Flora @cityofmelbourne’s iconic Regent Theatre. Hoping to experience a delightfully fragrant work!

Proving the power of contemporary opera to move and unsettle audiences, Mary Motorhead & Trade, presented by @acoco_go, stand as compelling examples of modern storytelling intensified through musical and vocal soundscapes. My thoughts at #ArtsReview: artsreview.com.au/mary-motorhead…

Great fortune has descended on @cityofmelbourne with the Australian premiere of two one-act operas by Irish duo, composer Emma O’Halloran and her uncle and librettist, Mark O’Halloran. Opening night of Mary Motorhead and Trade here @MalthouseMelb, presented by @acoco_go.

The @TheAusBallet’s Signature Works — presented as a Melbourne-exclusive gala at the Regent Theatre over 3 performances — was a joyous celebration of the breadth of talent and artistic vitality the company has forged. My thoughts at #AustralianArtsReview: artsreview.com.au/the-australian…

Have some fun, irreverent entertainment coming up this Sunday evening with American musical comedy, The Book of Mormon, here @cityofmelbourne’s Princess Theatre — with a thumping rally celebrating Khomeini’s death across the street!

Coming up, a night out @cityofmelbourne’s Regent Thestre with @TheAusBallet and their Signature Works which should showcase the company’s wide-ranging attributes marvellously.

In Lee Hoiby’s effervescent one-act opera, Bon Appétit, mezzo-soprano Deborah Humble channels American pioneering television chef Julia Child’s endearing, infectious and idiosyncratic style with delightful pizzazz. My thoughts at #AustralianArtsReview: artsreview.com.au/bon-appetite/

Bon Appétit! — a short one-act opera drawn from 2 episodes of Julia Childs’ 1960s TV show, The French Chef — is about to whet the appetite as award-winning mezzo Deborah Humble channels the American chef’s endearing idiosyncratic style here at The Kitchen, Melba Trust Offices.

A further report on the inaugural OperaChaser Critics Awards 2025 winners. Thank you Heather Leviston and Classic Melbourne! classicmelbourne.com.au/news-operachas…

Thank you to #AustralianArtsReview for reporting on the winners of the inaugural OperaChaser Critics Awards (OCCAs)! artsreview.com.au/operachaser-cr…

That concludes the presentation. Congratulations to the deserved winners. My sincere thanks go to all involved in the production of opera, to the panelists whose valuable contributions lend weight and credibility to these awards and to everyone drawn to the great art of opera.

OperaChaser Emerging Artist Prize 2025 Henry Shaw (bass-baritone) Roles included the Nightwatchman in @MelbourneOpera’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Don Alfonso in the company’s Richard Divall Program’s Così fan tutte and title role in @BK_Opera’s Macbeth. 📷 Robin Halls

And now we come to the final announcement for the evening — the winner of the inaugural OperaChaser Emerging Artist Prize of $1000. And the winner is …

OCCA for Momentous Operatic Event 2025 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, @MelbourneOpera Performed at the @UNESCO World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne 📷 Robin Halls

A unanimous decision was also made to present a one-off OCCA special award in recognition of a momentous event combining artistry, atmosphere, organisation and setting that will live long in memory.

OCCA for Outstanding Production 2025 Katya Kabanova, @VictorianOpera 📷 Jeff Busby

OCCA for Outstanding Director 2025 Yaron Lifschitz Orpheus and Eurydice, @OperaQueensland with Circa, presented by @OperaAustralia 📷 oq.com.au