Cover image: West Australian Opera’s 2026 Roméo et Juliette. Supplied.

On World Opera Day – following on from the opening night of West Australian Opera’s  Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi at His Majesty’s Theatre on 16 October – Leanne Casellas sat down with Carolyn Chard AM, Executive Director of West Australian Opera, to explore the artform’s enduring popularity and its place in contemporary society.

Their conversation delved into what fuels Chard’s passion for opera, the challenges and opportunities facing the company as it approaches its 60th anniversary, and how WAO continues to balance beloved classics with bold new experiences. Chard reflects on how opera continues to speak to the human condition connecting us through music, storytelling, and shared emotion in a way that transcends time, place, and language.

Q: What first drew you to opera, and what keeps that passion alive after so many years in the arts?

A:  A passion for the arts, opera brings so many facets together: music, design, acting and singing. Marilyn Manson said that “music is the strongest form of magic”. A theatre director once pointed out that we trade in human emotion; that’s our widget, our product. We must look after that carefully; it is something which boils down to looking after people. I work with creative, committed, energetic and enthusiastic people who love the company and the theatre, have a passion for opera, and take great pride in our craft.

Q: You’ve described opera as a fusion of singing, music, and storytelling that “unlocks the imagination”. Why do you think this timeless artform continues to resonate so deeply in a digital age?

A:  Humans will always need music and imagination; two of my favourite quotes, both from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, describe why:

“…here is my secret, a very simple secret. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” and “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.”

Q: How does West Australian Opera (WAO) ensure that opera remains relevant and accessible to today’s audiences?

A:  Opera is an enduring artform.  Life is to be appreciated and savoured; the arts underpin a life well lived. To sustain this artform in WA for so many years; to be trading under the same name and same constitution, and to continue be present opera in the beautiful Edwardian His Majesty’s Theatre is an achievement. It takes constancy and consistency to get here – funding, box office, audiences, patrons, donors, partners, sponsors, government, board, and staff all facing in the same direction.

Q: WAO’s programming often balances timeless works with new and experimental productions. How is that equilibrium tackled?

A:  Opera is complex. It brings together all forms of creativity; there are many behind-the-scenes factors to consider, delicately balanced financials, productions that have to fit the stage, a wonderful state orchestra, stage management, and crew to keep it all working like magic, singers, chorus, actors on stage telling the story. We rehearse for several weeks with the piano before joining with the orchestra at the ‘sitzprobe’ and then move into the theatre with the full company, the full orchestra, and the full stage production. Then we add in an audience at the final dress rehearsal (which we call ‘the general’ in opera) and suddenly it’s opening night. The ‘process’ is completed by the audience’s wonderment which ensures they come back again, spread the word, and tell others.  A few years ago, Nicola Forrest said to me ‘the arts lift people out of their everyday’ which I love.

Q: This new season opens with Verdi’s La Traviata and includes Eugene Onegin and Roméo et Juliette – three passionate, human stories. What threads connect these choices?

A:  Opera is grounded in storytelling, the human condition, seeing the grand passion and tribulations of life on the stage. Each of these works prompts a response through the music, the story, the drama.

Q: WAO’s Artist in Residence programme champions West Australian artists like Samantha Clarke. How important is nurturing homegrown talent to the company’s long-term vision and future?

A:  WA is a creative place; from First Nations storytelling over 60,000 years, to opera for almost 60 years, we have told stories through song, dance, acting, and drama. Nurturing local talent is so important and we are proud to deliver the Wesfarmers Arts Young Artist Program, collaborating with UWA’s Conservatorium of Music, and with WAAPA at ECU. Samantha will perform two important roles in 2026 (Tatyana in Eugene Onegin and Juliette in Roméo et Juliette) and will share her experiences to mentor, challenge and support young and emerging artists.

Q: Initiatives like Secret Opera and The Song Catchers take opera beyond the main stage. How do these projects impact audience engagement?

A:  These are bespoke works that respond to place and time. The Song Catchers is commissioned for Albany 2026 and is a collaborative project with Menang Noongar Elders, Breaksea Youth Writers Group, and the Artistic Development Panel to examine identity and belonging.

Q: Opera is often seen as grand and distant yet WAO places great emphasis on community connection. What are some ways you’re bringing opera closer to everyday life?

A:  During the opening week of Il Trovatore (October 2025) we were also in four Ellenbrook primary schools with over 500 Year 5/6 students as part of WAO SINGS, a programme funded by the Feilman Foundation and delivered by Dr Emma Jayakumar. We did Twilight Opera on the balcony of His Majesty’s Theatre as part of a City of Perth supported activation; we are deep in planning for Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse’s  Wundig wer Wilura sung in Noongar, which will be presented at the Albany Entertainment Centre and Bunbury Regional Arts Centre in November; we presented opera on the outdoor stage for Telethon, and sang Bohemian Rhapsody with WAO singers, Rob Mills and Little Telethon star, Jordan Blair.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing opera companies today, and how is WAO positioning itself for longevity and sustainability as it nears its 60th anniversary in 2027?

A: Responding to changing audience behaviours in a post-COVID world; finding, growing and balancing income streams from funding, box office, philanthropy, and partnerships in a world of rising costs; collaborating with the sector to create new productions – examples we will present in 2026  are La Traviata which we created with Opera Queensland and State Opera of South Australia, the new production of Roméo et Juliette, which we created with State Opera of South Australia and Irish National Opera, and Eugene Onegin which is our second collaboration with Australian director Cameron Menzies at Northern Ireland Opera.

Q: If you could capture the essence of opera in one word or phrase – what would it be, and why?

A: Passion. Music has always had the power to move people. Theatre is an escape from the everyday routine. There’s a beautiful quote from Verdi which resonates with me: “I adore art…when I am alone with my notes, my heart pounds and the tears stream from my eyes and my emotion, and my joys are too much to bear.”

West Australian Opera’s 2026 season goes on sale on November 6 at www.waopera.asn.au